³⁴ “A new command^(A) I give you: Love one another.^(B) As I have loved you, so you must love one another.^{(C) 35} By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”^(D)

¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.^{(A) 13} Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.^{(B) 14} You are my friends^(C) if you do what I command.^{(D) 15} I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.^{(E) 16} You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you^(F) so that you might go and bear fruit^(G)—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.^{(H) 17} This is my command: Love each other.^(I)

Love in Action

⁹ Love must be sincere.^(A) Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.^{(B) 10} Be devoted to one another in love.^(C) Honor one another above yourselves.^(D)

Love Fulfills the Law

⁸ Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.^{(A) 9} The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,”^[a](B) and whatever other command there may be, are summed up^(C) in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”^{[b](D) 10} Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.^(E)

¹⁴ For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”^[a](A)

¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good^(A) to all people, especially to those who belong to the family^(B) of believers.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

¹⁵ For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus^(A) and your love for all God’s people,^(B)

²² Now that you have purified^(A) yourselves by obeying^(B) the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply,^(C) from the heart.^[a]

Suffering for Doing Good

⁸ Finally, all of you, be like-minded,^(A) be sympathetic, love one another,^(B) be compassionate and humble.^(C)