61 Bible Verses about Unselfishness

I am not able to perform any thing by myself: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; for I seek not my own will, but the will of my Father who sent me.

For even Christ gratified not himself; but as it is written, "The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me."

Then Jesus calling his disciples, said, I have compassion on the multitude, for they have now continued with me three days, and have not any thing to eat: and send them away fasting I will not, lest they faint on the road.

Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he came out from God, and was going to God; he rises from supper, and lays aside his garments, and taking a towel, he wound it about himself. Then he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was begirt.

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor though he was rich, that ye by his poverty should be made rich.

But thus shall it not be with you. But whosoever will be a great man among you, let him be your servant; and whosoever will be first, let him be your slave. Even as the Son of man came not to be waited upon, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.

But it shall not be so with you: but whosoever will be great among you let him be your servant: and whosoever will be first, let him be the servant of all. For the Son of man came not to be waited upon, but to be a servant, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Let the same sentiment of mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who being in the form of God counted it no usurpation to claim equality with God: but emptied himself, assuming the form of a servant, made after the similitude of mortal men;read more.
and found in fashion as man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even to the death of the cross.

Therefore doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment I have received from my Father.

For even then when we were without strength, Christ died in due time for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous person will any one die: though for a good man perhaps some one might even dare to die. But God commendeth his own love towards us, that, though we were yet sinners, Christ died in our stead.

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

For the love of Christ constraineth us, because we judge thus, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

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

who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he used no menaces; but referred himself to him who judgeth righteously: who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead unto sins, might live unto righteousness; "by whose stripes, [even] his, ye were healed."

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, put to death indeed in the flesh, but raised to life by the Spirit:

who gave himself a ransom for all, the testimony to be born in his appointed times;

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

Then calling to him the multitude, with his disciples, he said to them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

And he said unto them, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

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

knowing this, that our old man hath been crucified with him, that the body of sin might be abolished, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.

and he died for all, that they who live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them, and rose again.

that ye put off respecting your former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful passions;

Lie not one to another, seeing ye have put off the old man with his practices;

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if it be his will, that I should live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my travail: and what to chuse I know not. For I am in a strait between the two, having an earnest longing to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, for this is far, far better:read more.
but to abide in the flesh may be more necessary for you.

But what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the transcendently excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but as offals of ordure, that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is by the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:read more.
that I may know him, and the virtue of his resurrection, and communion with his sufferings, being conformed to his death; if haply I may attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Let not each aim at their own particular interests, but every man at those of others. Let the same sentiment of mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

If therefore I have washed your feet, though the Lord and the Master; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that just as I have done to you, ye should do also.

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

We love him, because he first loved us. If any person say, I love God, yet hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he who loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love the God whom he hath not seen? So this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love also his brother.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, fidelity, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law. But they who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and irregular appetites.read more.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not be vain-glorious, irritating one another, envying one another.

In brotherly affection be tenderly attached to each other; in honour preferring one another:

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not profitable; all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. Let no man seek his own gratification, but every one another's good.

For no one of us liveth to himself, and no one dieth to himself.

WE then that are strong, ought to bear the infirmities of those who are feeble, and not to gratify ourselves. Let every one of us gratify his neighbour in that which is good for his edification.

But take heed that this power of yours become not an occasion of stumbling to the weak.

forbearing one another, and freely forgiving one another, if any man hath a complaint against another: even as Christ hath freely forgiven you, so also do ye.

to do good, to be rich in generous actions, to take pleasure in liberality, ready to distribute;

Let nothing be done contentiously or vain-gloriously; but in humility reckoning others superior to yourselves.

Be of the same mind among each other. Affect not high things, but be condescending to the lowly. Be not wise in your own conceits.

Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if any man conceits that he is something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

with all humility and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love;

being subject one to another in the fear of God.

Finally, be all like-minded, sympathizing, loving fraternally, compassionate, friendly hearted,

In like manner, ye who are younger persons, be in subjection to your elders: but all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed from head to foot with humility: for God sets himself in opposition to the proud, but he giveth grace to the lowly.

But ye shall not act thus: but the superior among you, let him be as the junior; and he that presideth, as he that serveth.

For ye have been called unto liberty, brethren; only use not that liberty as a pretext for carnality, but in love be subject one to another.

Let every one, according as he hath received a gift, minister it to others, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

feed the flock of God which is among you, exercising your pastoral office not of necessity, but of choice, not for base gain, but with alacrity of mind;

And as Jesus was sitting opposite the treasury, he saw a multitude casting money into the treasury: and many who were rich cast in many [pieces]. And one poor widow coming, cast in two mites, which is a farthing. And having called his disciples, he said unto them, I tell you truly, that this poor widow hath cast in more than all who have cast into the treasury:read more.
for all they have cast in of their superfluities; but she from her indigence hath cast in all that she had, even her whole substance.

And going forth thence, Jesus retired into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And lo! a woman of Canaan coming out of these coasts, cried aloud, saying to him, Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David: my daughter is a grievous demoniac. But he replied not a word to her. Then his disciples came and intreated him, saying, Send her away; for she is crying aloud after us.read more.
But he said in reply, I am not sent, save only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then she came, and worshiped him, saying, Lord, help me! But he answering said, It is not proper to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs. And she said, True, Lord: yet even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table. Then Jesus answering said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith! be it unto thee even as thou desirest. And her daughter was cured from that hour.

Now when Jesus was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, there came to him a woman having an alabaster-box of very precious aromatic ointment, and poured it upon his head as he sat at table. But when the disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, For what end is this waste?read more.
For this ointment might have been sold for a considerable sum, and given to the poor. Then Jesus knowing it, said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath performed a good act upon me: for the poor ye have always with you, but me ye have not always: for in pouring this odoriferous ointment on my body, she hath done it for my burial. Verily I say unto you, Wherever this Gospel is preached through the whole world, what she hath done shall be also spoken of for a memorial of her.

And when he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at table, a woman came, having an alabaster vase of ointment, of genuine spikenard, of vast value: and breaking the vase, she let it flow down upon his head. And there were some who felt indignation within themselves, saying, Wherefore is this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and given to the poor. And they bitterly murmured against her.read more.
Then said Jesus, Let her alone; why give ye her uneasiness? she hath performed a laudable act towards me. For the poor ye have always with you, and when ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. What was in her power she hath done; she has seized the opportunity to anoint my body beforehand for burial. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached through the whole world, there shall, what she hath done, be told for a memorial of her.

John answered and said, A man cannot assume any thing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Messiah, but that I am sent before him. It is the bridegroom, who possesses the bride: and the friend of the bridegroom, standing by and hearing him, rejoiceth exceedingly at the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.read more.
He must grow great, but I diminutive.

And in the multitude of those that believed there was one heart and soul: and not one person said, that any part of his substance was his peculiar property; but all things were in common among them. And with great power bore the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any person in want among them: for as many as were possessors of fields or houses disposed of them, and brought the prices of the things sold,read more.
and laid them at the apostles' feet: and a distribution was made to every one according as he had need. And Joses, who was surnamed Barnabas by the apostles, (which is, being interpreted, A son of consolation,) a Levite, a Cyprian by birth, having a field belonging to him, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

Salute Priscilla and Aquila my fellow-labourers in Christ Jesus: (who for my life have laid down their own neck: to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles:)

Now I exhort you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the first fruits of Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints:)

For I have no one like minded with him, who will genuinely care for your affairs. For all seek their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.

Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and honourably treat those that are such: for in the work of Christ he was nigh unto death indifferent about life, that he might afford me that service which it was not in your power to render me.

Give no occasion of stumbling either to the Jews or the Gentiles, or the church of God: even as I please all men, not seeking my own advantage, but that of the many, that they may be saved.

BE ye imitators of me, as I am of Christ.