the Week of Proper 20 / Ordinary 25
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John 15:13
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The greatest love is to die for your friends.
Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
Greater love has no man than this, that a man gives up his life for his friends.
No one has greater love than this, that one should lay down his life for his friends.
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends.
Greater love has no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
No one hath greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
No one has greater love than this--a man laying down his life for his friends.
Greater loue hath no man then this, that a man lay downe his life for his friends.
Greater love than this has no one, that anyone should lay down his soul for his friends.
No man hath greater loue, then to set his life for his frende.
there cannot be greater love than that of a man, who lays down his life for his friends.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Gretter love then this hath no man then that a man bestowe his lyfe for his frendes.
Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
greater love than this hath no one, that any one his life may lay down for his friends;
The greatest love a person can show is to die for his friends.
No one has greater love than this—that one lays down his life for his friends.
The greatest way to show love for friends is to die for them.
No one has greater love than a person who lays down his life for his friends.
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
Greater loue then this hath no man, when any man bestoweth his life for his friendes.
There is no greater love than this, when a man lays down his life for the sake of his friends.
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
No one showshas">[fn] greater love than when he lays down his life for his friends.John 10:11,15; Romans 5:7-8; Ephesians 5:2; 1 John 3:16;">[xr]
Love which is greater than this is not, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
There is no greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends.
No one can have greater love than to give his life for his friends.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends.
Greater love than this, hath, no one, That, his life, one should lay down in behalf of his friends.
Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
No one has greater love than this: that someone lay down his life for his friends.
Greater loue hath no man, then this: yt a man bestowe his life for his frendes.
The greatest love people can show is to die for their friends.
"Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends.
The greatest love you can have for your friends is to give your life for them.
No man hath more loue than this, that a man putte his lijf for hise freendis.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
John 10:11, John 10:15, Romans 5:6-8, Ephesians 5:2, 1 John 4:7-11
Reciprocal: Proverbs 17:17 - General John 11:11 - he saith John 13:1 - having John 13:34 - That ye love John 15:9 - the Father Romans 5:7 - scarcely Romans 5:8 - commendeth Romans 16:4 - have 1 Corinthians 13:3 - though I give Galatians 2:20 - who Ephesians 3:18 - able 1 Thessalonians 5:10 - died 2 Thessalonians 2:16 - which James 2:23 - the Friend 1 John 3:16 - perceive 1 John 4:11 - General
Cross-References
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; Your reward [for obedience] shall be very great."
Abram said, "Lord GOD, what reward will You give me, since I am [leaving this world] childless, and he who will be the owner and heir of my house is this [servant] Eliezer from Damascus?"
Then Abram believed in (affirmed, trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to) the LORD; and He counted (credited) it to him as righteousness (doing right in regard to God and man).
And He said to him, "I am the [same] LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land as an inheritance."
But Abram said, "Lord GOD, by what [proof] will I know that I will inherit it?"
The birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.
When the sun was setting, a deep sleep overcame Abram; and a horror (terror, shuddering fear, nightmare) of great darkness overcame him.
God said to Abram, "Know for sure that your descendants will be strangers [living temporarily] in a land (Egypt) that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years.
"I will give to you and to your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger [moving from place to place], all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession [of property]; and I will be their God."
So they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with hard labor. And the sons of Israel built Pithom and Raamses as storage cities for Pharaoh.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Greater love hath no man than this,.... By these words our Lord shows, how far love to another should extend, even to the laying down of our lives for the brethren; which is the highest instance of love among men;
that a man lay down his life for his friends; and in which believers, should not come short of them; and also his great love to his people, and explains what he had just said, "as I have loved you", John 13:34; which in a little time would be seen, by his laying down his life for them: for he not only came down from heaven, and laid aside his glory and royal majesty, but he laid down his life; not his gold and silver, and the riches of this world, which were all his, but his life; than which, nothing is dearer to a man, is himself, his all: and besides, Christ's life was not a common one, it was not the life of an innocent person only, or the life of a mere man, but of a man in union with the Son of God; it was the Lord of glory and Prince of life, who was crucified, and slain; a life that was entirely at his own dispose; it had never been forfeited by sin, nor could it have been forced away from him by men or devils; it was laid down of and by himself, freely and voluntarily; and that "for", in the room, and instead of his people, as a ransom for them; he being their surety and substitute, and standing in their legal place and stead, he took their sins upon him, bore the curse of the law, sustained his Father's wrath, and all the punishment due to sin; and so suffered death, the death of the cross; the just, in the room and stead of the unjust; the persons for whom be laid down his life, are described as "his friends"; not that they were originally so; being enemies and enmity itself to God, when he laid down his life for them, and reconciled them; they were not such as had carried themselves friendly, or had shown any love and affection to him, but all the reverse: but they are so called, because he had chosen them for his friends; he had pitched upon them, and resolved to make them so; and by dying for them, reconciled them who were enemies; and in consequence of this, by his Spirit and grace, of enemies makes them friends; so that his love in dying for his people, is greater than any instance of love among men: he laid down his life for his enemies, without any sinister selfish views, and that freely and voluntarily; whereas among men, when one man has laid down his life for others, either they have been very deserving, or he has been forced to it, or it has been done with the view of popular applause and vain glory.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Greater love hath ... - No higher expression of love could be given. Life is the most valuable object we possess; and when a man is willing to lay that down for his friends or his country, it shows the utmost extent of love. Even this love for friends has been rarely witnessed. A very few cases like that of Damon and Pythias have occurred where a man was willing to save the life of his friend by giving his own. It greatly enhances the love of Christ, that while the instances of those who have been willing to die for friends have been so rare, he was willing to die for enemies - bitter foes, who rejected his reign, persecuted him, reviled him, scorned him, and sought his life, 1 John 4:10; Romans 5:6, Romans 5:10. It also shows us the extent of his love that he gave himself up, not to common sufferings, but to the most bitter, painful, and protracted sorrows, not for himself, not for friends, but for a thoughtless and unbelieving world. “O Lamb of God, was ever pain was ever love like thine!”
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse John 15:13. That a man lay down his life for his friends. — No man can carry his love for his friend farther than this: for, when he gives up his life, he gives up all that he has. This proof of my love for you I shall give in a few hours; and the doctrine which I recommend to you I am just going to exemplify myself. There are several remarkable cases, in heathen antiquity, where one friend offered his life for another. The two following will not stand dishonourably even in the book of God; became every thing loving and pure, in heathen, Jew, or Christian, must come from the God of love and purity.
When Cyrus had made war on the king of Armenia, and had taken him, his wife, and children, with Tigranes his son, and his wife, prisoners; treating with the old king concerning his ransom, he said, How much money wilt thou give me to have thy wife again? All that I have, replied the king. And how much wilt thou advance to enjoy thy children again? All that I can produce, answered the king. By reckoning thus, said Cyrus, you prize these at twice as much as you possess. Then, turning to Tigranes, he said, How much wilt thou give as a ransom, that thou mayest have thy wife? (Now Tigranes had been but lately married, και ὑπερφιλων την γυναικα, and loved his wife exceedingly.) He answered, I will indeed, O Cyrus, και της ψυχης πριαιμην, ransom her even with MY LIFE, that she may be no longer in thraldom. See XENOPH. Cyrop. lib. iii. c. 2.
The second example, which is too long to be inserted, is that affecting account of the friendship of Nisus and Euryalus, given by Virgil, in the ninth book of the AEneis. These two friends, leagued together, had slain many of the Rutulians in a night attack: at last Euryalus was taken prisoner. Nisus, concealed in a thicket, slew several of the enemy's chiefs with his javelins: Volscens, their general, not seeing the hand by which his officers were slain, determines to wreak his vengeance upon his prisoner. Nisus, seeing his friend about to be transfixed with the sword, rushing out of the wood where he lay hidden, suddenly cries: -
ME! ME! adsum qui FECI! in ME convertite ferrum,
O Rutuli! MEA fraus omnis:-nihil ISTE-nec ausus,
Nec potuit-Caelum hoc, et conscia sidera testor!
TANTUM infelicem NIMIUM DILEXIT AMICUM.
AEN. lib. ix. l. 427, c.
"ME! ME! he cried, turn all your swords alone
On ME!-the fact confess'd, the fault my own.
HE neither could, nor durst, the guiltless youth
Ye moon and stars, bear witness to the truth!
His only crime (if friendship can offend)
Is too much love to his unhappy friend."
DRYDEN.
Those who understand the beautiful original will at once perceive that the earnestness, confusion, disorder, impatience, and burning love of the FRIEND, are poorly imitated in the above tame translation.
The friendship of David and Jonathan is well known: the latter cheerfully gave up his crown to his friend, though himself was every way worthy to wear it. But when all these instances of rare friendship and affection are seen, read, and admired, let the affected reader turn his astonished eyes to Jesus, pouring out his blood, not for his friends, but for his ENEMIES; and, in the agonies of death, making supplication for his murderers, with, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!-and then let him help exclaiming, if he can,
"O Lamb of God, was ever pain,
Was ever LOVE like THINE!"
