What the Bible teaches about friendship

There are a number of friendships in the Bible that remind us of how we should treat each other on a daily basis. From Old Testament friendships to the relationships that inspired epistles in the New Testament, we look at these examples of friendships in the Bible to inspire us in our relationships.

Abraham and Lot
Abraham reminds us of loyalty and goes beyond friends. Abraham gathered hundreds of men to save Lot from captivity.

Genesis 14: 14-16 - “When Abraham learned that his relative had been captured, he called the 318 trained men born in his family and went in pursuit to Dan. During the night Abraham divided his men to attack them and he routed them, chasing them to Hobah, north of Damascus. He recovered all the assets and brought back his relative Lot and his properties, along with the women and other people. "(NIV)

Ruth and Naomi
Friendships can be forged between different eras and from anywhere. In this case, Ruth became friends with her mother-in-law and they became a family, looking for each other for a lifetime.

Ruth 1: 16-17 - “But Ruth replied: 'Do not urge me to leave you or look back. Where will you go I will go and where you will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you will die, I will die and I will be buried there. May the Eternal deal with me, be so severely, if even death separates you and me. "" (NIV)

David and Jonathan
Sometimes friendships are formed almost instantly. Have you ever met someone who knew immediately that he would become a good friend? David and Jonathan were just like that.

1 Samuel 18: 1-3 - “After David had finished speaking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king's son. There was an immediate connection between them, since Jonathan loved David. From that day on Saul kept him with him and he didn't want to let him go home. And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself. "(NLT)

David and Abiathar
Friends protect each other and deeply feel their losses of loved ones. David felt the pain of Abiathar's loss, as well as responsibility for it, so he swore to protect him from Saul's wrath.

1 Samuel 22: 22-23 - “David exclaimed: 'I knew it! When I saw Doeg the Edomita there that day, I realized he was sure to tell Saul. Now I've caused the death of your whole father's family. Stay here with me and don't be afraid. I will protect you with my own life, because the same person wants to kill us both. "" (NLT)

David and Nahash
Friendship often extends to those who love our friends. When we lose someone close to us, sometimes the only thing we can do is comfort those who were close. David shows his love for Nahash by sending someone to express his sympathy to the members of Nahash's family.

2 Samuel 10: 2 - "David said, 'I am going to show loyalty to Hanun just as his father, Nahash, has always been faithful to me.' So David sent ambassadors to express sympathy to Hanun for the death of his father. " (NLT)

David and Ittai
Some friends inspire loyalty to the end, and Ittai felt that loyalty to David. Meanwhile, David has shown great friendship with Ittai by not expecting anything from him. True friendship is unconditional and both men have shown themselves to be highly respected with little expectation of reciprocity.

2 Samuel 15: 19-21 - “Then the king said to Ittai the Gittita: 'Why do you also come with us? Go back and stay with the king, because you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home. You only came yesterday, and today I will let you wander with us, since I am going I don't know where? Go back and take your brothers with you, and may the Lord show you faithful love and faithfulness to you ”. But Ittai replied to the king, "While the Lord lives and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord is the king, both for death and for life, your servant will also be there." "(ESV)

David and Hiram
Hiram had been a good friend of David, and shows that friendship doesn't end with his friend's death, but extends beyond other loved ones. Sometimes we can show our friendship by expanding our love to others.

1 Kings 5: 1- “King Hiram of Tire had always been friends with Solomon's father, David. When Hiram learned that Solomon was king, he sent some of his officers to meet Solomon. " (CEV)

1 Kings 5: 7 - "Hiram was so happy when he heard Solomon's request that he said:" I am grateful that the Lord gave David a son so wise that he became king of that great nation! "" (CEV)

Job and his friends
Friends meet when facing adversity. When Job faced his most difficult moments, his friends were immediately there with him. In these times of great distress, Job's friends sat down with him and let him speak. They felt his pain, but also allowed him to try it without loading the weights at that moment. Sometimes the mere fact of being there is comforting.

Job 2: 11-13 - “Now, when Job's three friends learned of all these adversities that had happened to him, each came from his place: Elipaz the Temanita, Bildad the Shuhite and Zofar the Naamatita. Because they had made an appointment together to come and cry with him and console him, and when they looked up from afar and didn't recognize him, they raised their voices and cried; each one tore off his dressing gown and sprayed the dust on his head towards the sky So they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and nobody said a word to him, because they saw that his pain was very great ". (NKJV)

Elijah and Elisha
Friends get together, and Elisha shows that by not letting Elijah go to Bethel alone.

2 Kings 2: 2 - "Elijah said to Elisha:" Stay here, because the Lord told me to go to Bethel. " But Elisha replied: "Certainly as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you!" So they went down to Bethel together. ” (NLT)

Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
While friends look at each other, as Daniel did when he asked that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be promoted to high positions, sometimes God leads us to help our friends so they can help others. The three friends continued to show King Nebuchadnezzar that God is great and the only God.

Daniel 2:49 - "At Daniel's request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to be in charge of all affairs in the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king's court." (NLT)

Jesus with Mary, Martha and Lazarus
Jesus had a close friendship with Mary, Martha and Lazarus to the point where they spoke clearly to him and raised Lazarus from the dead. True friends are able to express each other honestly, both right and wrong. In the meantime, friends do everything they can to tell each other the truth and help each other.

Luke 10:38 - "While Jesus and his disciples were arriving, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him." (NIV)

John 11: 21-23 - "'Lord', Martha said to Jesus, 'if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you everything you ask. ' Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." (NIV)

Paolo, Priscilla and Aquila
Friends introduce friends to other friends. In this case, Paul is introducing his friends to each other and asks that his greetings be sent to those close to him.

Romans 16: 3-4 - “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my collaborators in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only me but all the Gentile churches are grateful to them. " (NIV)

Paul, Timothy and Epaphroditus
Paul speaks of the loyalty of friends and the willingness of those close to us to seek each other. In this case, Timothy and Epaphroditus are the types of friends who take care of those close to them.

Philippians 2: 19-26 - “I want to be encouraged by the news about you. So I hope the Lord Jesus will soon allow me to send you Timothy. I have no one else who cares about you as much as he does. Others think only about what interests them and not about Christ Jesus. But you know what kind of person Timothy is. He worked with me as a son to spread the good news. 23 I hope to send it to you as soon as I find out what's going to happen to me. And I am sure that the Lord will also let me come soon. I think I should send my dear friend Epaphroditus back to you. He is a follower, a worker and a soldier of the Lord, just like me. You sent him to take care of me, but now he's anxious to see you. He is worried, because you felt he was sick. "(CEV)