Old Testament Wisdom Books

Pr 10:18 Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, And whoever spreads slander is a fool.

Pr 10:19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.

Pr 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise.

Pr 12:16 (ESV) The vexation of a fool is known at once but the prudent ignores an insult.

Pr 12:26 The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray.

Pr 13:10 By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well–advised is wisdom.

Pr 13:16 Every prudent man acts with knowledge, But a fool lays open his folly.

Pr 15:28 The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.

Pr 16:1 The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

Pr 16:2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the spirits.

Pr 16:28 A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends.

Pr 17:9 He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends.

Pr 17:14 The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts.

Pr 18:6 A fool's lips enter into contention, And his mouth calls for blows.

Pr 18:8 The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, And they go down into the inmost body.

Pr 18:17 The first one to plead his cause seems right, Until his neighbor comes and examines him.

Pr 20:3 It is honorable for a man to stop striving, Since any fool can start a quarrel.

Pr 22:10 Cast out the scoffer, and contention will leave; Yes, strife and reproach will cease.

Pr 25:8 Do not go hastily to court; For what will you do in the end, When your neighbor has put you to shame?

Pr 26:17 He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own Is like one who takes a dog by the ears.

Pr 26:20 Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.

Pr 27:19 As in water face reflects face, So a man’s heart reveals the man.

Pr 28:25 He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the LORD will be prospered

Pr 29:20 Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him

Pr 29:22 An angry man stirs up strife, And a furious man abounds in transgression.

Ec 5:2 Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.

Ec 10:12-13 The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, But the lips of a fool shall swallow him up; The words of his mouth begin with foolishness, And the end of his talk is raving madness.

New Testament Gospel

Matt 5:21 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 "leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 "Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 "Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

Matt 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. 18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. 21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. 23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. ... 35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

New Testament Pastoral Books

1Cor 3:3ff For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?

How many disputes would disolve if the brothers would begin to practice the theory of biblical love?
1Cor 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Eph 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.

Col 3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

Titus 3:10 Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self–condemned.

1Tim 5:19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses.

1Tim 6:3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, 5 useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. 6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

2Tim 2:23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.

Heb 12:14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

Heb 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

James 1:19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

James 1:26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.

James 3:1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. 3 Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh. 13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self–seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self–seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. 4:1 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

1Peter 3:10 For "He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit.

1Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." 9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. 9 hospitable to one another, without murmuring; 10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.