In the New Testament, the Greek word chréstos can be translated as gracious, good, gentle, useful, virtuous, mild, pleasant, easy, or most commonly, kind. It is the opposite of hard, harsh, sharp, or bitter. This word describes the way God interacts with humans. It also describes the way he wants us to interact with each other.
Matthew 11:30 "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Luke 6:35 "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil."
2 Samuel 9:3, 6-7 "The king said, 'Is there not yet any of Saul’s house, that I may show the kindness of God to him?' Ziba said to the king, 'Jonathan still has a son, who is lame in his feet'...Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, and fell on his face, and showed respect...David said to him, 'Don’t be afraid; for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your father. You will eat bread at my table continually.'"
Psalm 141:5a "Let the righteous strike me, it is kindness; let him reprove me, it is like oil on the head..."
Proverbs 19:22a "That which makes a man to be desired is his kindness..."
Proverbs 21:21 "He who follows after righteousness and kindness finds life, righteousness, and honor."
Proverbs 31:26 "She opens her mouth with wisdom. Kind instruction is on her tongue."
Romans 2:4 "Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
1 Corinthians 13:4a "Love is patient and is kind..."
Ephesians 2:7 "that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus;"
Ephesians 4:32 "And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you." Colossians 3:12 "Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance;"
Titus 3:4-5 "But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love toward mankind appeared, not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,"
1 Peter 2:2-3 "As newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the Word, that with it you may grow, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious:"
*Unless otherwise noted, I use the World English Bible, because it is a free, public domain translation. Verses marked KJV are taken from the King James Version. Feel free to look up all these verses in your preferred translation! These lists are in no way comprehensive, and I am in no way an expert. These are simply passages I have found helpful in personal study. *
Nicole Jackson-Ozment