What is the Greatest Commandment?
What IS the greatest commandment? We have a couple answers here.
Matthew 22:34-40
New International Version (NIV)
The Greatest Commandment
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got
together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this
question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest
commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as
yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two
commandments.”
Footnotes:
Matthew 22:37 Deut. 6:5
Matthew 22:39 Lev. 19:18
If you look at these verses above, you get two rather than one;
however, if you read Galatians 5:14 you get the most important
commandment, loving the Lord being assumed:
Galatians 5:13-26
New International Version (NIV)
Life by the Spirit
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use
your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly
in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command:
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] 15 If you bite and devour each
other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
16 So I
say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the
flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the
Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each
other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. 18 But if you are
led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of
the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20
idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage,
selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness,
orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live
like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit
of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there
is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh
with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us
keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking
and envying each other.
Footnotes:
Galatians 5:13 In
contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful
state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the
Spirit; also in verses 16, 17, 19 and 24; and in 6:8.
Galatians 5:14 Lev. 19:18
Galatians 5:17 Or you do not do what
There are reasons for verse 19-21 talking about the acts of the flesh.
They all cause someone pain. Some of them cause more than one person
pain... sometimes many people. It's all about love, folks. It's all
about love.
Love, Hope, Peace, and Christ is With Us All,
Cal-el
