Friendship

Open Your Bible

These verses and any linked articles/stories are intended to help jumpstart you in your own studies. MOST VERSES ARE BEST UNDERSTOOD WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE WHOLE LETTER in which it was written. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to have your own bible and seek on your own. no one or any resource can replace one-on-one time with the king.
Society has long used the term, "soul friend", for decades - but did you know it goes much further back? Early Celtic believers used the term ANAM CARA to identify those special friends that we often attribute as a close-knit sister or brother that can hold each other accountable. 
But to understand true friendships, we also have to understand what is NOT involved in good relationships. Scripture is a deep well of not only instructive truth, but examples from lives of the apostles and early Believers of how they interacted with each other—and the endearing words they showered to uplift and encourage!

Bible versions used will vary and some may be paraphrased.
We suggest using BibleGateway.com to look up the verse in your preferred translation.

PROVERBS 25:13 Like the coldness of snow in the heat of the harvest is a faithful messenger to the one who sends him; he refreshes [another’s] spirit. [CJB]

PROVERBS 27:9 Perfume and incense make the heart glad, [also] friendship sweet with advice from the heart. [CJB]

The Forgotten Desert Mothers
Blog Post: Friendly vs. Friend
MY DEAR LAINEY (Issue No. 5, pg. 36)

PROVERBS 17:17 A dear friend will love you no matter what… [TPT]

PROVERBS 17:9 Love overlooks the mistakes of others, but dwelling on the failures of others devastates friendships. [TPT]

TITUS 3:1 Remind people to…never tear down anyone with their words or quarrel, but instead be considerate, humble, and courteous to everyone.

PROVERBS 27:17 Just as iron sharpens iron, a person sharpens the character of his friend. [CJB]

PROVERBS 17:14 Don’t be one who is quick to quarrel, for an argument is hard to stop, and you never know how it will end, so don’t even start down that road! [TPT]

There's wisdom in knowing when to speak and when to let things go. I've learned that, most of the time, it's better to lets things go—i.e. avoid an argument. This is not giving consent to what is being declared, but rather, it's honoring a person over an opinion. The greater key, though, is also leaving the argument in our THOUGHTS! We can hold our tongue but let our mind enter into a voracious conversation which still has an ill effect on our relationships. So, remember, when you choose to stay out of an argument, stay out of it with your mind as well.

PROVERBS 25:19 Relying on an untrustworthy person in a time of trouble is like [relying on] a broken tooth or an unsteady leg. [CJB]

TITUS 3:15 Everyone here with me sends their loving greetings to you. Greet the believers who love us in the faith. May God’s wonderful grace be with you all!

TITUS 1:4 Titus, you are my true son in the faith we share. May grace and peace descend to you from God the Father our Savior, the Anointed One, Jesus!

PROVERBS 25:20 Like removing clothes on a chilly day or like vinegar on soda is someone who sings songs to a heavy heart. [CJB]

PROVERBS 25:24 It is better to live on a corner of the roof than to share the house with a nagging [spouse]. [CJB]

PROVERBS 25:21 If someone who hates you is hungry, give him food to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. [CJB]

PROVERBS 26:1 Like snow in summer or rain at harvest-time, so honor for a fool is out of place. [CJB]

PROVERBS 26:17 Like someone who grabs a dog by the ears is a passer-by who mixes in a fight not his own. [CJB]

PROVERBS 26:21 As coals are to embers and wood to fire is a quarrelsome person to kindling strife. [CJB]

PROVERBS 26:24-26 He who hates may hide it with his speech; but inside, he harbors deceit. He may speak pleasantly, but don’t trust him; for seven abominations are in his heart. His hatred may be concealed by deceit, but his wickedness will be revealed in the assembly. [CJB]

PROVERBS 27:5 Better open rebuke than hidden love. [CJB]

PROVERBS 27:6 Wounds from a friend are received as well-meant, but an enemy’s kisses are insincere. [CJB]

PROVERBS 27:10 Don’t abandon a friend who is also a friend of your father.

PROVERBS 27:10 Don’t enter your brother’s house on the day of your calamity – better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away. [CJB]

PROVERBS 27:15-16 A leak that keeps dripping on a rainy day and the nagging of a [spouse] are the same – whoever can restrain [him/her] can restrain the wind or keep perfume on [their] hand from making itself known. [CJB]