The Greatest Commandment All of the New Testament teachings on interpersonal relations follow from Jesus commandment, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. When Jesus was asked which of the commandments was most important, He replied, The first is, Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. (NRSV, Mark 12:26-31) The English word love has many different meanings, but this Christian love of the Bible comes from the Greek word agape which means respect, good-will and benevolent concern for the one loved. It is deliberate, purposeful love rather than emotional or impulsive love. The King James Version of the Bible often uses the word charity for this kind of love. Love your neighbor was not a new commandment (Leviticus 19:18), but the people of Jesus time had developed a rather narrow view of who should be considered a neighbor. In His Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus corrected that view and teaches us that a neighbor is anyone we come in contact with, regardless of race, nationality, religion or other distinctions.. Related verses: Matthew 22:34-40, Luke 10:25-28, John 13:34-35, John 15:12, Acts 20:35, Romans 13:9-10, 15:1-2, 1 Corinthians 13:1-7, 16:14, Galatians 5:14.
Posted on: Fri, 01 Nov 2013 13:54:17 +0000