Love is not first a feeling but the very character of God, who loved us before we ever loved Him. Scripture describes a love that is patient and kind, that keeps no account of wrongs, and that lays down its life for others. These passages set before you both the source of love and its shape, so that what God has poured out on you may flow through you to others.
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, vaunteth...: or, is not rash 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; in the truth: or, with the truth 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. is born: Gr. has been born 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
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.
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 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. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
37 This is the first and great commandment. 38 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 39 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 40 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. shall: or, will
16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
6 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. cruel: Heb. hard 7 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.