# What does the Bible say about love?

> What the Bible says about love — Scripture-cited verses on God’s love, patient love for one another, and love as action, plus one next step you can take.

Source: https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/love
By Andrew Kittridge, Founder of Lumin · August 26, 2026

Love in Scripture is more than a feeling. It is God’s own movement toward the world, and then a way of life for people who have been loved: patient, truthful, and willing to give itself away. The Bible refuses to reduce love to romance alone or to a slogan that never costs anything.

## Love in the Bible

- **1 John 4:7-10** — Love comes from God; we love because he first loved us, shown in sending his Son.
- **1 Corinthians 13:4-7** — Love is patient and kind; it does not envy, boast, or keep a record of wrongs.
- **John 13:34-35** — Jesus gives a new command: love one another as he has loved, so that people will know his disciples.
- **Romans 5:8** — God shows his love in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

## Highlighted verse

> Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
>
> — 1 Corinthians 13:4 (King James Version)

## Reflection

Biblical love starts with being loved, not with trying harder to feel affectionate. It then becomes visible in patience, kindness, and the refusal to keep score. Romance can belong inside that larger love; it cannot replace it.

## One next step

Choose one person you are tempted to keep a record against. Do one concrete kindness today without announcing it, and pray 1 Corinthians 13:4 over the impulse to win.

## FAQ

### What is a key Bible verse about love?

1 Corinthians 13:4: love is patient and kind; it does not envy or boast. 1 John 4:7-10 locates love in God, who first loved us. John 13:34-35 makes love the mark of Jesus’ disciples.

### How should Christians love other people?

Start from being loved, then make it visible: patience, kindness, and the refusal to keep score. Romance can belong inside that larger love; it cannot replace it.

### Is love only a feeling in the Bible?

No. Love is God’s movement toward the world and then a way of life that costs something. Feelings may follow. They are not the definition.

## Related questions

- [What does the Bible say about forgiveness?](https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/forgiveness.md)
- [What does the Bible say about church?](https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/church.md)
- [What does the Bible say about friendship?](https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/friendship.md)


---

Answered by Lumin, a Christian AI app for iPhone and iPad that gives short, Scripture-cited
answers with one next step. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lumin-bible-ai-companion/id6754889412