20 Bible Verses about Friendship and Godly Friends

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What does the Bible say about Friendship? What does the Bible say about friendship? Scripture teaches that friendship is a gift from God, but it also calls us to choose our friends wisely and become the kind of friend who loves, encourages, forgives, serves, and speaks truth. Jesus gives us the greatest example of friendship when He says, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). The Bible also reminds us that friendships shape our character and faith. Good friends can encourage us, sharpen us, carry burdens with us, and point us back to Christ. Below are 20 Bible verses about friendship to help you celebrate godly relationships and grow as a faithful friend.

What Does the Bible Say about Friendship?

The Bible says friendship should be marked by love, loyalty, honesty, encouragement, humility, service, and a shared desire to honor God. Scripture provides us with some of the best advice for choosing our friends and maintaining beneficial relationships. Jesus said, "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." (John 15:12) There are many things we can learn about being a good friend from friendships found in the Bible. Also, there are incredible benefits to having great friends in our lives for emotional and spiritual support. Research also supports what Scripture has long shown: healthy connections matter. Strong friendships can help reduce loneliness, increase a sense of belonging, lower stress, and support emotional well-being.

These Bible verses about friendship remind us that godly friends encourage us, sharpen us, carry burdens with us, tell us the truth in love, and point us back to Christ.

20 Best Bible Verses about Friendship

• Proverbs 27:9
  "Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel" 
• Psalms 133:1
  "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!" 
• Proverbs 17:17 
  "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." 
• Philippians 1:3-5 
  "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." 
• Romans 12:10-11 
• "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord." 
• Philippians 2:4 
  'Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.' 
• Galatians 6:2 
  "Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.' 

Bible Verses about Choosing Friends Wisely

• Proverbs 22:24-25 
  "Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.' 
• Proverbs 17:9 
  'Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.' 
• Proverbs 16:28
  "A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends." 
• 1 Corinthians 15:33 
  "Do not be deceived: 'Bad company ruins good morals." 

Bible Verses about Encouragement and Strength in Friendship

• 1 Thessalonians 5:11 
  Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 
• Hebrews 10:24-25 
  And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. 
• 1 Peter 4:10 
  As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace. 
• James 5:16
  “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”

Bible Verses about the Power of Godly Friendship

• Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 
  'Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken." 
• Matthew 18:20 
  "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." 
• Proverbs 27:17 
  "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another."  

Bible Verses about Jesus, Our Greatest Friend

• John 15:15 
  "No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." 
• John 15:13 
  "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."

For Further Reading

• Jesus and Friendship
• 5 Ways to Grow Christian Friendships
• How to Build and Maintain a Friendship
• Building Friendships Rooted in Faith
• How to Get Healthy Friendships, Even After They Hurt You

Click to download "Growing in Godly Friendship" Reflection Guide

Christina Patterson is a wife and stay-at-home mom with a passion to encourage women in the love of Jesus Christ and the truth of God’s Word. When she is not folding laundry or playing blocks you will find her with her head deep in her Bible or a commentary. She holds her Masters in Theology from Liberty University and is the founder of Beloved Women, a non-profit providing resources and community for women to truly know who they are in Christ: His Beloved. She blogs at belovedwomen.org.

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