Great Commandment
Encyclopedia
The Great Commandment, or Greatest Commandment, is an appellation applied to either the first, or both, of two commandments which appear in , and . Both commandments are taken from the Mosaic Law in the Old Testament
.
When asked which commandment was the most important, the Bible
reports Jesus
as answering "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind", before also referring to a second commandment "love thy neighbor as thyself" (variously worded). This double reference has given rise to differing views with regard to the relationship that exists between the two commandments, although typically "love thy God" is referred to as 'the first and Greatest Commandment', with "love thy neighbor" being referred to as 'the second Great Commandment'.
Gospel of Matthew
Gospel of Mark
In the Gospel of Mark, the Shema is included:
sums up the question of which is the great commandment: "It was a question disputed among the critics in the law. Some would have the law of circumcision to be the great commandment, others the law of the sabbath, others the law of sacrifices, according as they severally stood affected, and spent their zeal; now they would try what Christ said to this question, hoping to incense the people against him, if he should not answer according to the vulgar opinion; and if he should magnify one commandment, they would reflect on him as vilifying the rest."
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God" (Deut. vi. 5) is explained (Sifre, Deut. 32; Yoma 86a) to mean "Act in such a manner that God will be beloved by all His creatures." Consequently Israel, being, as the priest-people, enjoined like the Aaronite priest
to sanctify the name of God
and avoid whatever tends to desecrate it (Lev. xxii. 32), is not only obliged to give his life as witness or martyr for the maintenance of the true faith (see Isa. xliii. 12, μάρτυρες; and Pesik. 102b; Sifra, Emor, ix.), but so to conduct himself in every way as to prevent the name of God from being dishonored by non-Israelites.
As its highest aim and motive Judaism
regards the love of God. Twice every day the Jew recites the Shema
', which contains the words: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might" (Deut. vi. 5); this verse is understood to enjoin him to willingly surrender life and fortune whenever the cause of God demands it, while it at the same time urges him to make God beloved by all his fellow creatures through deeds of kindness, as Abraham
did (Sifre, Deut. 32).
verse in Leviticus represents but one of several versions of the Golden Rule. It is seemingly the oldest written version in a positive form. The second commandment as well as the proverbial Golden Rule calls for others the equal manner and respect we want for ourselves.
The sage Hillel
, an elder contemporary of Jesus of Nazareth
, formulated a negative form of the Golden Rule and when asked to sum up the entire Torah concisely to a gentile
who wished to become a Jew
, he answered:
"What is hateful to thee, do not unto thy fellow man: this is the whole Law; the rest is mere commentary" (Shabbat 31a). With these words Hillel recognized as the fundamental principle of the Jewish moral law the Biblical precept of brotherly love (Lev. xix. 18). Almost the same thing was taught by Paul, a [former] pupil of Gamaliel
, the grandson of Hillel (Gal. v. 14; comp. Rom. xiii. 8); and more broadly by Jesus when he declared the love of one's neighbour to be the second commandment beside the love of God, the first (Matt. xxii. 39; Mark xii. 31; Luke x. 27).
In the New Testament
the second commandment is referenced by and to Jesus in , , , , , and by the apostle Paul in and :
The Didache
, an Early Christian treatise, begins with a "way of life" that quotes the Shema ("love God"), the second commandment ("love thy neighbour"), and the Golden Rule ("do not do to others what you would not do to yourself").
connects a story similar to the Great Commandment stories of Mark and Matthew with a unique account of a good Samaritan
told to illustrate who a person's "neighbour" was. The story involves a stranger befriending and aiding a beaten man who had been overlooked or ignored by other passersby. After relating the story, Jesus instructed the one who asked him to define "neighbour" to "Go, and do thou likewise." The illustration provides a model for the kind of relational care
the second commandment encourages.
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
.
When asked which commandment was the most important, the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
reports Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
as answering "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind", before also referring to a second commandment "love thy neighbor as thyself" (variously worded). This double reference has given rise to differing views with regard to the relationship that exists between the two commandments, although typically "love thy God" is referred to as 'the first and Greatest Commandment', with "love thy neighbor" being referred to as 'the second Great Commandment'.
Gospel of MatthewGospel of MatthewThe Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
Gospel of MarkGospel of MarkThe Gospel According to Mark , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Mark or simply Mark, is the second book of the New Testament. This canonical account of the life of Jesus of Nazareth is one of the three synoptic gospels. It was thought to be an epitome, which accounts for its place as the second...
In the Gospel of Mark, the Shema is included:The Gospel of Luke
Deuteronomy and Leviticus
Love the Lord thy God
Matthew HenryMatthew Henry
Matthew Henry was an English commentator on the Bible and Presbyterian minister.-Life:He was born at Broad Oak, a farmhouse on the borders of Flintshire and Shropshire. His father, Philip Henry, had just been ejected under the Act of Uniformity 1662...
sums up the question of which is the great commandment: "It was a question disputed among the critics in the law. Some would have the law of circumcision to be the great commandment, others the law of the sabbath, others the law of sacrifices, according as they severally stood affected, and spent their zeal; now they would try what Christ said to this question, hoping to incense the people against him, if he should not answer according to the vulgar opinion; and if he should magnify one commandment, they would reflect on him as vilifying the rest."
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God" (Deut. vi. 5) is explained (Sifre, Deut. 32; Yoma 86a) to mean "Act in such a manner that God will be beloved by all His creatures." Consequently Israel, being, as the priest-people, enjoined like the Aaronite priest
Kohen
A Kohen is the Hebrew word for priest. Jewish Kohens are traditionally believed and halachically required to be of direct patrilineal descent from the Biblical Aaron....
to sanctify the name of God
Jehovah
Jehovah is an anglicized representation of Hebrew , a vocalization of the Tetragrammaton , the proper name of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible....
and avoid whatever tends to desecrate it (Lev. xxii. 32), is not only obliged to give his life as witness or martyr for the maintenance of the true faith (see Isa. xliii. 12, μάρτυρες; and Pesik. 102b; Sifra, Emor, ix.), but so to conduct himself in every way as to prevent the name of God from being dishonored by non-Israelites.
As its highest aim and motive Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
regards the love of God. Twice every day the Jew recites the Shema
Shema Yisrael
Shema Yisrael are the first two words of a section of the Torah that is a centerpiece of the morning and evening Jewish prayer services...
', which contains the words: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might" (Deut. vi. 5); this verse is understood to enjoin him to willingly surrender life and fortune whenever the cause of God demands it, while it at the same time urges him to make God beloved by all his fellow creatures through deeds of kindness, as Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
did (Sifre, Deut. 32).
Love thy neighbour as thyself
The TorahTorah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
verse in Leviticus represents but one of several versions of the Golden Rule. It is seemingly the oldest written version in a positive form. The second commandment as well as the proverbial Golden Rule calls for others the equal manner and respect we want for ourselves.
The sage Hillel
Hillel the Elder
Hillel was a famous Jewish religious leader, one of the most important figures in Jewish history. He is associated with the development of the Mishnah and the Talmud...
, an elder contemporary of Jesus of Nazareth
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, formulated a negative form of the Golden Rule and when asked to sum up the entire Torah concisely to a gentile
Gentile
The term Gentile refers to non-Israelite peoples or nations in English translations of the Bible....
who wished to become a Jew
Conversion to Judaism
Conversion to Judaism is a formal act undertaken by a non-Jewish person who wishes to be recognised as a full member of the Jewish community. A Jewish conversion is both a religious act and an expression of association with the Jewish people...
, he answered:
"What is hateful to thee, do not unto thy fellow man: this is the whole Law; the rest is mere commentary" (Shabbat 31a). With these words Hillel recognized as the fundamental principle of the Jewish moral law the Biblical precept of brotherly love (Lev. xix. 18). Almost the same thing was taught by Paul, a [former] pupil of Gamaliel
Gamaliel
Gamaliel the Elder , or Rabban Gamaliel I , was a leading authority in the Sanhedrin in the mid 1st century CE. He was the grandson of the great Jewish teacher Hillel the Elder, and died twenty years before the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem...
, the grandson of Hillel (Gal. v. 14; comp. Rom. xiii. 8); and more broadly by Jesus when he declared the love of one's neighbour to be the second commandment beside the love of God, the first (Matt. xxii. 39; Mark xii. 31; Luke x. 27).
In the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
the second commandment is referenced by and to Jesus in , , , , , and by the apostle Paul in and :
The Didache
Didache
The Didache or The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles is a brief early Christian treatise, dated by most scholars to the late first or early 2nd century...
, an Early Christian treatise, begins with a "way of life" that quotes the Shema ("love God"), the second commandment ("love thy neighbour"), and the Golden Rule ("do not do to others what you would not do to yourself").
The Good Samaritan
The Gospel of LukeGospel of Luke
The Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
connects a story similar to the Great Commandment stories of Mark and Matthew with a unique account of a good Samaritan
Parable of the Good Samaritan
The parable of the Good Samaritan is a parable told by Jesus and is mentioned in only one of the Canonical gospels. According to the Gospel of Luke a traveller is beaten, robbed, and left half dead along the road. First a priest and then a Levite come by, but both avoid the man. Finally, a...
told to illustrate who a person's "neighbour" was. The story involves a stranger befriending and aiding a beaten man who had been overlooked or ignored by other passersby. After relating the story, Jesus instructed the one who asked him to define "neighbour" to "Go, and do thou likewise." The illustration provides a model for the kind of relational care
Theology of relational care
The theology of relational care refers to a theology of understanding how contemporary followers of Jesus can relate to others, especially those who are poor, marginalized, or considered to be outcasts from mainstream society.-Theology:The theology of relational care emphasizes Christians...
the second commandment encourages.
Brotherly love
Brotherly love in the biblical sense is an extension of the natural affection associated with near kin, toward the greater community of fellow believers, that goes beyond the mere duty in to "love thy neighbour as thyself", and shows itself as "unfeigned love" from a "pure heart", that extends an unconditional hand of friendship that loves when not loved back, that gives without getting, and that ever looks for what is best in others.See also
- Christian-Jewish reconciliationChristian-Jewish reconciliationReconciliation between Christianity and Judaism refers to the efforts that are being made to improve understanding of the Jewish people and of Judaism, to do away with Christian antisemitism and Jewish anti-Christian sentiment...
- Judaism and ChristianityJudaism and ChristianityAlthough Christianity and Judaism share historical roots in the Second Temple period, these two religions diverged profoundly in the first centuries CE. Christendom places emphasis on correct belief , focusing primarily on response to the New Covenant that the Christian Triune God made through Jesus...
- Law of Christ