Luke 6:32 · Bible study
Luke 6:32 Commentary: What Kind of Love Gets 'Credit'?
Greek · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus says loving those who love you earns no 'charis' before God. Why? Because even sinners do that. Discover what true Christian love demands.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Reciprocal love has no special merit before God; even sinners practice it.
- Key Words: 'credit' (charis), grace/thanks; 'love' (agapaō), highest kind of love; 'sinners' (hamartōloi), those outside the covenant community.
- Main Debate: Whether all reciprocal love is worthless or merely insufficient as a mark of discipleship.
- Theological Theme: Imitating God's indiscriminate kindness; love that participates in God's grace.
- Best Use: Diagnostic tool to examine whether our love goes beyond natural affection.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.
WEB World English Bible 2000
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
KJV King James Version 1769
For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And if ye love them that love you, what thank have ye? for even sinners love those that love them.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and--if ye love those loving you, what grace have ye? for also the sinful love those loving them;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And if ye love those that love you, what thank is it to you? for even sinners love those that love them.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And if you love them that love you, what thanks are to you? For sinners also love those that love them.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Porque si amáis á los que os aman, ¿ qué gracias tendréis? porque también los pecadores aman á los que los aman.
E se amardes aos que vos amam, que mérito tereis? Pois também os pecadores amam os que os amam.
Si vous aimez ceux qui vous aiment, quel gré vous en saura-t-on? Les pécheurs aussi aiment ceux qui les aiment.
Und so ihr liebet, die euch lieben, was für Dank habt ihr davon? Denn die Sünder lieben auch ihre Liebhaber.
En indien gij liefhebt, die u liefhebben, wat dank hebt gij? Want ook de zondaars hebben lief degenen, die hen liefhebben.
E se amate quelli che vi amano, qual grazia ve ne viene? poiché anche i peccatori amano quelli che li amano.
Albowiem jeźli miłujecie te, którzy was miłują, jakąż łaskę macie? albowiem toż i grzesznicy właśnie czynią.
И если любите любящих вас, какая вам за то благодарность? ибо и грешники любящих их любят.
你們 若 單愛 那愛 你們的人，有 甚麼 可酬謝的呢？就是 罪人 也 愛 那愛 他們的人。
If you have love for those who have love for you, what credit is it to you? for even sinners have love for those who have love for them.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 6:32
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse exposes the insufficiency of reciprocal love as a marker of genuine discipleship. Wesley notes that Jesus has so little regard for one of the highest instances of natural virtue, returning love for love, that he does not count it as deserving thanks. Vincent's Word Studies highlights that the Greek word χάρις (charis) means 'grace' or 'thanks', and the question ποία (poia) asks not 'what amount' but 'what kind of credit?' The implication is that such love lacks the quality that flows from God's own grace. Gill and Clarke concur that this is no fruit of saving grace; even sinners, the worst of men, practice it. The verse thus sets a baseline: Christian love must go beyond the common human standard of reciprocity. It must imitate the indiscriminate kindness of God who is kind to the ungrateful and evil (v.35).
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Jesus clearly teaches that loving only those who love you is not the distinctive, God-reflecting love that he calls his disciples to.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'sinners' (hamartōloi) | All agree the term refers to people outside the faith community, not to believers. | Clarke reads it specifically as 'heathens' (Gentiles); others like Gill see it as a general category of wicked or ungodly persons. |
| Value of reciprocal love | All agree it is not the distinctive love that marks a disciple. | Wesley and Gill treat it as having no value before God (no fruit of grace); others see it as good natural virtue but still insufficient for kingdom righteousness. |
| Nature of 'credit' (charis) | Charis means grace, favor, or thanks, and the question is about quality, not quantity. | Whether this 'credit' refers to reward from God (Matthew's version uses 'reward') or to the quality of thanks that can be called grace. Vincent emphasizes quality; some commentators see it as reward. |
| Application to daily life | The verse calls believers to exceed worldly standards of love. | The extent to which emotional affection is required versus practical benevolence toward enemies (motive vs. action). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Luke writes for a predominantly Gentile audience. The Cambridge Bible notes that where Matthew uses 'tax collectors' (a Jewish pejorative), Luke substitutes 'sinners', a term his readers would understand as outsiders to the covenant community. Clarke specifies that ἁμαρτωλοί here likely means 'heathens,' people with no acknowledgment of God. The context is Jesus's Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:17, 49), a counterpart to Matthew's Sermon on the Mount. Both present a radical ethic of love that transcends kinship, ethnicity, and social reciprocity.
In the ancient Mediterranean world, reciprocal love was a cultural norm. Friendships and alliances were built on mutual benefit. Patron-client relationships expected favors to be returned. Jesus challenges this entire framework. The word χάρις (charis) is loaded: in secular Greek it means 'favor' or 'thanks'; in Christian vocabulary it becomes the term for God's unmerited grace. By using charis here, Jesus implies that reciprocal love does not belong to the same category as the grace that defines his followers. The call to love enemies (v.27) is not merely a higher ethic; it is a participation in God's own character, who is kind to the ungrateful and evil (v.35). The original hearers would have felt the sharp contrast between the common-sense morality of their day and the upside-down kingdom Jesus proclaims.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Luke 6:32. The Greek text is stable across the major critical editions (Nestle-Aland, Textus Receptus). Some translations render χάρις as 'thanks' or 'credit,' but the underlying reading is undisputed.
Reception History
Early church writers cited this verse to distinguish Christian love from pagan virtue. Augustine used it to show that even natural affection cannot save; only love rooted in God's grace qualifies. During the Reformation, Luther and Calvin emphasized that Jesus strips away human boasting in virtuous deeds, reciprocal love does not justify. In the Wesleyan tradition, the verse became a key text for the doctrine of entire sanctification: believers are called to a love that reflects God's perfect kindness to all. Modern scholarship often highlights the counter-cultural nature of this command, applying it to social reconciliation, nonviolence, and crossing ethnic boundaries. The verse has also been hymnically echoed in songs about loving through suffering and forgiving enemies.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- Common love is not enough. Loving those who love you is natural, it does not make you different from anyone else.
- Jesus diagnoses the quality of our love. The Greek word charis points to the kind of grace that mirrors God; reciprocal love does not carry that quality.
- Kingdom love reaches beyond the circle. True discipleship is marked by love for enemies, not just friends.
Five-Point Outline
- Exposure: Jesus uncovers the hidden selfishness in our natural love.
- Comparison: He says even sinners do the same; nothing distinguishes you.
- Contrast: The real command is to love enemies (v.35).
- Motivation: Imitating God, who is kind to the unthankful and evil.
- Promise: Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High.
Illustration Hooks
- Family loyalty: A parent who loves only their own well-behaved children but harbors resentment toward a difficult child.
- Workplace networks: Coworkers who help only those who can help them back, while ignoring those with no power or influence.
- Church hospitality: A congregation that warmly welcomes new people who dress well or seem capable, but cold-shoulders those who look different or have visible needs.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Does God really expect me to love people who have hurt me deeply?
- If I love my enemy, does that mean I have to trust them or put myself in danger?
- How do I know when my love is truly Christian and not just natural kindness?
Leading a Discussion
This session focuses on Jesus's radical reframing of love. He challenges the assumption that loving those who love us is virtuous. Read Luke 6:32 aloud together and let it settle. Then invite the group into honest conversation about how this verse sits with their everyday experience.
Discussion Questions
- What does Jesus say about loving those who love you? Why does he call it no 'credit'?
- The Greek word charis is the same word used for God's grace. How does that deepen the sting of this verse?
- Compare this verse with v.27, 31. What is the fuller picture of love Jesus is presenting?
- In what areas of your life do you find yourself loving only those who love you back?
- How does the example of God (v.35, 36) shape your understanding of the love you are called to show?
- What is one concrete step you could take this week toward loving someone who does not love you?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Matthew 5:46 | For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? |
| Matthew 5:47 | If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? |
| I Peter 2:19 | For it is commendable if someone endures pain, suffering unjustly, because of conscience toward God. |
| I Peter 2:20 | For what glory is it if, when you sin, you patiently endure beating? But if when you do well, you patiently endure suffering, this is commendable with God. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that when Luke uses "sinners" here, he means the same thing Matthew means by "tax-gatherers" – people with no religion at all. The Christian faith does more than correct human failings; it lifts human nature above itself by teaching a universal love that imitates God.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentator highlights how Luke adapts Matthew's wording for his Gentile audience, replacing terms like "tax-gatherers" with phrases his readers would recognize. The point is that Jesus calls us to a standard far above the ordinary human level of custom and mutual affection, not merely reciprocating love.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that loving only those who already love you earns no special thanks from God, because even sinners do the same. This kind of love is nothing but common human reciprocity.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill insists that loving only those who love you is no evidence of genuine grace. Such love earns no divine reward because even the worst sinners, people entirely without God's grace, do the same. What appears virtuous is actually common to all humanity.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that the command to love enemies is presented here in a positive, thetic form rather than as a contrast to old teachings. He notes that the call to pray for persecutors could only arise from the heart of Jesus, who Himself prayed for evildoers. This makes Christian love to enemies distinct in its source, motive, and ideal from any human or Jewish moral teaching.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry stresses that the Golden Rule is the practical heart of loving your neighbour: treat others as you would reasonably expect to be treated in their place. He notes that Jesus gives this command to all who hear, not only to disciples, because honest and just dealing is a universal duty.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent draws attention to the Greek word for "what" in this phrase, noting it asks about quality rather than quantity. The question is not about how much thanks one receives, but what kind of thanks it is. He clarifies that "thank" here points to the nature of the favor, not its size or reward.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley observes that Christ considers common human kindness, like loving those who love you, as nothing special. Even people who ignore God altogether do the same. According to Wesley, practicing this basic decency does not count as even taking the first step in following Christ.