Bible Verses About Love

“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.”

Part of Jesus' night conversation with Nicodemus.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Paul's point is the timing: love shown before anyone deserved it.

“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.”

John explains how God's love was made visible.

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Love defined by what God did first.

“We love him, because he first loved us.”

A short verse that sums up John's argument.

“The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”

God speaks of an everlasting love to Israel in exile.

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.”

John marvels at being called the sons of God.

“But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.”

This description of God echoes the words spoken to Moses in Exodus 34.

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Paul writes personally about the Son of God "who loved me."

“The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”

A picture of God rejoicing over his people with singing.

“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,”

The start of Paul's description of love, written to a divided church.

“Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;”

The list continues with what love does not do.

“Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;”

Love and truth belong together.

“Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”

Four "all things" in a row.

“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.”

Love outlasts the gifts the Corinthians were proud of.

“And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”

The verse that closes the chapter.

“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”

One of two places where John writes "God is love."

“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.”

The second, joined to an invitation to remain in love.

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

John on love and fear.

“Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”

Paul's summary of how love fulfils the law.

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”

Jesus calls this a new commandment, on the night of the Last Supper.

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

Love as the mark others will recognise.

“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”

The same command, repeated later that evening.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

Jesus speaks of laying down his life for his friends.

“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.”

Jesus' answer when asked for the greatest commandment.

“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

The second commandment he names alongside it.

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”

From the Sermon on the Mount.

“Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;”

Part of Paul's description of life in the church.

“Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.”

The one debt Paul says should always stay open.

“And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”

Peter quotes the thought of Proverbs 10:12.

“Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.”

The proverb Peter draws on.

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.”

John's appeal to love one another.

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”

The "if" here means "since."

“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”

Love shown in deed, not only in words.

“And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.”

Love as the garment put on over the other virtues.

“Let all your things be done with charity.”

One of the shortest verses about love.

“Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.”

From the Song of Solomon, a book of love poetry.

“Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.”

The poem continues: love cannot be bought.

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”

Paul measures a husband's love against Christ's love for the church.

“And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:”

Ruth's vow to her mother-in-law Naomi, often read at weddings.

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,”

Nothing can separate us from God's love

“Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God's inseparable love