HOW CHRISTIANS SHOULD RESOLVE DISPUTES

Conflicts arose in the early church when some insisted that Gentiles must adopt Jewish laws before they could become Christians (Acts 15:22-41). Guided by the Holy Spirit, the Apostles affirmed that salvation was by faith alone through grace alone and that Gentile and Jewish believers must live in harmony despite cultural differences. A quite different disagreement between Paul and Barnabas over John Mark's role in ministry was resolved by their going their different ways. In both cases biblical principles were applied to settle disputes, providing lessons for church leadership and unity today.