John 15:12–13
No one has greater love than to give his life for his friends
Study it word by word12This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
13No one has greater love than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
In its context
10If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
11I have spoken these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete.
…
14You are my friends if you do what I command you.
15No longer do I call you slaves, because the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
Its words in the original
- ἐστὶνestin· be
Be, exist.
- ἐντολὴentolē· commandment
Commandment, order.
- ἐμὴemē· my, mine
My, mine.
- ἀγαπᾶτεagapate· love
Love: to seek the good of the other, even of someone who does not deserve it.
- ἀλλήλουςallēlous· one another
One another, each other.
- μείζοναmeizona· great
Great, large.
- ἀγάπηνagapēn· love
Love.
- ἔχειechei· have
Have, possess, hold.
- ψυχὴνpsychēn· soul, life
Soul: a person's life, the person himself.
- θῇthēi· put, lay
Put, place, lay down.
- φίλωνphilōn· friend
Friend.