What Does the Bible Say About Conflict Resolution?

Matthew 18:15-17 ESV / 143 helpful votes

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

James 1:19 ESV / 93 helpful votes

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;

Romans 12:17-21 ESV / 77 helpful votes

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Proverbs 15:1 ESV / 67 helpful votes

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Matthew 5:9 ESV / 44 helpful votes

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Philippians 2:4 ESV / 43 helpful votes

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Luke 17:3 ESV / 41 helpful votes

Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him,

Proverbs 16:7 ESV / 34 helpful votes

When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Colossians 3:13 ESV / 28 helpful votes

Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Leviticus 19:18 ESV / 27 helpful votes

You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

James 1:2-4 ESV / 24 helpful votes

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Matthew 5:24 ESV / 23 helpful votes

Leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Ephesians 4:26 ESV / 22 helpful votes

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

Ephesians 4:31 ESV / 17 helpful votes

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

Matthew 18:17 ESV / 17 helpful votes

If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 ESV / 15 helpful votes

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ...

Romans 13:1-4 ESV / 14 helpful votes

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.

Luke 17:4 ESV / 14 helpful votes

And if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

1 Kings 3:25-28 ESV / 14 helpful votes

And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him.” Then the king answered and said, “Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother.” And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.

1 Timothy 5:19 ESV / 13 helpful votes

Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.

Matthew 5:23 ESV / 13 helpful votes

So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,

2 Timothy 3:16 ESV / 12 helpful votes

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

Psalm 103:8 ESV / 12 helpful votes

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

Matthew 18:1-35 ESV / 11 helpful votes

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, ...

Matthew 5:1-48 ESV / 10 helpful votes

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. ...

Matthew 18:21 ESV / 9 helpful votes

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”

Micah 6:8 ESV / 9 helpful votes

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

1 Corinthians 6:1-7 ESV / 8 helpful votes

When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, ...

Luke 6:29 ESV / 8 helpful votes

To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either.

James 3:2 ESV / 6 helpful votes

For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.

Proverbs 18:19 ESV / 6 helpful votes

A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.

Philippians 4:2-3 ESV / 5 helpful votes

I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Luke 6:30 ESV / 5 helpful votes

Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.

Amos 5:1-17 ESV / 5 helpful votes

Hear this word that I take up over you in lamentation, O house of Israel: “Fallen, no more to rise, is the virgin Israel; forsaken on her land, with none to raise her up.” For thus says the Lord God: “The city that went out a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went out a hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel.” For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live; but do not seek Bethel, and do not enter into Gilgal or cross over to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Bethel shall come to nothing.” ...

Amos 3:3 ESV / 5 helpful votes

“Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?

2 Samuel 15:1-37 ESV / 5 helpful votes

After this Absalom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him. And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate. And when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, “From what city are you?” And when he said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,” Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no man designated by the king to hear you.” Then Absalom would say, “Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.” And whenever a man came near to pay homage to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. ...

Joshua 24:15 ESV / 5 helpful votes

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Bible Verses about Conflict Resolution