Friendship is a gift from God that brings joy, support, and companionship into our lives. The Bible is rich with wisdom on how to develop meaningful relationships and emphasizes the importance of loyal, loving, and God-centered friendships. In this post, we will explore 40 Bible verses about friendship and gain insights into what God’s Word says about building and maintaining healthy connections.
What Does the Bible Say About Friendship?
The Bible teaches that friendships are vital for our spiritual and emotional well-being. True friends are blessings that reflect God’s love and faithfulness. Proverbs 17:17 (NIV) says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” This verse highlights the unconditional love and support that genuine friendships provide.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NIV) emphasizes the strength found in friendships: “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” This teaches us that friends provide support during both joyful and challenging times.
The Bible also warns against choosing the wrong companions. Proverbs 13:20 (NIV) says, “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” This verse reminds us to seek friendships that encourage spiritual growth and wisdom.
Key Lessons About Friendship From the Bible:
- True friends love unconditionally (Proverbs 17:17, NIV).
- Friends strengthen and support each other (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, NIV).
- Godly friendships encourage righteousness (Proverbs 27:17, NIV).
- Be cautious of harmful friendships (1 Corinthians 15:33, NIV).
Bible Verses About Friendship and Love
Friendship rooted in love mirrors God’s unconditional love for us. Below are several Bible verses that highlight the connection between friendship and love:
1. John 15:13 (NIV): “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
2. Proverbs 27:6 (NIV): “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”
3. 1 Samuel 18:1-3 (NIV): The deep friendship between David and Jonathan shows sacrificial love and loyalty.
4. Colossians 3:13 (NIV): “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
5. Proverbs 27:9 (NIV): “Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.”
These verses reveal that love is the foundation of genuine friendship. It involves sacrifice, honesty, forgiveness, and mutual encouragement.
Short Bible Verses About Friendship
Sometimes, a brief verse can provide profound wisdom and inspiration. Here are some short Bible verses about friendship:
1. Proverbs 17:17 (NIV): “A friend loves at all times.”
2. John 15:15 (NIV): “I have called you friends.”
3. Proverbs 27:17 (NIV): “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
4. Job 6:14 (NIV): “Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty.”
5. Ecclesiastes 4:10 (NIV): “If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.”
These concise yet meaningful verses are perfect for meditating on the value of friendship and sharing with loved ones.
40 Bible Verses About Friendship
Here is a comprehensive list of Bible verses about friendship to inspire and guide you:
1. Proverbs 18:24 (NIV): “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
2. John 15:12 (NIV): “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
3. 1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV): “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’”
4. Proverbs 27:5 (NIV): “Better is open rebuke than hidden love.”
5. Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NIV): “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
6. Romans 12:10 (NIV): “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”
7. Proverbs 22:24-25 (NIV): “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared.”
8. Philippians 2:3 (NIV): “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”
9. Luke 6:31 (NIV): “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
10. Colossians 4:6 (NIV): “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
11. James 4:8 (NIV): “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
12. Proverbs 16:28 (NIV): “A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.”
13. Psalm 133:1 (NIV): “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”
14. Matthew 5:9 (NIV): “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
15. Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV): “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
16. 1 Peter 4:8 (NIV): “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
17. Galatians 6:2 (NIV): “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
18. Proverbs 11:14 (NIV): “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.”
19. Ephesians 4:2 (NIV): “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”
20. Job 2:11 (NIV): “When Job’s three friends heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.”
21. Proverbs 25:11 (NIV): “Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a ruling rightly given.”
22. Matthew 22:39 (NIV): “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
23. Proverbs 12:26 (NIV): “The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.”
24. Zechariah 8:16 (NIV): “These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts.”
25. Proverbs 21:21 (NIV): “Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor.”
26. Romans 13:8 (NIV): “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.”
27. Proverbs 15:22 (NIV): “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”
28. Proverbs 31:26 (NIV): “She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.”
29. 2 Timothy 2:22 (NIV): “Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
30. Isaiah 41:6 (NIV): “They help each other and say to their companions, ‘Be strong!’”
31. Proverbs 27:19 (NIV): “As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.”
32. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV): “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
33. Proverbs 20:6 (NIV): “Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find?”
34. Psalm 55:14 (NIV): “We enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers.”
35. Colossians 3:14 (NIV): “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
36. 2 Corinthians 1:4 (NIV): “Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
37. Proverbs 27:10 (NIV): “Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you—better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.”
38. James 5:16 (NIV): “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
39. Romans 15:2 (NIV): “Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.”
40. Psalm 119:63 (NIV): “I am a friend to all who fear you, to all who follow your precepts.”
Conclusion
Friendships are a reflection of God’s love for us. By embracing the lessons from these Bible verses about friendship, we can develop relationships that honor God and bring joy to our lives. Remember to seek friends who encourage you spiritually, love unconditionally, and stand by you in every season of life. Share these Bible verses with your friends and strengthen your bonds through God’s Word.
Read also: 30 Bible Verses About Leadership
