ANSWER: Some of the things you suggest in your letter relative to legal matters constitute compliance with Roman 13:1-7 and would not, therefore, be wrong, i.e., to settle an estate among Christians or to use the courts to clear a deed or title. This would also be true of the faithful, innocent party divorcing their mate (in accordance with Matthew 5:32,19:9) for the cause of fornication.

Indeed, as clearly stated in your letter, it is not wrong, but truly right, for an eldership to protect the church property from unscrupulous apostates who would steal it away. In Acts 25:10-11, Paul was practicing what he taught in Romans 13:1-7. This is, that earthly rulers are put in place for our good, i.e., to protect us, our name, our person and our property; to guard our liberty; and to protect our rights under the law. If God has put them in place for our protection and defense, we not only have the right to use them, but the responsibility of doing so, especially when charges are brought against us as individuals or congregations that reflect poorly upon our Lord. Neither is it wrong to defend our Christian lives and character according to the law under which we live!

In 1 Corinthians, chapter six, Paul is saying that we are not to initiate or pursue an action designed to cause the appearance of brethren before worldly Judges. He does not say, as some would have us believe, that we are not to defend and protect ourselves (whether individually or congregationally) through the “powers” He has ordained! I do not believe that any of the items suggested in your letter would be a violation of scripture. Certainly, as faithful Christians, we should not take a brother to law, nor should we initiate anything that would result in such. To the contrary, we are to suffer wrong, even to the point of loss, but this, as stated above, does not mean than when forced into a legal situation that reflects detrimentally upon our character as Christians, or upon the Lord and His church, that it would be sinful to call upon those ordained of God to aright the inequity. I imagine that many property-usurping apostates would have the faithful believe otherwise!