What were the Corinthians doing with their lawsuits against each other?
They were taking one another to the pagan courts in lawsuits. This practice is listed among the Corinthian church's problems, along with divisions and gross immorality. The context describes them dragging fellow believers before pagan courts, which was one of the issues Paul addressed in his first letter to them.
Les explains that the church at Corinth had many problems. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul deals with the most major one: gross immorality, reported commonly and not even named among the Gentiles. But among their other issues, they were taking one another to the pagan courts in lawsuits. They also had divisions, with some following Christ, some Apollos, some Peter, and some Paul. The first letter Paul wrote addressed these matters, and it produced sorrow that led to repentance.
More Questions
What were the divisions in the Corinthian church about?
The church at Corinth had divisions over which leader to follow: some were following Christ, some Apollos, some Peter, and some Paul.