I say this to put you to shame. Has it come to this, that there does not exist among you a single wise man competent to decide between a man and his brother,
Let no one deceive himself. If any man imagines that he is wise, compared with the rest of you, with the wisdom of the present age, let him become »foolish« so that he may be wise.
We, for Christ's sake, are labeled as »foolish«; you, as Christians, are men of shrewd intelligence. We are mere weaklings: you are strong. You are in high repute: we are outcasts.
If therefore you have things belonging to this life which need to be decided, is it men who are absolutely nothing in the Church–is it they whom you make your judges?
And if any one of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives with open hand to all men, and without upbraiding; and it will be given him.