Bible Verses About Love
What Does The Bible Say About Love?
Love is the greatest commandment in the Bible. Love is so important, that the Bible mentions it over 300 times (depending on the version of the Bible you are using), spread across both the Old and the New Testament. God talks to us about His love for us, our love for Him, and our love for one another. Some of the most famous Bible verses pertain to love.
In the Old Testament, love is often equated with faithfulness and loyalty, as seen in the love between David and Jonathan or between God and Israel.
The New Testament brings a new understanding of love, embodied in the love of Christ for humanity. This self-sacrificial love is the highest form of love, and it is this love that we are called to emulate.
Ultimately, love is at the heart of what it means to follow Christ. As 1 John 4:8 says, “God is love.” To love others as God loves us is to truly reflect the image of God. It is only through love that we can hope to understand the heart of God.
Christian Love Quotes
Love in the Bible
We typically refer to love as an emotion, or a strong feeling toward another individual. We talk about love when it comes to our children, our spouses, our family and our closest friends. We feel an emotion of deep care for these people, but is the emotion what God is really talking about?
God tells us that love is and intentional, deliberate action, rather than an emotion. When we act in kindness and concern for others, we are acting in love.
Paul wrote the letters to the Corinthians that we see so often associated with marriage when he heard of the conflicts within the church. He described love to the church the way that God wants us to know love. We often see this description on wedding invitations or incorporated in wedding ceremonies.
While there is value to 1 Corinthians 13 to a marriage, the letter is intended for us to love everyone in this manner. This is the true way of acting in love, and not expressing love as an emotions.
1 Corinthians 13:4-13
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
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; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 16:14
Let all your things be done with charity.
Do everything in love.
And do everything with love.
Let all that you do be done in love.
God’s Love for Us
God tells us repeatedly that He loves us. First and foremost, God loves us. He loves us so much that Jesus was sent to earth to die to save us. We are all so important in His eyes that He deemed us worthy of salvation and grace through Jesus. His love is unconditional, and He deeply desires for us to believe in He loves us beyond our capabilities of comprehension, but we try to understand by believing in His promises. His love so that we may have eternal life in heaven with Him.
John 15:12
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
1 John 4:16
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
Love One Another
God’s example of His love for us is the tool for how we should love one another. He stresses the importance of loving one another, because He loves us. God explains to us that loving others is how we love Him. Our genuine love is an act of understanding of who God is, and when we have love that is pure, we can begin to reciprocate love back to God. The more we love others, the closer we draw to God.
1 John 4:7
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
Colossians 3:14
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
1 Peter 4:8
And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
Romans 12:9
Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
Luke 6:35
But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
1 John 3:18
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
Romans 13:10
Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Ephesians 4:2
With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
Loving God
Ultimately, God wants us to love Him in return. He has given us the gift of eternal life, endless love, and ultimate salvation. His only request is to love Him. God tells us ways to show our love, by following His commandments. If we continue to live out love in the way Paul described it in his letter to the Corinthians, we will bring God great joy.
Matthew 22:36-40
Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
1 John 4:20
Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
Philippians 2:2
then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.
complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
Luke 10:27
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
25 Popular Quotes About Love From The Bible
Luke 6:32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient and is kind; love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,
1 John 4:20 If a man says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who doesn’t love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
2 Samuel 1:26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan: Very pleasant have you been to me: Your love to me was wonderful, Passing the love of women.
Ephesians 6:24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love. Amen.
Song of Solomon 4:10 How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine! The fragrance of your perfumes than all manner of spices!
Mark 12:33 and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
Proverbs 20:28 Love and faithfulness keep the king safe. His throne is sustained by love.
Titus 2:4 that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,
1 Peter 4:8 And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins.
Song of Solomon 8:7 Many waters can’t quench love, Neither can floods drown it. If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love, He would be utterly scorned. Friends
Song of Solomon 1:4 Take me away with you. Let us hurry. The king has brought me into his chambers. Friends We will be glad and rejoice in you. We will praise your love more than wine! Beloved They are right to love you.
Romans 13:10 Love doesn’t harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.
1 Corinthians 13:13 But now faith, hope, and love remain–these three. The greatest of these is love.
1 John 4:12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love has been perfected in us.
1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God, and knows God.
John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, just like I have loved you; that you also love one another.
Proverbs 8:17 I love those who love me. Those who seek me diligently will find me.
1 Thessalonians 4:9 But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another,
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love.
Hosea 3:1 Yahweh said to me, “Go again, love a woman loved by another, and an adulteress, even as Yahweh loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods, and love cakes of raisins.”
2 Samuel 19:6 in that you love those who hate you, and hate those who love you. For you have declared this day, that princes and servants are nothing to you: for this day I perceive that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased you well.
Matthew 5:46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?
1 John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments.
1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who doesn’t love his brother remains in death.
