61 Bible Verses about Brotherly Love

and if any one will press you to go a mile with him, go with him the other two. give to him that asks you, and from him that would borrow of you turn not away.

he that receives a prophet in quality of a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receives a just man, as such, shall receive the reward of the just. and whoever shall give only a cup of cold water to the meanest of you, considering him as my disciple, shall most assuredly be far from losing his reward.

honour thy father and thy mother: and, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

for I was prest with hunger, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye took care of me: I was in prison, and ye visited me. then will the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see thee in hunger, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?read more.
when did we see thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? or when did we see thee sick, or in prison, and visited thee?

and whoever he be that shall give you a cup of water, as being the disciples of Christ, I assure you, he shall not lose his reward.

you shall therefore love the lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, to the utmost of your understanding, and all your faculties." this is the first commandment. and the second, which has an affinity to it, is this: "you shall love your neighbour as yourself." there is no other commandment greater than these.

and to love him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, with all its faculties, and to love one's neighbour as one's self is more acceptable than all the offerings and sacrifices in the world.

behave to others in the same manner, as you desire they would behave to you. for if you only love those, who love you, where's the obligation? the very heathen return love for love. if you return one kind office by another, where's the obligation? the heathen themselves do as much.read more.
if you lend with the expectation of gaining by it, where's the obligation? for the heathen lend to one another, for the prospect of an equivalent. but as for you, love your enemies, do good, and lend without expecting any advantage from it: so shall your reward be great, in acting like the children of the most high: for he is kind to the most ungrateful wretches.

he replied, 'tis thus, "thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy strength, and with all thy understanding; and thy neighbour as thy self."

but he being desirous to clear himself, said to Jesus, but what is meant by our neighbour? to which Jesus answered, a certain man, as he was going from Jerusalem to Jericho, fell among thieves, who stripp'd him, and beat him, then march'd off leaving him half dead. a certain priest happen'd to be travelling that way, who look'd upon him, and then pass'd on.read more.
a Levite too came to the same place, gave him a look, and pass'd on. but a certain Samaritan being on the road, came where he was, and when he saw him, he took compassion on him, went up to him, dress'd his wounds by applying oil and wine, then set him upon his own mule, and brought him to an inn, where he took care of him. upon his departure the next day, he took out two denarii, and gave them to the master of the house, take care of him, said he, and I will repay you all the charges you are at, upon my return. which now of the three do you think was neighbour to the man that was robb'd. he, reply'd the doctor, who took pity on him. then said Jesus to him, go then, and imitate his example.

if I then, tho' lord and master, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. for I have given you example, that you might behave to one another, as I have to you.

a new commandment I give unto you, "that ye love one another; that you would have the same love for one another as I have had for you." by this mutual love shall all men know that you are my disciples.

this is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. there cannot be greater love than that of a man, who lays down his life for his friends.

Above all I enjoin you, to love one another.

now for a wicked man no one would willingly die; but for a benefactor some have readily offer'd to die.

Let love be without dissimulation. abhor that which is evil, adhere to that which is good. in brotherly kindness be passionately affected to one another; in honour prefer one another:

bless them, but curse not. rejoice with those that do rejoice, and weep with those that weep. have the same respect for one another. let not your behaviour be haughty, but soften'd to the condition of those below you. be not wise in your own conceits.

Owe no man any thing, but mutual love: for he that loves others hath fulfilled the law. 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 whatever social precept there be, it is reduced to this single head, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self." the benevolent never does wrong to his neighbour: therefore benevolence is the fulfilling of the law.

Let us therefore pursue those things which tend to peace, and mutual edification.

it is better to abstain from flesh, and wine, and every thing whereby your brother is in danger of falling off.

I add, we that are better inform'd ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not study our own pleasure. let every one of us consult the good of his neighbour to his edification.

May the God of patience and consolation, make you equally concern'd for one another, according to the example of Christ Jesus,

wherefore if my eating makes my brother offend, I will never eat flesh rather than make my brother offend.

Let no man consult barely his own interest: but every man that of others.

For tho' I should speak with the eloquence of men, and of angels, and not have social affection, I should be like sounding brass, or a noisy cymbal. and tho' I should have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and tho' I had all the faith necessary to remove mountains, and had no benevolence, it would signify nothing. and tho' I distribute my whole substance to the poor, and give my body to be burned, and have not social affection, it profits me nothing.read more.
Social affection is patient, is kind; is a stranger to envy; is not insolently vain, nor arrogant: does not behave indecently, is not self-interested, is not easily provoked, nor suspects any ill; it does not countenance injustice, but smiles upon virtue; it excuses all things, believes what is favourable, hopes for the best, and suffers the worst. Social affection will never fail: but as for prophecies, they shall be out of use; as for languages, they shall cease; as for knowledge, it shall vanish away.

and now faith, hope, social virtue, these three will all remain; but the most permanent of the three is social virtue.

let all your transactions flow from social affections.

but whether I am afflicted, it is for your consolation and relief, which is effected by your perseverance, patiently enduring the same sufferings which I also undergo: or whether I am comforted, it is for your consolation and relief.

as some of you have already own'd, that I am matter of joy to you, as you will be to me in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ:

for, brethren, you have been called to liberty. only abuse not this freedom as a pretext to vice, but in offices of love be as servants one to another.

but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, sweetness of disposition, beneficence, faithfulness, meekness, temperance:

let us not be vain-glorious, provoking one another, envying one another.

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, do you, who are spiritual, restore him with all gentleness, taking heed lest you yourselves be overcome by temptation. bear with one another's infirmities, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

therefore as we have opportunity, let us do good offices to all men, especially to the family of believers.

with all humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another in love;

be mutually kind, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

for Christ loved us, and for us gave himself an offering and a sacrifice acceptable to God.

compleat my joy, by pursuing the same view, living in mutual love, by being unanimous, and cultivating that harmony.

In our prayers we continually give thanks to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ upon your account, having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the affection you have to all christians;

be you therefore adorn'd with a compassionate temper, with benevolence, humility, meekness, patience as becometh saints and chosen favourites of God: bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, when one has any cause of complaint against another: as the Lord forgave you, do you likewise forgive. to all this add love, which is the band of perfect union:

may the Lord make you increase and abound in mutual love, in love towards all men, as we do towards you:

As to brotherly love, I have no occasion to write about it, God himself having instructed you to love one another.

wherefore comfort and edify one another, as you have hitherto done.

for God is too just to his promise not to regard your piety, and the love which you have shewn to the christian religion by the assistance ye have given to the saints, and still continue to give.

and let us animate one another to the mutual returns of love, and kind offices: not abandoning our assemblies,

Let brotherly love still reign. be not unmindful of hospitality: for thereby some have unknowingly entertained angels. remember those that are in chains, as if you were confin'd with them; and those who suffer adversity, as being your selves of the same body.

If, agreeably to the scriptures, you observe that royal law, "thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self," you do well.

You that have purified your souls by the holy spirit, in obeying the gospel, which obliges you to an undisguised benevolence, let your hearts be mutually affected with the most disinterested ardour;

of God. Be respectful to all, love your brethren, fear God, and honour the king.

In a word, live all of you in perfect agreement and sympathy, be full of fraternal love, compassion, and affability. don't return evil for evil, nor calumny for calumny; on the contrary, bestow your benedictions, considering that your vocation obliges you thereto, as a means to obtain the divine blessing.

but above all, let your mutual benevolence be intense, for benevolence cancels a multitude of offences.

to piety, fraternal affection: and to fraternal affection, universal benevolence.

he that says, he is in the light, and yet hates his brother, is still in darkness. he that loves his brother, abides in the light, and will be secure from stumbling. but he that hates his brother, is in darkness, he walks in darkness, and knows not whither he is going, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes.

In this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: he that does not practise virtue, and fraternal benevolence, is not of God. for this is the doctrine that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. not acting like Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother: but why did he slay him? because his own actions were evil, and his brother's were virtuous.read more.
Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

this is the proof of the divine love, Christ expos'd his life for us: and we ought to expose our lives for the brethren. he that possesses the enjoyments of life, and seeing his brother in want, has no compassion for him, how can he be said to have any divine love? my dear children, let not our love be only in the language of our lips, but in the real effects of the heart.

now this is his commandment, that we believe in his son Jesus Christ, and that we love one another, as he commanded us.

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

beloved, if God so loved us, we ought to love one another. no man hath ever seen God. if we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and our love for him is then sincere.

if a man says he loves God, and yet hates his brother, he is a lyar: for he that does not love his brother, who is before his eyes, how can he love God who is invisible? besides, 'tis a commandment we have receiv'd from him, that he who would love God, must love his brother also.

Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Messiah, is born of God: and every one that loves the father, will likewise be affected with love to his son. by this we may know that we love the children of God, if we love God, and keep his commandments.

and now, my lady, I beg our love may be mutual, since what I write, is no new prescription, but what was originally enjoin'd.