What does the Bible say about love in relationships?
Bible Topic · WEB
The Bible teaches that love in relationships is a sincere, self-giving commitment to seek another person’s good in obedience to God. Jesus commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves in Mark 12:31, while 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 describes love as patient, kind, truthful, humble, and enduring. Proverbs 27:5 reminds us that faithful love sometimes speaks needed correction rather than offering shallow approval. Such love is not produced merely by human effort, but grows through the Spirit’s work, bearing fruit such as kindness, gentleness, and self-control, as Galatians 5:22-23 teaches. Romans 12:2 calls believers to reject the world’s patterns and be renewed in mind, so relationships reflect Christ’s holy, merciful love.
Top passages, ranked by readers
Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible
- Proverbs 27:5 20 votes
Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 13 votes
If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t have love, it profits me nothing. 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. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are various languages, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away with. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when that which is complete has come, then that which is partial will be done away with. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I have become a man, I have put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I was also fully known. But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.
- Romans 12:2 10 votes
Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.
- Galatians 5:22-23 10 votes
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
- Mark 12:31 7 votes
The second is like this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
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