What does the Bible say about love?

Key Bible verses about love

1. 1 John 4:7-8

   Beloved, let’s love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love.

2. 1 John 4:19

   We love him, because he first loved us.

3. John 3:16

   For God so loved the world, that he gave his only born Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

4. Romans 5:8

   But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

5. Romans 8:38-39

   For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from God’s love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

6. Matthew 22:37-39

   Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

7. John 13:34-35

   A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

8. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

   Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud, doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

9. 1 John 3:16-18

   By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, then closes his heart of compassion against him, how does God’s love remain in him? My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.

10. Romans 13:10

    Love doesn’t harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.

11. Colossians 3:14

    Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection.

12. Deuteronomy 6:5

    You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.

Scripture: World English Bible (public domain). Short quotations in the introduction are from the ESV. Read each passage in its chapter for the full context.