Where in the Bible is love defined?
In the Bible, love is not defined in a single verse as if it were a dictionary entry; it is explained through both teaching and example. Even so, the best-known description of love appears in 1 Corinthians 13. There love is described as patient, kind, not envious, not boastful…
In the Bible, love is not defined in a single verse as if it were a dictionary entry; it is explained through both teaching and example. Even so, the best-known description of love appears in 1 Corinthians 13. There love is described as patient, kind, not envious, not boastful, and not self-seeking. That chapter is extremely important, but it is not the Bible's only address for love.
In the New Testament, the deepest measure of love is the life of Jesus Christ and his self-giving on the cross. First John says that we know what love is not merely by emotion, but because Christ laid down his life for us. In other words, love is not just a pleasant feeling or a polite attitude; it is sacrificial faithfulness and action that seeks the good of another. Jesus' commands to love the Lord your God and to love your neighbor gather love into two directions: devoted loyalty toward God and concrete goodness toward other people.
Christian traditions are essentially united here. Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant interpretations all affirm the centrality of love. The differences appear more in how love is shaped through church life, spiritual disciplines, and social service. But none of them leave love as a merely abstract feeling.
So the most honest answer to the question "Where is love defined?" is this: for a concentrated summary, look to 1 Corinthians 13; to see the cost of love, look to the cross; and to see love's daily form, look to Jesus' command. Scripture does not only define love. It shows how love is lived.
This matters because in contemporary language love is sometimes reduced to mere approval or warm feeling. In Scripture, however, love also includes telling the truth, bearing patiently, forgiving, and paying a cost when necessary. The definition of love must therefore be read within the inseparable union of character and action.