Are there Biblical alternatives to litigation?
Yes! Although civil litigation is sometimes the only way to resolve certain legal issues, the Bible teaches that Christians should first seek to settle their differences through biblically grounded mediation or arbitration (see Matt. 18:15-20 and 1 Cor. 6:1-8). Today this faith-based process is often referred to as “Christian conciliation.”
As these Scriptures indicate, disputes that are primarily relational or that involve simple legal issues can often be resolved with the assistance of spiritually mature believers in the local church. Disputes that involve more complex legal, relational or spiritual issues may require the assistance of Certified Conciliators who can provide biblical, professional alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services.
Ever since the Christian Legal Society trained the first Christian conciliators in 1982, this process had been used to resolve a wide spectrum of conflicts, including: contract, business, employment, family and divorce, negligence, probate, intellectual property, sexual misconduct, church divisions and wrongful death (see actual case descriptions on this page).
This process has been used and affirmed by Christians and non-Christians alike, and conciliation decisions have been upheld by both federal and state courts.