67 Bible Verses about Unselfishness

I can do nothing by myself. So I hear and judge and my judgment is righteous. I do not seek my own will, but the will of him that sent me.

For even Christ did not please himself. However it is written, The reproaches (insults) hurled at you have fallen on me. (Psalm 69:9)

Jesus called his disciples and said: I feel compassion for the people, because they have remained with me now three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.

Jesus knew that the Father had given him power over all things. He also knew it came from God and he returns it to God. He got up from the meal and laid aside his garments. He wrapped a towel around his waist. Then he poured water into the basin and washed the disciples' feet. He wiped them with the towel he was wearing.

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

But it will not be so among you. He who will be great among you must be your servant. And he who will be first among you will be your attendant (servant) (minister). The Son of man came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom in payment for many.

It is not so among you. Whoever would become great among you, shall be your minister (servant) (attendant). Whoever would be first among you, shall be servant of all. For the Son of man also came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Have this attitude (mind-set) (understanding) (mental state) in you that was also in Christ Jesus. He existed in the form (shape and nature) of God but did not try to be equal with God. He did not even consider it! He emptied (humbled) himself by taking the form of a servant. He was made in the likeness of men.read more.
He obtained the appearance as a man, humbled himself, and became obedient even to death, yes, death on the stake.

He was despised and rejected by men. He was a man of sorrows familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised. We did not consider him to be worth much. He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows. We considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions! He was crushed for our iniquities! The punishment that brought us peace was upon him. There has been healing for us because of his wounds.read more.
We are all like sheep. We have gone astray! Each of us has turned to his own way. Jehovah has caused the iniquity (sin) of all of us to be laid on him. He was oppressed and afflicted and yet he did not open his mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. He was silent like sheep ready to be sheared. He did not open his mouth. He was oppressed, judged and taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? He was removed from the land of the living. He was destroyed because of the transgression of my people. He was buried like a criminal in a rich mans grave. He had done no wrong, nor was any deceit in his mouth. It was Jehovah's will to allow him to be crushed. Even though Jehovah makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of Jehovah will prosper in his hand. After his suffering he will see the light and be satisfied. By his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many. He will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great. He will divide the spoils with the strong. This is because he poured out his life unto death. He was numbered with the transgressors. He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

The Father loves me. Therefore I lay down my life and I take it back again. No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down voluntarily. I have authority (jurisdiction) (right) to lay it down, and I have authority to take it again. I have received this commandment from my Father.

While we were yet weak, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die. Perhaps for the good man some one would even dare to die. But God demonstrates (commends) his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

First of all, I delivered to you what I also received, how Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.

For the love of Christ compels us to judge, that one died for all and therefore all died.

He died for us, that, whether we are awake in this life or sleep in death, we should live together with him.

He committed no sin and deception was not found in him. When he was reviled (insulted), he did not revile in return. When he suffered he did not threaten, but committed himself to him that judges righteously. He bore our sins in his body upon the stake, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness. You were healed because of his wounds (stripes).

Because Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.

He gave himself as a ransom for all. A witness was to be given at the right time.

Then Jesus told his disciples: If any man wants to follow me (be mine), let him deny (disown) himself, and take up his stake and follow me (Greek: akoloutheo moi, let him be following me) (accompany me) (be in the same way with me).

He then spoke to both his disciples and the crowd. He said: If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his stake and follow me.

He told them all: If any man would come after me let him deny himself. Let him take up his stake (of self-denial) daily, and follow me.

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

We know this that our old self was impaled with him that the body of sin might be destroyed, that we should no longer be in bondage to sin.

He died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for their sakes and rose again.

You put away your former way (course) (behavior) (conversation) of life, the old self that was corrupt with the lusts of deceit.

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you got rid of the old self with its evil practices.

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I live in the flesh this will bring fruit from my labor. I do not know what to choose. I am hard pressed between the two. I have the desire to depart and be with Christ for it is far better.read more.
Yet to remain in the flesh is more needful for your sake.

Things that offered gain to me I count a loss for Christ. I count all things to be loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. I suffered the loss of all things. Yet I count them as refuse (garbage) (dung) that I may gain Christ. I want to be united with him. I no longer want a righteousness of my own that is gained by obeying the law. The righteousness from God is by faith in Christ.read more.
I want to know him and the power of his resurrection. I want to know the fellowship of his sufferings and become conformed to his death. I wish to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Look out for the interest of others and not only for your own personal interest. Have this attitude (mind-set) (understanding) (mental state) in you that was also in Christ Jesus.

If the Teacher and Lord washed your feet you should wash one another's feet. I have given you an example. You should also do as I have done to you.

By this we know love, because he (Jesus) gave his life for us. We ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

We love, because he first loved us. If a man says, I love God, yet he hates his brother, he is a liar! He who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. We have this commandment from him, that he who loves God should love his brother also.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness (mildness), self-control; against such there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have impaled the flesh with its passions and lusts.read more.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become egotistical, stirring up competition with one another, envying one another.

Be devoted to one another with brotherly love, in honor preferring one another.

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient (profitable). All things are lawful for me, but all things do not build up (confirm) (strengthen). Let no one seek his own advantage, but that of the other [person].

For none of us lives to himself, and no man dies to himself.

We who are strong in the faith ought to help the weak to carry their burdens. We should not just please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to build him up.

Be careful that this freedom does not become a stumbling block to those who are weak.

Tolerate (endure) (suffer) (put up with) one another, and forgive each other. If any man has a complaint against anyone, forgive them, even as God forgave you.

They should do good works and be rich in good works, that they are ready to distribute, willing to communicate.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others more important than you.

Be of the same mind as others. Do not think lofty things but be led along by lowly things. Do not be wise in your own conceit (self-love) (vanity) (estimation).

Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. So if any one of you thinks you are important when you really are not, you are only fooling yourself.

Walk with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, putting up with one another in love.

Be subject (obedient) (subordinate) to one another in reverence of Christ.

Finally, all of you be like-minded, compassionate, brotherly, tenderhearted, and humble.

Likewise, you younger men, be subject to the older men. Yes, all of you clothe yourselves with humility and serve one another. God resists the proud, but gives loving kindness to the humble.

But you should not be this way. He who is the greater among you let him become as the younger. He that is chief among you is he who serves.

For you brothers, were called for freedom; only do not use your freedom for an occasion to the flesh. Serve one another through love!

According to the gift you have received, minister among yourselves, as good stewards of the increased grace (divine influence) (love) of God.

Shepherd the flock of God in your care. Exercise the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, according to the will of God. Do not do it for dishonest gain, but eagerly.

Abram said to Lot: Let us not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers. Is not the whole land before you? Let us part company. If you go to the left, I will go to the right. If you go to the right, I will go to the left.

So Moses went back to Jehovah and said: These people have committed such a serious sin! They made a god out of gold for themselves. Will you forgive their sin? If not, please wipe me out of the book you have written.

Ruth replied: Do not ask me to leave you! Let me go with you. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die. That is where I will be buried. May Jehovah's worst punishment come upon me if I let anything but death separate me from you!

Here I am! Testify against me before Jehovah and before his anointed one. Whose bull have I stolen? Whose donkey have I taken? Have I cheated anyone? Have I oppressed any? Have I ever taken a bribe? Tell me and I will make it right. The people answered: You have not cheated us or oppressed us. You have not taken anything from anyone. Samuel replied: Jehovah and the king he has chosen are witnesses today that you have found me to be completely innocent. They answered: That is right, Jehovah is our witness!

From the time when I was made ruler of the people in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year till the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, for twelve years, my servants and I have never taken the food that was the right of the ruler. Earlier rulers who came before me made the people responsible for their upkeep, and took from them bread and wine at the rate of forty shekels of silver. Even their servants were lords over the people. But I did not do so, out of reverence for God. I kept on with the work of this wall. We got no land for ourselves. All my servants helped with the work.read more.
There is more, a hundred and fifty of the Jews and the rulers were guests at my table, in addition to those who came to us from the nations nearby. The food for one day included: one bull and six fat sheep, as well as fowls; and once in ten days a store of all sorts of wine. All the same, I did not take the food to which the ruler had a right, because the people were crushed under a hard yoke.

He sat down near the collection boxes and observed how the crowd dropped money into the boxes. Many that were rich dropped in much. A poor widow came along and dropped in two mites. He told his disciples: Truly I tell you this poor widow gave more then all the others who gave to the collection box.read more.
They all gave out of their surplus. She gave out of her poverty. She gave all that she owned, all her living.

Jesus went away from there into the country of Tyre and Sidon. A woman of Canaan came crying and saying: Have pity on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is greatly troubled with an unclean spirit. He did not answer her. His disciples said to him: Send her away; she keeps shouting at us.read more.
He answered: I was sent only to the wandering sheep of the house of Israel. She bowed down before him and asked for help. He said: It is not right to take the children's bread and give it to the dogs. She said: Yes, Lord; but even the dogs take the scraps from under their masters' table. O woman, Jesus replied, your faith is great! Let your desire be done. And her daughter was made well from that hour.

Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper. A woman came to him having an alabaster vase containing very precious ointment. She poured it upon his head while he was eating. The disciples saw it and were indignant. To what purpose is this waste?read more.
This ointment could have been sold for much and the money given to the poor. Jesus was aware of this and said: Why do you trouble the woman? Her expression to me was good. The poor are always with you, but I am not always with you. She poured this ointment on my body to prepare me for burial. I tell you, Everywhere this good news is preached in the entire world, this good deed done by this woman will be spoken of in memory of her.

He was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper. While he was dining a woman with an alabaster vase filled with costly perfume, of pure nard (spikenard), brake it open and poured it over his head. Some were very indignant over this. They asked, What was the purpose of this waste of ointment? This ointment might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii. And the money could have been given to the poor. They scolded her.read more.
Jesus said: Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She did a good thing to me. You always have the poor with you and you can do them good. You do not always have me. She did what she could! She anointed my body beforehand for burying. Truly I tell you everywhere the good news is preached through out the whole world, that which this woman has done will be spoken of for a memorial of her.

John answered: A man can receive nothing unless it is given to him from heaven. You bear witness that I said I am not the Christ. I have been sent before him. He that has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom stands and listens to him. He rejoices greatly because he hears the bridegroom's voice. This fills me with joy.read more.
He must increase and I must decrease.

The congregation that believed was of one heart and mind. No one claimed his or her own possessions for everything was common property. The apostles witnessed about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power. Grace (God's loving kindness) was upon them all. There was no needy person among them for as many as possessed land or houses sold them, and brought the money from the things that were sold.read more.
They gave it to the apostles. Distribution was made to every man according as he had need. Joses, who was surnamed Barnabas by the apostles, (this meaning: The son of consolation,) was a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus. He sold his land and brought the money to the apostles.

Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus. They have risked their own necks for my life. I not only thank them but also the congregations of the nations give thanks.

I exhort you, brothers, you know the house of Stephanas, that it is the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the ministry of the holy ones.

For I have no man likeminded, who will truly care for you. They all seek their own interest and not the things of Jesus Christ.

Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy. Hold such in honor because for the work of Christ he came near to death, risking his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.

Do not stumble or offend (do not lead into sin), neither to the Jews, nor to the nations, nor to the congregation of God. Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking my own good, but the good of many, that they may be saved.

Be followers (imitators) of me, even as I also am of Christ.