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WHAT IS THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT?

WHAT IS THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT?

Matthew 22:34-38:
The greatest commandment

What is the greatest commandment? What does it mean? In this current blog study, we will focus on answering these two questions based on scripture. Open your Bible to Matthew 22:34 so we can get started!

*Scripture quoted in this blog study is taken from the BBE Version (Bible in Basic English). To get the most out of this study, I recommend also reading the scripture from your Bible. This will provide you with a broader understanding of the verses.

Verses 34-35

34 But the Pharisees, hearing how the mouths of the Sadducees had been stopped, came together; 35 And one of them, a teacher of the law, put a question to him, testing him, and saying, 36 Master, which is the chief rule in the law? Matthew 22:34-36

The Pharisees and Sadducees were trying to get Jesus to contradict Himself. They were asking questions in hopes of catching Jesus in an answer that would prove He was not knowledgeable in the law or who He said He was. In Matthew 22: 36 the Pharisees’ goal was to make Jesus look bad. They thought this question would do just that because they believed that one commandment wasn’t more important than another. Assuming any answer Jesus gave would be wrong, they could use that against Him.

Read Matthew 22:15-46 to hear more questions from the Pharisees and Sadducees and Jesus’ answers.

Verse 36:

36 Master, which is the chief rule in the law? Matthew 22:36

  • What is the greatest commandment in the law?
    • Law?
      • The laws that came from the Old Testament.
    • Commandment?
      • From the 10 Commandments found in the Old Testament given by God. (Exodus 20:1-17)
    • Greatest?
      • The most important commandment that God told them to follow.

Verse 37:

37 And he said to him, Have love for the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. Matthew 22:37

  • Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind.
    • Love?
      • Affection, adoration, devotion, passion, attachment to. This is an action and an emotion or feeling.
    • Lord your God?
      • You are to love the Lord your God. The One True God, the God of creation, the God of the Old Testament, the only True God. This is the God that you can have a one-on-one personal relationship with.
    • With all your heart?
      • Matthew 6:21 describes what this means by telling us our treasure is in our heart.
      • Loving God with all our heart is an emotional love.
    • With all your soul?
      • Psalm 41:1-2 is an example of loving God with all your soul. His soul desired God!
      • Loving God with all your soul is a deep love that goes beyond an emotion. It is a longing and a need that you can feel deep inside you.
    • With all your mind?
      • I Peter 1:13-16 and Romans 12:1-2 both describe what it means to love God with your mind.
      • Loving God with all your mind is a purposeful love. This involves loving God in a meaningful and purposeful way according to His will. It involves knowledge and understanding of God. Knowing Him on a personal level and following through with His will.

Verse 38-40:

38 This is the first and greatest rule. 39 And a second like it is this, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself. 40 On these two rules all the law and the prophets are based. Matthew 22:38, 40.

The first half of the commandments involves how we are to treat and respect God. The second half of the commandments is how we live, and ultimately, this is based on how we are to treat others (our neighbors). These two commandments summarize all of the commandments. If you follow the two greatest commandments, you will be following all 10 commandments.

After Jesus gave His answer the Pharisees left. They found no fault in His answer.

The greatest commandment:
37 And he said to him, Have love for the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. Matthew 22:37

We hope you search our website, Christian Fellowshipping, for more encouraging ways to fellowship with God and other believes. To learn about salvation and what it means read What is Salvation and God’s Promise of Salvation, it will guide you through this with scripture.

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