What does the Bible say about dating?
The Bible offers wisdom about relationships and human connection, even though it doesn't directly address modern dating practices. From the very beginning, God established the importance of companionship when He created Eve as a partner for Adam, recognizing that it was not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). This divine design for partnership provides a foundation for understanding relationships, suggesting that the desire for companionship that often motivates dating aligns with God's intended purpose for human connection.
Concerning relationships, Scripture emphasizes the importance of wisdom and discernment. Christians are called to evaluate potential partners with careful consideration of character, values, and spiritual maturity (Philippians 1:9-10). This includes the significant principle of avoiding "unequal yoking" with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14), as such relationships can lead to spiritual conflict and compromise. Additionally, the Bible places great emphasis on maintaining sexual purity in relationships, with clear instructions to abstain from sexual immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5) and to honor God with our bodies, which are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
The broader theological context provides deeper insights into how Christians should approach dating relationships. Marriage is presented as a sacred institution that reflects the relationship between Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:31-32), suggesting that even dating relationships should be pursued with reverence and purpose. The fruit of the Spirit–love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)–serves as a guide for how believers should conduct themselves in all relationships, including dating. While practices may vary across cultures and generations, these fundamental principles of wisdom, purity, and spiritual discernment remain constant guides for Christians seeking to honor God in their pursuit of relationships.
Bible Verses about dating:
2 Corinthians 6:14, "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?"
1 Corinthians 13:4-7, "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
Proverbs 4:23, "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."
Hebrews 13:4, "Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous."
Song of Solomon 2:7, "I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases."
Ephesians 5:25, "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her."
