Bible Verses About Dating

While the Bible doesn't explicitly address modern dating, it provides clear principles for relationships that honor God: purity, wisdom in choosing partners, and pursuing relationships that point toward godly marriage.

10 Verses

1. 2 Corinthians 6:14

"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?"
Though addressing broader spiritual partnerships, this passage applies fundamentally to marriage and dating relationships. A "yoke" was a wooden frame joining two oxen for farm work - when unequally matched, "the weaker or shorter ox would walk more slowly," causing the team to "go around in circles" rather than accomplish their task. Similarly, marriages between believers and unbelievers create spiritual tension, competing loyalties, and conflicting life goals. Paul's rhetorical questions emphasize fundamental incompatibilities: "righteousness and wickedness" represent different moral foundations, "light and darkness" symbolize contrasting spiritual realities, and "temple of God and idols" show incompatible worship. Since "common faith in Christ was central to the marriage relationship" and dating should prepare for marriage, believers should seek partners who share their deepest spiritual commitments for genuine unity and shared mission (Got Questions).

2. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
Paul's comprehensive definition of love establishes the gold standard for all romantic relationships, including dating. This agape love transcends emotion to become character-driven action that consistently seeks the beloved's highest good. In dating relationships, this means demonstrating patience during conflicts, kindness in daily interactions, humility rather than prideful demands, and honor rather than selfish manipulation. True love "does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth," maintaining moral purity and honesty rather than compromising standards for physical pleasure or emotional gratification. The qualities of always protecting, trusting, hoping, and persevering indicate commitment that can sustain lifelong marriage rather than temporary romantic feelings. This passage provides practical evaluation criteria for both giving and receiving love in dating relationships that honor God and serve each other's spiritual growth (Bible Hub Commentary).

3. Proverbs 31:10

"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies."
This verse introduces the famous "Proverbs 31 woman" passage by emphasizing character over external appearance in choosing a life partner. The Hebrew word "noble character" (chayil) means strength, valor, capability, efficiency, and moral virtue - describing a person of substance rather than superficial attraction. For those dating with marriage in mind, this wisdom prioritizes inner qualities that create lasting relationship satisfaction: spiritual maturity, personal integrity, emotional wisdom, practical capability, and moral character. These traits prove "worth far more than rubies" because they appreciate over time while physical beauty fades and initial attraction diminishes. The rhetorical question "who can find?" suggests that such character is rare and precious, encouraging believers to value and seek partners whose inner beauty and spiritual strength will enhance marriage rather than focusing solely on external qualities that cannot sustain lifelong commitment (Bible Hub Commentary).

4. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5

"It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God."
Paul explicitly declares God's will for believers regarding sexual conduct - sanctification through purity rather than compromise. "Sanctification" means being set apart for God's holy purposes, living distinctly from worldly standards. "Sexual immorality" (Greek: porneia) encompasses all sexual activity outside marriage, including premarital sex, which directly contradicts God's design for sexuality within covenant marriage. Paul contrasts Christian self-control with pagan "passionate lust" that lacks moral boundaries or spiritual understanding. Christian dating must therefore involve deliberate self-control, mutual respect for each other's purity, and submission to God's design for sexuality. This requires establishing clear physical boundaries, maintaining accountability relationships, and prioritizing spiritual intimacy over physical gratification to honor both God and future marriage relationships (Bible Hub Commentary).

5. Proverbs 4:23

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."
This foundational wisdom principle applies crucially to romantic relationships and dating decisions. The "heart" in Hebrew thought encompasses the center of emotion, will, intellect, and decision-making - essentially the core of human personality and spiritual life. "Guard" (Hebrew: natsar) means to watch over carefully like a vigilant sentinel or fortress guard protecting something precious. In dating contexts, this means protecting emotional intimacy from premature attachment, avoiding giving your heart carelessly to unsuitable partners, and maintaining healthy boundaries that preserve clear thinking and wise decision-making. Guarding the heart prevents emotional manipulation, protects against devastating heartbreak, and ensures that relationship choices flow from godly wisdom rather than mere physical attraction or emotional neediness. This vigilance helps believers choose partners who support rather than compromise their spiritual growth and life direction (Bible Hub Commentary).

6. Philippians 4:8

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
Paul's instruction about mental focus provides crucial guidance for maintaining purity and godly perspective in dating relationships. The principle that thoughts shape actions and desires means that what believers meditate on directly influences their romantic behavior and motivations. The eight qualities - truth (honesty and authenticity), nobility (honor and dignity), righteousness (moral uprightness), purity (sexual and moral cleanness), loveliness (beauty that reflects God), admirability (things worthy of respect), excellence (virtue and moral goodness), and praiseworthiness (things deserving commendation) - create a mental filter for evaluating relationships and personal conduct. This mental discipline protects against lustful fantasies, selfish manipulation, or worldly relationship patterns, instead fostering thoughts that honor God and serve the beloved's highest good rather than personal gratification (Bible Hub Commentary).

7. Ephesians 5:3

"But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people."
Paul establishes an uncompromising standard for Christian sexual conduct that applies directly to dating relationships - not even a "hint" of sexual immorality should characterize believers. This radical purity means Christian dating behavior, conversation, and physical interaction should be so obviously honorable that accusations of impropriety would seem absurd to observers. The standard encompasses not just avoiding sexual activity but also avoiding situations, conversations, or behaviors that could create temptation or compromise testimony. This doesn't prohibit all physical affection in dating but requires wisdom, self-control, and clear boundaries that honor both God's holiness and each partner's purity. The goal is conduct "proper among saints" that reflects transformed hearts and demonstrates the gospel's power to create relationships marked by respect, honor, and spiritual maturity (Bible Hub Commentary).

8. 1 Peter 3:3-4

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."
Though addressed to wives, this principle provides vital wisdom for Christian dating by establishing proper priorities in attraction and partnership evaluation. Physical appearance and external adornment aren't forbidden but shouldn't dominate focus or decision-making in relationship choices. The "gentle and quiet spirit" doesn't describe passivity or weakness but rather inner peace, emotional stability, and spiritual strength that comes from trusting God's control rather than demanding personal way. The term "imperishable" emphasizes that inner beauty appreciates over time while external attractiveness fades, making character the foundation for lasting marital satisfaction. In dating, this wisdom encourages believers to prioritize spiritual maturity, godly character, and inner beauty when evaluating potential marriage partners, recognizing that these qualities "are of great worth in God's sight" and create deeper, more enduring attraction than physical appearance alone (Bible Hub Commentary).

9. Song of Solomon 8:4

"Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires."
This repeated refrain throughout Song of Solomon provides crucial wisdom about timing in romantic relationships. The warning against arousing or awakening love "until it so desires" (or "until the time is right") recognizes that romantic love and sexual desire are powerful forces that, once fully awakened, become difficult to control or suppress. The verse counsels patience and proper timing - waiting for the appropriate context (marriage) to fully awaken and express these intense desires. In dating relationships, this wisdom advocates maintaining appropriate physical and emotional boundaries that avoid prematurely awakening desires that cannot be righteously fulfilled outside marriage. Rather than rushing into intense physical or emotional intimacy, this passage encourages allowing love to develop naturally within God's timing and framework, protecting both individuals from temptation and heartbreak while honoring God's design for human sexuality (Bible Hub Commentary).

10. Matthew 6:33

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
Though addressing anxiety about material provision, this foundational principle applies powerfully to romantic relationships and dating priorities. "Seeking first" God's kingdom and righteousness means prioritizing spiritual growth, service to others, and obedience to God above the desire to find a romantic partner or achieve marriage. This proper ordering prevents idolizing relationships, eliminates desperate dating behaviors, and maintains healthy perspective on God as ultimate source of fulfillment rather than expecting marriage to complete personal happiness. The promise "all these things will be added" includes relationships - when believers focus on growing in faith and serving God's purposes, He provides what they truly need, including godly partners when appropriate. This approach creates attractive spiritual maturity, eliminates needy desperation, and ensures that dating relationships serve God's glory rather than replacing Him as the center of life and identity (Bible Hub Commentary).

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