29 Bible Verses about Selfishness

If a brother or sister is without [adequate] clothing and needs daily food, and one of you says to him, "Go [and be] at peace; keep warm and eat well," and yet you do not give him anything for his physical needs, what good is that?

If a brother or sister is without [adequate] clothing and needs daily food, and one of you says to him, "Go [and be] at peace; keep warm and eat well," and yet you do not give him anything for his physical needs, what good is that?

And it just happened that a certain priest was traveling down that [same] road, and when he saw the [injured] man, he went around him on the opposite side of the road. In the same way, a Levite [Note: Levites were assistants to the priests], when coming to that place and seeing the [injured] man, also went around him on the opposite side [of the road].

and one of you says to him, "Go [and be] at peace; keep warm and eat well," and yet you do not give him anything for his physical needs, what good is that?

For everyone else is looking out for his own interests, not for those of Jesus Christ.

Now whoever has [a sufficient amount of] life's possessions and [then] observes one of his [Christian] brothers who does not have enough to get by on, but does not feel sorry for him [i.e., enough to help him out], surely a love for God does not continue to live in that person's heart.

For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive talkers, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

Then Judas, who had betrayed Him [to the Jewish leaders], when he saw that Jesus had been condemned to die, changed his mind [i.e., about betraying Him] and brought back the thirty silver coins [Note: See Matt. 26:15 for the amount of money involved] to the leading priests and [Jewish] elders, saying, "I have sinned by delivering up an innocent man to die." But they replied, "What is that to us? It is your affair!"

For even I myself [try] to please everyone in every way, and not to look out [just] for my own good, but [also] for the good of many people, so that they may be saved.

For although I am free from [being accountable to] all people, I placed myself under obligation to them [as a slave], so as to win as many as possible [to Christ]. I behaved like a Jew in front of the Jews in order to win Jews [to Christ]. I behaved like a person who was under [obligation to observe] the law [i.e., Jews] in front of those who observe that law, although I was not [really] under [obligation to] it. I did this to win those who are under [obligation to observe] the law. I [also] behaved like a person without [obligation to observe] the law [i.e., a Gentile] in front of those who are not obligated to it, although I was not [really] without obligation to God's law; but was under [obligation to] Christ's law. I did this to win those who are without [obligation to observe] the law [i.e., Gentiles]. read more.
I behaved like a weak person in front of weak people [See 8:9-12], in order to win them over [i.e., to help them become stronger]. I have become all things to all people so that, in every way, I could save some of them. And everything I do is for the sake of [the work of] the Gospel, so that I may share in its benefits.

Jesus answered them, "My food is doing what God, who sent me, wants me to, and accomplishing His work.

For you know the unearned favor of our Lord Jesus Christ, [how] that even though He was rich, He became poor for your sakes, so that through His poverty you people could become [spiritually] rich.

For even Christ did not please [just] Himself, but as it is written [Psa. 69:9], "The insults of those people who insulted you [i.e., God] fell on me [i.e., Christ]."

However, you are doing well if you fulfill [i.e., obey] the royal law found in the Scriptures [Lev. 19:18], "You should love your neighbor the same way that you love yourself."

A second one, similar to it is [Lev. 19:18], 'You must love your neighbor the same way that you love yourself.'

Yes, they require people to bear heavy and difficult responsibilities, and place them on people's shoulders [to carry out], but they themselves will not lift a finger to do them.

For even I myself [try] to please everyone in every way, and not to look out [just] for my own good, but [also] for the good of many people, so that they may be saved.

For everyone else is looking out for his own interests, not for those of Jesus Christ.

For there are many parts to a single human body and all of these parts do not have the same function. In the same way, though we [Christians] are many, we are one [spiritual] body in [fellowship with] Christ, and each one of us is part of [all] the others.

For [just] as the human body is one [unit], made up of many parts, and all the many parts make up a single body, so it is with Christ. [Note: Just as a human body is a single unit, and Christ is a single being, so the members of His body, the church, constitute one body. See verses 27-28]. For we were all immersed by means of the one Holy Spirit into one body [i.e., the church], whether [we were] Jews or Greeks [i.e., Gentiles], whether slaves or free people, and were all given the one [and the same] Holy Spirit to drink. [Note: This probably refers to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, given to all immersed believers. See John 7:37-39; Acts 2:38]. For the human body is not made up of [only] one part, but of many parts. read more.
If the foot should say, "I am not part of the body because I'm not the hand," that does not mean it is not part of the body [does it ?]. And if the ear should say, "I am not part of the body because I am not the eye," that does not mean it is not part of the body [does it ?] If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how could it smell? But the way it is, God has placed each individual part in the human body just as it pleased Him. And if all the parts were one part, how could there be a [whole] body? But the way it is, there are many parts, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I do not need you," or again, the head [cannot say] to the feet, "I do not need you." On the contrary, those parts of the body which seem to be weaker [i.e., delicate organs like the heart, lungs, kidneys, etc.] are necessary [for life]. And those parts of the body which we consider less honorable [i.e., probably female breasts, buttocks, etc.], we clothe with greater honor. [Note: The Greek word for "clothe" here refers to clothing elsewhere in the New Testament]. And our unpresentable parts [i.e., probably sex organs] need to be more presentable [i.e., by being covered up with modest clothing], whereas, our presentable parts [i.e., probably face and hands] do not need [covering up]. But God has put the body together [in such a way as] to give greater honor to that part which lacked it, so that there would not be any division in the body [Note: Paul here leaves the analogy of the physical body and makes application to the spiritual body, the church], but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. So, if one part [i.e., one Christian] suffers, then all the parts [i.e., the other Christians] should suffer with it. Or, if one part is honored, all the [other] parts should rejoice with it. Now you people are the [spiritual] body of Christ and each one of you is an individual part of it.

No one should look out for his own interests [only], but for the interests of others [as well].

Each of you should not look out for your own interests [only], but also for those of other people.

All of us [Jews] also once lived among such people, fulfilling the improper cravings of our physical being and doing what our bodies and minds desired. In this natural [unconverted] state we were deserving of [God's] wrath, just like the rest [of mankind].

For everyone else is looking out for his own interests, not for those of Jesus Christ.

For Christ's love for us motivates us, because we have concluded that, [since] one person [i.e., Christ] died for all people, so then all people have died. [Note: This may mean simply that Christ died for all people, who were dead in their sins]. And Christ died for all people, so that those who are alive should not live for themselves anymore, but for Him who died and rose again for their sakes.

And Christ died for all people, so that those who are alive should not live for themselves anymore, but for Him who died and rose again for their sakes.

[Love] does not act improperly [toward people]; it does not insist on having its own way [at the expense of others]; it is not easily irritated [by others]; it does not keep track of the wrongs [done by others].

But you should know this: There will be terrible times in the last days [of the Christian age]. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive talkers, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

[when] I came [to you as] a stranger, you did not give me a place to stay; [when I] did not have adequate clothing, you did not give me anything to wear; when I was sick, or in prison, you did not visit me.'

For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive talkers, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

He responded to her, "What would you like me to do for you?" She answered, "Appoint my two sons to sit at your right side and at your left in your [coming] kingdom."

Now whoever has [a sufficient amount of] life's possessions and [then] observes one of his [Christian] brothers who does not have enough to get by on, but does not feel sorry for him [i.e., enough to help him out], surely a love for God does not continue to live in that person's heart.

Now those of us who are strong [spiritually] should put up with [or, help] the failings of [spiritually] weak people, and not [simply] do what pleases ourselves.

They answered Him, "Appoint one of us to sit at your right side and the other at your left side [when you come] in splendor."

They answered Him, "Appoint one of us to sit at your right side and the other at your left side [when you come] in splendor."