charity in the Bible

This word appears in the King James Version translation of 1 Corinthians 13. It denotes love, and is so translated in most, if not all, other English translations, e.g., New King James Version (NKJV), New American Standard Bible (NASB), and New International Version (NIV).

Love is spoken of as the greatest of the three Christian graces (1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13).

The word “charity” also appears in the King James Version in these verses, where other versions translate the word properly as “love”:

• 1 Corinthians 8:1 (“charity edifieth”), 14:1 (“Follow after charity”), 16:14 (“Let all your things be done with charity”)
• 1 Timothy 1:5 (“charity out of a pure heart”), 2:15 (“continue in faith and charity and holiness”); 4:12 (“be thou an example of the believers, in word, …in charity”)
• 2 Timothy 2:22 (“follow righteousness, faith, charity”), 3:10
• Titus 2:2 (“sound in faith, in charity”)
• 1 Thessalonians 3:6 (“brought us good tidings of your faith and charity”)
• 2 Thessalonians 1:3 (“the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth”)
• Colossians 3:14 (“above all these things put on charity”)
• 1 Peter 4:8 (“charity shall cover the multitude of sins”), 5:14 (“Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity”)
• 2 Peter 1:7 (“to brotherly kindness charity”)
• 3 John 3:6 (“Which have borne witness of thy charity”)
• Jude 12 (“These are spots in your feasts of charity”)
• Revelation 2:19 (“I know thy works, and charity”)

Charity in ancient Hebrew agricultural rules

• A passerby was at liberty to eat any quantity of corn or grapes, but he was not permitted to carry away any (Deuteronomy 23:24-25; Matthew 12:1).

• The poor were permitted to claim the corners of the fields and the gleanings.

• A forgotten sheaf in the field was to be left also for the poor. (See Leviticus 19:9-10; Deuteronomy 24:19.)

More information

• LOVE
• good works
• collection
• alms
• poor
• beg
• POVERTY—What does the Bible say about the poor? Answer
• Ananias
• helps
• tithe