Luke 6:32 kjv
For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
Luke 6:32 nkjv
"But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
Luke 6:32 niv
"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.
Luke 6:32 esv
"If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
Luke 6:32 nlt
"If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them!
Luke 6 32 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 5:46 | For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? | Parallel passage; "reward" instead of "credit" |
| Luke 6:27-28 | But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you. | Immediate context: Command to love enemies |
| Luke 6:33-34 | And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? ... | Expands the principle to doing good and lending |
| Luke 6:35 | But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return... | Direct contrast and positive command |
| Lev 19:18 | You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love... | Baseline "love your neighbor" from the Law |
| Deut 23:6 | You shall not seek their peace or their prosperity all your days forever. | Ancient Israelite prohibitions against enemies |
| Exod 23:4-5 | If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back... | Early OT instruction on helping enemies |
| Prov 24:17-18 | Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles... | Old Testament wisdom on restraint towards enemies |
| Rom 5:8 | But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. | God's demonstration of unconditional love |
| Rom 12:14 | Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. | NT command mirroring Jesus' teaching |
| Rom 12:19-21 | Beloved, never avenge yourselves... if your enemy is hungry, feed him... | Call to overcome evil with good |
| 1 Cor 13:4-7 | Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast... | Definition of true "agape" love |
| Eph 5:1-2 | Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us... | Call to emulate God's character in love |
| Col 3:12-14 | Put on then, as God's chosen ones... steadfast love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. | Clothing oneself with divine virtues, especially love |
| 1 Pet 4:8 | Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. | Importance of fervent, expansive love |
| 1 John 4:7-8 | Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God... | Source of true love is God; marks of believers |
| 1 John 4:19-20 | We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar... | Reciprocal nature of divine love within believers |
| Matt 6:1 | "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them... | Warning against seeking human recognition |
| Matt 6:4 | your Father who sees in secret will reward you. | Emphasizes God as the one who truly rewards |
| Luke 10:36-37 | Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers? ... Go and do likewise. | Parable of Good Samaritan; redefines "neighbor" |
| 2 Cor 5:17 | Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. | New creation reflects new principles of love |
| Gal 5:6 | For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. | Love as the active principle in faith |
| Phil 2:3-4 | Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. | Calls for putting others' interests first, foundation of selfless love |
| James 2:13 | For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. | Link between showing mercy and divine mercy |
Luke 6 verses
Luke 6 32 Meaning
Luke 6:32 highlights that simply loving those who love you is common human behavior, offering no distinctive "credit" or spiritual commendation from God's perspective. Jesus contrasts this with the radical call for His followers to love universally, extending compassion beyond natural affinities, distinguishing them from those who operate only by worldly principles of reciprocity.
Luke 6 32 Context
Luke 6:32 is part of Jesus' Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:20-49), a foundational discourse outlining the ethics of His Kingdom. The verses preceding (Luke 6:27-31) explicitly command loving enemies, doing good, blessing, and praying for persecutors, establishing a radical ethic far exceeding conventional moral codes. Verse 32 directly questions the value of conventional, reciprocal love, setting the stage for Jesus' call for unconditional love in verses 33-36. The audience likely included both disciples seeking to follow Jesus and curious onlookers, challenging their understanding of righteousness and the nature of God's demands. Historically and culturally, reciprocity (e.g., loving those who love you, lending to those who can repay) was a deeply ingrained social norm, both among Jews and Gentiles. Jesus' teaching here serves as a powerful contrast, polemicizing against a merely utilitarian or self-serving ethic of love and distinguishing the righteousness of His followers from that practiced even by those considered "sinners" or outsiders.
Luke 6 32 Word Analysis
For if you love (kai gar ean agapate):
- For if (kai gar ean): A common conjunction and particle introducing a rhetorical question, providing the rationale or contrasting explanation. It implies a condition being evaluated.
- love (agapate, from agapaō): Refers to a benevolent, unconditional, principled love. It's a chosen act of the will, not merely an emotion or affection (phileō). This agape love is central to Jesus' teachings and is distinct from mere reciprocal affection. The use of agapaō here suggests even if disciples apply this highest form of love only reciprocally, it falls short of the divine standard.
those who love you (tous agapontas hymas):
- those who love you: Describes the most basic and common form of human love, which is driven by reciprocity and self-interest. It's easy and natural to love those who show affection or kindness to oneself. This kind of love, though seemingly good, requires no transformation of character.
what credit is that to you? (poia hymin charis estin?):
- what credit (poia hymin charis): Charis (χάρις) means "grace," "favor," "gratitude," "thankfulness," or "a benefit received." Here, it functions as "credit" or "commendation" from a divine perspective. The rhetorical question "what credit is that to you?" implies there is no commendation, no special merit, and no unique spiritual value from God's viewpoint. This isn't about human recognition but divine approval or a reward in God's economy.
For even sinners (kai gar hoi hamartoloi):
- For even (kai gar): Again, an intensifying conjunction, drawing a direct comparison to emphasize the point.
- sinners (hoi hamartoloi): In the New Testament, hamartolos (ἁμαρτωλοί) often refers to those generally outside God's covenant, or individuals considered morally compromised, non-observant of the Law, or engaged in practices deemed ungodly. Here, it signifies the average, non-religious, or unrighteous person. Jesus uses them as a baseline example of behavior driven by common human instincts rather than divine principles.
love those who love them (tous agapontas autous):
- love those who love them: Reiteration of the initial condition, applied to "sinners." This emphasizes that reciprocal love is universal, requiring no special ethical insight or spiritual dedication. If God's children only act as the "sinners" do, their spiritual distinctiveness is lost.
Luke 6 32 Bonus Section
- Distinction from Matthew's Account: While Matthew 5:46 has a very similar verse, Matthew uses the term "reward" (misthos) instead of Luke's "credit" (charis). While both imply divine acknowledgment, charis (grace/favor/commendation) in Luke might lean more into the qualitative distinctiveness and gracious nature of God's approval, whereas misthos in Matthew might emphasize the earned outcome. Both underscore that mere reciprocal love brings no divine approbation.
- The Nature of Kingdom Ethics: This verse succinctly captures the inversion of worldly values in God's kingdom. Worldly ethics are often transactional; Kingdom ethics are transformative, driven by grace and an overflowing love that mirrors God's own.
- A Polemic against Human Merit: The rhetorical question strips away any idea of meritorious behavior from natural reciprocity. It's a subtle but strong polemic against any system that seeks to gain favor with God through acts that are merely convenient or self-serving, highlighting that true righteousness must flow from a supernatural source of love.
Luke 6 32 Commentary
Luke 6:32 is a critical statement within Jesus' teaching on radical love, serving as a negative contrast to what true discipleship requires. It sets a higher standard by demonstrating that even common humanity, exemplified by "sinners," naturally practices reciprocal love. Therefore, if believers confine their love to those who respond in kind, they offer nothing extraordinary, earn no unique "credit" or divine favor, and fundamentally resemble the world from which they are called to be separate. The true measure of love, for Jesus, is its unconditionality and willingness to extend even to enemies. This divine expectation is rooted in God's own character, as He bestows kindness and grace even upon the ungrateful and evil (Luke 6:35). The call is not for an emotional sentimentality, but a deliberate act of will to pursue the good of all, demonstrating a transformative heart that imitates God's universal benevolence.