7 Bible Verses about Relationships and Relationship Issues

As Christians, we believe that “there are three persons in the one true and living God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are the same in substance, equal in power and glory” (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q.6). These three persons of the Godhead live eternally in a relationship of mutual love, harmony, peace, and glory.

Since relationship is at the heart of God, it should come as no surprise that human beings, created to be in the image of God, were created to be in relationship with each other. After pronouncing everything that He had made so far to be good, God said that “it is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18).

Human beings were created to experience relationships and so we find that much of the teaching of the Bible touches on how to conduct oneself in all sorts of relationships, from friendships to business relationships to romantic relationships.

7 Bible Verses about Relationships

In this article, we will explore some Bible verses about relationships. Some will be verses about friendship, others will be Bible verses for couples, but all will be teaching from the Scriptures on relationships.

A friend loves at all times... – Proverbs 17:17a

In this verse, Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, provides us with the essential character of a true friend – namely, love. Whole books have been written on the value of a friend who loves you and faithfully sticks by your side through thick and thin.

This is not some “fair-weather friend,” but a person who will not be put off by your bad behavior, ill moods, mistakes, or sins. As we will see below, though this is a friend who will be up front with you and tell you what you need to hear when necessary, it is also a friend who will not abandon you in adversity.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy. – Proverbs 27:6

In this verse, contrary to common wisdom, Solomon teaches us that a true friend will love us enough to tell us the truth about ourselves when necessary. This means that far from sparing our feelings, a friend will deliver rebuke, when necessary, precisely because they are a friend who “loves at all times.”

The person who only flatters and never really tells you the truth about yourself is the kind of person that Solomon calls an enemy. This is because an enemy is not interested in our relationship with others or with God, but in using you, or saving face, or maintaining power, etc.

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. – Proverbs 15:1

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where someone was angry with you? Did you respond in kind by giving as good as you got? How did the situation turn out? Did it calm down, or escalate?

Solomon teaches us that while a sharp or harsh response may be natural and feel good in the short term, it will only serve to inflame an already bad situation. However, when we respond to anger with kindness and gentleness, it can diffuse tension, smoothing over ruffled feathers and bringing peace.

In a relationship, this manifests itself as a predisposition to keeping the peace with the other person. While this doesn’t mean letting ourselves be a doormat, it does mean giving up our urge to lash back and get even with words.

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. – James1:19-20

In this passage, James teaches us that we are to be “slow to anger.” In other words, we are to be characterized by hearing, rather than speech and anger. It should be difficult to make us angry. Anger should be the exception for us, not the rule.

This applies even to righteous anger because our sin makes every type of anger difficult to manage and easy to lose control of. Even our most righteous anger doesn’t “produce the righteousness that God requires,” meaning that our anger, as righteous as it might be, still falls short of God’s righteous requirements.

Imagine how different the world would be if everyone were “slow to anger” and spent more time listening than speaking!

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. – Ephesians 4:32

The Apostle Paul tells us that we are to exhibit kindness in our relationships with each other. In addition, we are to be tenderhearted, which means that we are to be predisposed to show compassion for others, particularly when they are at fault.

Lastly, we are to forgive each other. We are not to hold grudges, retain bitterness, or hold faults over the head of each other. Why is this? It is because if we are Christians, we have been forgiven by God for Christ’s sake.

Kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness are key characteristics of any relationship.

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor – 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4

Our society is so drenched in sex that this verse will appear to be countercultural. However countercultural it may be, however, we must realize that it is God’s will that we abstain from sexual immorality.

What Paul is saying, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, is that we are not to engage in sex outside the boundaries of the marriage covenant under any circumstances. This means that premarital sex and adultery are forbidden.

This level of sexual purity is not merely an optional lifestyle, it is a requirement that God ha s for those who love Him. According to this verse, failure to do keep yourself sexually pure is opposite to the growth in holiness and the honorable living that God intends for His children.

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. – Romans 12:18

We are to live in peace with everyone as far as possible. In other words, we are not to be the instigators of relational conflict or disruption any more than absolutely necessary.

Note that this does not mean becoming a doormat. There will be times and situations in which we have to confront someone about their behavior, which can cause conflict, especially if they are unwilling to respond positively to the rebuke – but in such cases, the conflict does not depend on us.

However, when a state of estrangement or conflict exists between us and another person, we are to do whatever we can reasonably do to resolve the conflict and restore peace to the relationship.

This is especially true in a marriage relationship, where life is just too short to hold grudges against one’s spouse. Small offenses should be ignored and large ones should be addressed, dealt with, and decisively moved on from.

Christian Counseling for Relationship Issues

The Bible is full of wisdom concerning relationships of every kind and it should be the the first place that the Christian turns for help. If you are experiencing issues in your relationship with a spouse, family member, friend, etc., God’s Word has both help and hope for you.

God desires for you to have healthy relationships with others. Besides studying God’s Word for Bible verses about relationships, seeking advice from others can help.

If you are having trouble putting Biblical principles into practice in your relationship, seek out a trusted friend or your pastor for wise counsel. If these are not available, however, a Christian counselor can come alongside you and help you work through whatever relationship issues you may be facing. Don’t wait – get help today!