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    What Does the Bible Say About Love?

    What Does the Bible Say About Love? The Bible teaches that God is love, that He demonstrated love by sending His Son, and that love for God and neighbor is the greatest commandment.

    Key verse: 1 John 4:8 (KJV)

    The Bible teaches that God is love, that He demonstrated love by sending His Son, and that love for God and neighbor is the greatest commandment.

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    Quick Answer

    The Bible teaches that God is love, that He demonstrated love by sending His Son, and that love for God and neighbor is the greatest commandment.

    "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." — 1 John 4:8 (KJV)

    The Biblical Answer

    Love is the defining characteristic of God (1 John 4:8) and the supreme virtue of the Christian life. Jesus identified the greatest commandments as loving God with all your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). Paul's hymn to love in 1 Corinthians 13 describes its qualities: patient, kind, not envious, not proud, enduring all things. God's love is demonstrated supremely in sending Christ to die for sinners (John 3:16, Romans 5:8). Believers are called to love one another as Christ loved them (John 13:34-35), and this love is the evidence of true discipleship. Love fulfills the entire law (Romans 13:10).

    Topic Overview

    What Does the Bible Say About Love?

    What the Bible teaches about love — God's love for us, our love for others, and the greatest commandment.

    Key Scripture References

    "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is 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."

    Frequently asked questions

    Frequently asked questions

    Related Questions

    Deep Dive Commentary

    For a more in-depth study, read our verse-by-verse commentary:

    Related Reading

    Continue your study with related content from across our library:

    Read it in context

    The answer above sits inside 1 John. The 365-day chronological plan reads it in the order the events happened.

    Read 1 John on day 356 of the chronological Bible reading plan

    Keep the verses to hand

    Every verse quoted in “What Does the Bible Say About Love?” comes from the King James Version, free to download and print.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Love is the defining characteristic of God (1 John 4:8) and the supreme virtue of the Christian life. Jesus identified the greatest commandments as loving God with all your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). Paul's hymn to love in 1 Corinthians 13 describes its qualities: patient, kind, not envious, not proud, enduring all things. God's love is demonstrated supremely in sending Christ to die for sinners (John 3:16, Romans 5:8). Believers are called to love one another as Christ loved them (John 13:34-35), and this love is the evidence of true discipleship. Love fulfills the entire law (Romans 13:10).

    The Bible teaches that God freely forgives those who repent and that believers must forgive others as they have been forgiven — not seven times, but seventy times seven.

    Agape is the Greek word for unconditional, selfless love — the highest form of love described in the Bible, exemplified by God's love for humanity.