61 Bible Verses about Unselfishness

I can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will, but the will of him that sent me.

For the Christ did not please himself; but as it is written: The reproaches of them that reproached thee, fell on me.

Then Jesus called his disciples to him, and said: I have compassion on the multitude, because they have been with me now three days, and have nothing to eat. And I am not willing to send them away fasting, lest they faint on the road.

Jesus, knowing that the Father had delivered all things into his hands, and that he had come from God, and was going to God, arose from supper, and laid aside his garments, and taking a towel, he girded himself. Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash his disciples feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet, for your sakes, he became poor, that you, through his poverty, might become rich.

It shall not be so among you. But whoever will be great among you, let him be your minister. And whoever will be first among you, let him be your servant; even as the Son of man came, not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

But it shall not be so among you. But whoever desires to be great among you, shall be your minister; and whoever among you desires to be first, shall be servant of all. For the Son of man came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not think it an act of robbery to be equal with God; but he divested himself by taking the form of a servant, and being made in the likeness of men:read more.
and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient even to death, the death, indeed, of the cross.

For this reason, my Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it again. This commandment I have received from my Father.

For when we were yet without strength, at the appointed time, Christ died for the ungodly. For hardly, in deed, will one die for a just man; yet, perhaps, for the good man some one would even dare to die. But God makes known his love to us in this, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us:

For I delivered to you among the first things, that which I also received: That Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures;

For the love of Christ constrains us, because we have this judgment that if one died for all, then have all died:

who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we might live together with him.

He did no sin, nor was guile found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile again; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to him that judges righteously. He himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness. By his stripes you were healed.

For Christ also once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, having been put to death in flesh, but made alive in spirit;

who gave himself a ransom for all, of which the testimony has been given in its proper times,

Then Jesus said to his disciples: If any one determines to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them: Whoever determines to follow after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

And he said to them all: If any one determines to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and fol low me.

For the Son of man came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

knowing this, that our former man has been crucified with him, in order that the sinful body may be deprived of its power, so that we should no longer serve sin:

and he died for all, that those who live should no more live for them selves, but for him who died for them, and rose again.

that, as to your former life, you put off the old man, which is corrupt, according to its deceitful desires,

Lie not one to another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds,

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if this, my life in the flesh, would be profitable for my work in the ministry, verily, what I should choose I know not. I am in a strait between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better:read more.
yet to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

But the things which were gain to me, these I counted loss for Christ. Yes, verily, I also count all things to be loss, for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, on account of whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them to be refuse, that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having my own righteousness which was by law, but the righteousness which is by faith in Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith,read more.
that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, by conforming myself to his death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Consider not each one his own gifts, but each one also the gifts of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus,

If, then, I, your Lord and your Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also may do as I have done for you.

By this we know the love of Christ, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

We love him, because he first loved us. If any man say, I love God, and yet hate his brother, he is a liar: for he that loves not his brother, whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from him: That he that loves God, must love his brother also.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Now those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.read more.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be vain-glorious, provoking one another, envying one another.

in love to the brotherhood, be kindly affectionate one to another; in showing honor, be examples one to another;

All meats are lawful for me; but all are not profitable; all are lawful, but all do not edify. Let no one seek his own, but each the welfare of the other.

For no one lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.

But we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of those who are not strong, and not to please ourselves. Let each one of us please his neighbor in that which is good for his edification.

But take heed, lest, by any means, this right of yours become a stumbling-block to those who are weak.

bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if any one have a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also do you:

that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, liberal,

doing nothing in strife and vain glory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

cultivate the same disposition, one to ward another: mind not high things, but conform yourselves to things that are lowly. Be not wise in your own conceits;

Bear with the weaknesses of one another, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if any one think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself:

with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love,

being subject one to another in the fear of God.

Finally, be all of the same mind, be sympathizing, lovers of the brethren, kind-hearted, humble-minded;

Likewise, you younger, be in subjection to the older: do you all indeed be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the lowly.

But you shall not be so; but let the greatest among you be as the younger, and him that is chief, as he that serves.

For you have been called to freedom, brethren: only use not your freedom as an occasion for the flesh, but become servants to one another, through love.

As each has received a gift, minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Act as shepherds to the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight, not by compulsion, but willingly; not for the sake of sordid gain, but from readiness of mind:

And Jesus, sitting opposite the treasury, observed how the multitude threw money into the treasury. And many rich persons threw in much. And there came one poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called his disciples to him, and said to them: Verily I say to you, this poor widow has thrown in more than all that have thrown into the treasury.read more.
For all have thrown in out of their abundance; but she, out of her poverty, has thrown in all that she had, her whole living.

And Jesus went out thence, and withdrew into the regions of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Chanaan came out from those borders, and cried to him, saying: Have mercy on me, Lord, son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a demon. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying: Send her away, for she cries after us.read more.
But he answered and said: I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. But she came and did him homage, saying: Lord, help me. He answered and said: It is not good to take the children's bread, and throw it to the little dogs. She replied: Yes, Lord; and yet thou canst help me; for the little dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from the table of their masters. Then Jesus answered and said to her: woman, great is your faith; be it to you as you desire. And her daughter was restored to health from that hour.

When Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, there came to him a woman who had an alabaster box of very costly ointment; and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. But when his disciples saw it, they were displeased, and said: For what purpose was this waste?read more.
For this could have been sold for much, and given to the poor. Jesus perceived it, and said to them: Why do you trouble the woman? For she has performed a good work upon me. For you have the poor always with you, but me you have not always. For in pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Verily I say to you, Wherever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, this also which she has done shall be told for a memorial of her.

And while he was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he reclined at table, there came a woman that had an alabaster box of ointment of pure nard, very costly; and she broke the box, and poured it on his head. And some of them were displeased within themselves, and said: For what purpose was this waste of the ointment? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and given to the poor. And they murmured against her.read more.
But Jesus said: Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good work on me. For you have the poor with you always; and whenever you choose, you can do them good; but me you have not always. She has done what she could; she has come beforehand to anoint my body for its burial. Verily I say to you, wherever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also which she has done shall be told, for a memorial of her.

John answered and said: A man can receive nothing unless it be given to him from heaven. You yourselves will testify for me, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that has the bride, is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly on account of the voice of the bridegroom. This, my joy, is therefore complete.read more.
He must increase, but I must decrease.

And the multitude of believers were of one heart and of one soul; and no one said that any part of his possessions was his own; but they had all things in common. And with great power did the apostles bear testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on them all. Nor, indeed, was there any needy person among them; for as many as were owners of lands or houses, sold them, and brought the prices of what had been sold,read more.
and laid them down at the feet of the apostles; and distribution was made to every one as he had need. And Joses, who, by the apostles, was surnamed Barnabas, (which name, when translated, is, Son of consolation,) a Levite, by birth a Cyprian, having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the feet of the apostles.

Salute Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow-laborers in Christ Jesus; who, for my life, laid down their own necks; to whom not only do I give thanks, but all the churches of the Gentiles:

I beseech you, brethren, (you know the house of Stephanas, that they are the first-fruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)

for I have no one of a kindred spirit who will sincerely care for your condition: for all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ.

Receive him, therefore, in the Lord with all joy, and regard such as worthy of honor; because for the work of the Christ he was near to death, not regarding his life, that he might supply that which was lacking in your service to me.

Give no occasion for stumbling, either to the Jews, or to the Greeks, or to the church of God; even as I please all men in all things, not seeking my own good, but that of the many, in order that they may be saved.

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.