"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3:16
It is often helpful to refer to the Bible as a source of objective truth when you have a disagreement with another Christian.
Taken from The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflictby Ken Sande, Updated Edition (Grand Rapids, Baker Books, 2003) p. 180.
Food for Thought
Every disagreement needs an objective voice.
Here's a saying you may have heard: There are two sides to every story, and the truth is somewhere in the middle. That's definitely a step in the right direction, but it stops short of being truly wise because it leaves "the middle" undefined. Is "the middle" a combination of what side A and side B are proposing? Is "the middle" the input of a family member, friend, or co-worker? That all still sounds very subjective; what a disagreement needs is something objective.
Ken reminds us that when disagreements arise between Christians, "the middle" needs to be the Bible, God's Word, the source of objective truth. God's Word is a lamp so our stubborn feet can find the way again to peace. It's a light so our eyes filled with anger or pride can truly see what's going on. (Remember... Scripture has as much to say to YOU as it does to the other person.) The Bible is that two-edged sword which cuts through our defenses and reveals the motives of the heart. Those God-breathed words train us to be much more than right; they train us to be righteous. The next time you have a disagreement with another Christian brother or sister, don't just put anything in the middle. Put God's Word in the middle.
