67 Bible Verses about Unselfishness

'I am not able of myself to do anything; according as I hear I judge, and my judgment is righteous, because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me.

for even the Christ did not please himself, but, according as it hath been written, 'The reproaches of those reproaching Thee fell upon me;'

And Jesus having called near his disciples, said, 'I have compassion upon the multitude, because now three days they continue with me, and they have not what they may eat; and to let them away fasting I will not, lest they faint in the way.'

Jesus knowing that all things the Father hath given to him -- into his hands, and that from God he came forth, and unto God he goeth, doth rise from the supper, and doth lay down his garments, and having taken a towel, he girded himself; afterward he putteth water into the basin, and began to wash the feet of his disciples, and to wipe with the towel with which he was being girded.

for ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that because of you he became poor -- being rich, that ye by that poverty may become rich.

but not so shall it be among you, but whoever may will among you to become great, let him be your ministrant; and whoever may will among you to be first, let him be your servant; even as the Son of Man did not come to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.'

but not so shall it be among you; but whoever may will to become great among you, he shall be your minister, and whoever of you may will to become first, he shall be servant of all; for even the Son of Man came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.'

For, let this mind be in you that is also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal to God, but did empty himself, the form of a servant having taken, in the likeness of men having been made,read more.
and in fashion having been found as a man, he humbled himself, having become obedient unto death -- death even of a cross,

He is despised, and left of men, A man of pains, and acquainted with sickness, And as one hiding the face from us, He is despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely our sicknesses he hath borne, And our pains -- he hath carried them, And we -- we have esteemed him plagued, Smitten of God, and afflicted. And he is pierced for our transgressions, Bruised for our iniquities, The chastisement of our peace is on him, And by his bruise there is healing to us.read more.
All of us like sheep have wandered, Each to his own way we have turned, And Jehovah hath caused to meet on him, The punishment of us all. It hath been exacted, and he hath answered, And he openeth not his mouth, As a lamb to the slaughter he is brought, And as a sheep before its shearers is dumb, And he openeth not his mouth. By restraint and by judgment he hath been taken, And of his generation who doth meditate, That he hath been cut off from the land of the living? By the transgression of My people he is plagued, And it appointeth with the wicked his grave, And with the rich are his high places, Because he hath done no violence, Nor is deceit in his mouth. And Jehovah hath delighted to bruise him, He hath made him sick, If his soul doth make an offering for guilt, He seeth seed -- he prolongeth days, And the pleasure of Jehovah in his hand doth prosper. Of the labour of his soul he seeth -- he is satisfied, Through his knowledge give righteousness Doth the righteous one, My servant, to many, And their iniquities he doth bear. Therefore I give a portion to him among the many, And with the mighty he apportioneth spoil, Because that he exposed to death his soul, And with transgressors he was numbered, And he the sin of many hath borne, And for transgressors he intercedeth.

'Because of this doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that again I may take it; no one doth take it from me, but I lay it down of myself; authority I have to lay it down, and authority I have again to take it; this command I received from my Father.'

For in our being still ailing, Christ in due time did die for the impious; for scarcely for a righteous man will any one die, for for the good man perhaps some one also doth dare to die; and God doth commend His own love to us, that, in our being still sinners, Christ did die for us;

for I delivered to you first, what also I did receive, that Christ died for our sins, according to the Writings,

for the love of the Christ doth constrain us, having judged thus: that if one for all died, then the whole died,

who did die for us, that whether we wake -- whether we sleep -- together with him we may live;

who did not commit sin, nor was guile found in his mouth, who being reviled -- was not reviling again, suffering -- was not threatening, and was committing himself to Him who is judging righteously, who our sins himself did bear in his body, upon the tree, that to the sins having died, to the righteousness we may live; by whose stripes ye were healed,

because also Christ once for sin did suffer -- righteous for unrighteous -- that he might lead us to God, having been put to death indeed, in the flesh, and having been made alive in the spirit,

who did give himself a ransom for all -- the testimony in its own times --

Then said Jesus to his disciples, 'If any one doth will to come after me, let him disown himself, and take up his cross, and follow me,

And having called near the multitude, with his disciples, he said to them, 'Whoever doth will to come after me -- let him disown himself, and take up his cross, and follow me;

And he said unto all, 'If any one doth will to come after me, let him disown himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me;

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

this knowing, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of the sin may be made useless, for our no longer serving the sin;

and for all he died, that those living, no more to themselves may live, but to him who died for them, and was raised again.

ye are to put off concerning the former behaviour the old man, that is corrupt according to the desires of the deceit,

Lie not one to another, having put off the old man with his practices,

for to me to live is Christ, and to die gain. And if to live in the flesh is to me a fruit of work, then what shall I choose? I know not; for I am pressed by the two, having the desire to depart, and to be with Christ, for it is far better,read more.
and to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account,

But what things were to me gains, these I have counted, because of the Christ, loss; yes, indeed, and I count all things to be loss, because of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, because of whom of the all things I suffered loss, and do count them to be refuse, that Christ I may gain, and be found in him, not having my righteousness, which is of law, but that which is through faith of Christ -- the righteousness that is of God by the faith,read more.
to know him, and the power of his rising again, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, if anyhow I may attain to the rising again of the dead.

each not to your own look ye, but each also to the things of others. For, let this mind be in you that is also in Christ Jesus,

if then I did wash your feet -- the Lord and the Teacher -- ye also ought to wash one another's feet. 'For an example I gave to you, that, according as I did to you, ye also may do;

in this we have known the love, because he for us his life did lay down, and we ought for the brethren the lives to lay down;

we -- we love him, because He -- He first loved us; if any one may say -- 'I love God,' and his brother he may hate, a liar he is; for he who is not loving his brother whom he hath seen, God -- whom he hath not seen -- how is he able to love? and this is the command we have from Him, that he who is loving God, may also love his brother.

And the fruit of the Spirit is: Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law; and those who are Christ's, the flesh did crucify with the affections, and the desires;read more.
if we may live in the Spirit, in the Spirit also we may walk; let us not become vain-glorious -- one another provoking, one another envying!

in the love of brethren, to one another kindly affectioned: in the honour going before one another;

All things to me are lawful, but all things are not profitable; all things to me are lawful, but all things do not build up; let no one seek his own -- but each another's.

For none of us to himself doth live, and none to himself doth die;

And we ought -- we who are strong -- to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves; for let each one of us please the neighbour for good, unto edification,

but see, lest this privilege of yours may become a stumbling-block to the infirm,

forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any one with any one may have a quarrel, as also the Christ did forgive you -- so also ye;

to do good, to be rich in good works, to be ready to impart, willing to communicate,

nothing in rivalry or vain-glory, but in humility of mind one another counting more excellent than yourselves --

of the same mind one toward another, not minding the high things, but with the lowly going along; become not wise in your own conceit;

of one another the burdens bear ye, and so fill up the law of the Christ, for if any one doth think himself to be something -- being nothing -- himself he doth deceive;

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

subjecting yourselves to one another in the fear of God.

And finally, being all of one mind, having fellow-feeling, loving as brethren, compassionate, courteous,

In like manner, ye younger, be subject to elders, and all to one another subjecting yourselves; with humble-mindedness clothe yourselves, because God the proud doth resist, but to the humble He doth give grace;

but ye are not so, but he who is greater among you -- let him be as the younger; and he who is leading, as he who is ministering;

For ye -- to freedom ye were called, brethren, only not the freedom for an occasion to the flesh, but through the love serve ye one another,

each, according as he received a gift, to one another ministering it, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God;

feed the flock of God that is among you, overseeing not constrainedly, but willingly, neither for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind,

And Abram saith unto Lot, 'Let there not, I pray thee, be strife between me and thee, and between my shepherds and thy shepherds, for we are men -- brethren. Is not all the land before thee? be parted, I pray thee, from me; if to the left, then I to the right; and if to the right, then I to the left.'

And Moses turneth back unto Jehovah, and saith, 'Oh this people hath sinned a great sin, that they make to themselves a god of gold; and now, if Thou takest away their sin -- and if not -- blot me, I pray thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written.'

And Ruth saith, 'Urge me not to leave thee -- to turn back from after thee; for whither thou goest I go, and where thou lodgest I lodge; thy people is my people, and thy God my God. Where thou diest I die, and there I am buried; thus doth Jehovah to me, and thus doth He add -- for death itself doth part between me and thee.'

Lo, here am I; testify against me, over-against Jehovah, and over-against His anointed; whose ox have I taken, and whose ass have I taken, and whom have I oppressed; whom have I bruised, and of whose hand have I taken a ransom, and hide mine eyes with it? -- and I restore to you.' And they say, 'Thou hast not oppressed us, nor hast thou crushed us, nor hast thou taken from the hand of any one anything.' And he saith unto them, 'A witness is Jehovah against you: and a witness is His anointed this day, that ye have not found anything in my hand;' and they say, 'A witness.'

Also, from the day that he appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the thirty and second year of Artaxerxes the king -- twelve years -- I, and my brethren, the bread of the governor have not eaten: the former governors who are before me have made themselves heavy on the people, and take of them in bread and wine, besides in silver forty shekels; also, their servants have ruled over the people -- and I have not done so, because of the fear of God. And also, in the work of this wall I have done mightily, even a field we have not bought, and all my servants are gathered there for the work;read more.
and of the Jews, and of the prefects, a hundred and fifty men, and those coming in unto us of the nations that are round about us, are at my table; and that which hath been prepared for one day is one ox, six fat sheep, also fowls have been prepared for me, and once in ten days of all wines abundantly, and with this, the bread of the governor I have not sought, for heavy is the service on this people.

And Jesus having sat down over-against the treasury, was beholding how the multitude do put brass into the treasury, and many rich were putting in much, and having come, a poor widow did put in two mites, which are a farthing. And having called near his disciples, he saith to them, 'Verily I say to you, that this poor widow hath put in more than all those putting into the treasury;read more.
for all, out of their abundance, put in, but she, out of her want, all that she had put in -- all her living.'

And Jesus having come forth thence, withdrew to the parts of Tyre and Sidon, and lo, a woman, a Canaanitess, from those borders having come forth, did call to him, saying, 'Deal kindly with me, Sir -- Son of David; my daughter is miserably demonized.' And he did not answer her a word; and his disciples having come to him, were asking him, saying -- 'Let her away, because she crieth after us;'read more.
and he answering said, 'I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.' And having come, she was bowing to him, saying, 'Sir, help me;' and he answering said, 'It is not good to take the children's bread, and to cast to the little dogs.' And she said, 'Yes, sir, for even the little dogs do eat of the crumbs that are falling from their lords' table;' then answering, Jesus said to her, 'O woman, great is thy faith, let it be to thee as thou wilt;' and her daughter was healed from that hour.

And Jesus having been in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, there came to him a woman having an alabaster box of ointment, very precious, and she poured on his head as he is reclining (at meat). And having seen it, his disciples were much displeased, saying, 'To what purpose is this waste?read more.
for this ointment could have been sold for much, and given to the poor.' And Jesus having known, said to them, 'Why do ye give trouble to the woman? for a good work she wrought for me; for the poor always ye have with you, and me ye have not always; for she having put this ointment on my body -- for my burial she did it. Verily I say to you, Wherever this good news may be proclaimed in the whole world, what this one did shall also be spoken of -- for a memorial of her.'

And he, being in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, at his reclining (at meat), there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment, of spikenard, very precious, and having broken the alabaster box, did pour on his head; and there were certain much displeased within themselves, and saying, 'For what hath this waste of the ointment been made? for this could have been sold for more than three hundred denaries, and given to the poor;' and they were murmuring at her.read more.
And Jesus said, 'Let her alone; why are ye giving her trouble? a good work she wrought on me; for the poor always ye have with you, and whenever ye may will ye are able to do them good, but me ye have not always; what she could she did, she anticipated to anoint my body for the embalming. Verily I say to you, wherever this good news may be proclaimed in the whole world, what also this woman did shall be spoken of -- for a memorial of her.'

John answered and said, 'A man is not able to receive anything, if it may not have been given him from the heaven; ye yourselves do testify to me that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am having been sent before him; he who is having the bride is bridegroom, and the friend of the bridegroom, who is standing and hearing him, with joy doth rejoice because of the voice of the bridegroom; this, then, my joy hath been fulfilled.read more.
'Him it behoveth to increase, and me to become less;

and of the multitude of those who did believe the heart and the soul was one, and not one was saying that anything of the things he had was his own, but all things were to them in common. And with great power were the apostles giving the testimony to the rising again of the Lord Jesus, great grace also was on them all, for there was not any one among them who did lack, for as many as were possessors of fields, or houses, selling them, were bringing the prices of the thing sold,read more.
and were laying them at the feet of the apostles, and distribution was being made to each according as any one had need. And Joses, who was surnamed by the apostles Barnabas -- which is, having been interpreted, Son of Comfort -- a Levite, of Cyprus by birth, a field being his, having sold it, brought the money and laid it at the feet of the apostles.

Salute Priscilla and Aquilas, my fellow-workmen in Christ Jesus -- who for my life their own neck did lay down, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the assemblies of the nations --

And I entreat you, brethren, ye have known the household of Stephanas, that it is the first-fruit of Achaia, and to the ministration to the saints they did set themselves --

for I have no one like-minded, who sincerely for the things concerning you will care, for the whole seek their own things, not the things of the Christ Jesus,

receive him, therefore, in the Lord, with all joy, and hold such in honour, because on account of the work of the Christ he drew near to death, having hazarded the life that he might fill up your deficiency of service unto me.

become offenceless, both to Jews and Greeks, and to the assembly of God; as I also in all things do please all, not seeking my own profit, but that of many -- that they may be saved.

Followers of me become ye, as I also am of Christ.