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How Do Love for God and Love for Others Relate? The Two Greatest Commands as One?

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The Bible is full of commands to love God and love others. Jesus called these the two greatest commands.

“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.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:36–40
Matthew 22:37–38: The Greatest Commandment

So, one answer to the first question posed in the title of this post is that they occupy the #1 and #2 spots in a prioritized list of the most important commands in the Old Testament. While that’s true, there’s more to discover about the relationship between loving God and loving neighbor.

But before we suggest other answers, let’s look at how the two greatest commands relate to the Ten Commandments or the Decalog.

Table of Contents

The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments (referred to as such only in Exod 34:28; Deut 4:13; 10:4) are recorded in Exodus 20:1–17 and Deuteronomy 5:6–21. They were written—twice—on the front and back (Exod 32:15) of two tablets of stone (Exod 31:18; 32:15; 34:1, 4, 29; Deut 4:13; 5:22; 9:10, 11, 15, 17; 10:1, 3; 1 Kings 8:9; 2 Chr 5:10) by the finger of God (Exod 31:18; Deut 9:10).

Opinions vary on (a) how to divide them into ten (e.g., merge 1 and 2, divide 10), (b) how to group them (e.g., 1–4 and 5–10 or 1–5 and 6–10), and (c) how they were recorded on the two stone tablets (e.g., half on each, all on both). I won’t get into those details here, since they’re not relevant to the topic of this post. David Baker’s “Ten Commandments, Two Tablets: The Shape of the Decalogue” (Themelios 30, no. 3) covers the issues well, and I commend it to you.

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The New Testament Ethic of Love

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What is the New Testament all about? If I were to ask this question to my three-year-old son during our family Bible time, he’d answer, “God,” followed by “Jesus.” He’s usually right! And he wouldn’t be wrong in this case, either. There are many good candidates for the central idea of the New Testament. God, Jesus, the Spirit, the gospel, the kingdom, the church, fulfillment, salvation, grace, faith, and love all come to mind. A true theme statement for the New Testament, however, would include many of these concepts.

But what if we narrow our scope to the ethic of the New Testament? An ethic is a set of moral principles. That’s much easier to capture in a single word. No better candidate exists than love.

1 John 4:19 Verse Art from Faithlife

Table of Contents

The Primacy of Love

Several texts position love at the center of the New Testament’s ethic.

John 13

Jesus gives his disciples a new command: we must love one another as Jesus has loved us. As Jesus was known by love, so, too, must we be. Love is the defining characteristic of followers of Jesus.

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

John 13:34–35

1 Corinthians 13

Paul ranks love as the greatest of the triad of faith, hope, and love in the famous love chapter.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13

1 Corinthians 16:14

Paul also identifies love as the governing virtue for all of life.

Do everything in love.

1 Corinthians 16:14

Romans 13 and Galatians 5

In Romans and Galatians Paul sees the command to love others as summing up and fulfilling everything the Mosaic Law required.

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Romans 13:8–10

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Galatians 5:13–15

Fruit of the Spirit

Paul also lists love as the first evidence of the Spirit’s presence.

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.

Galatians 5:22–26 (Cf. Romans 5:5)

Colossians 3

Paul calls Christians to put on love “over all” (ἐπὶ πᾶσιν) the other virtues.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Colossians 3:12–14

1 Peter 4

Peter places love at the top of the list of Christian duties.

The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 4:7–11

So, love for others clearly plays a special role in the church’s ethic. It’s the primary visible marker of the true people of God and evidence of the presence of the Spirit. It’s the summation and culmination of the law. It’s our highest duty to one another. It’s the new way of life for God’s people.1

The Meaning of Love

But what does love look like? How do we know if we have it, if we’re doing it?

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  1. See also Rom 14:19; cf. 14:15; 1 Cor 12:31; 14:1; 1 Th 5:15. [↩]

Driscoll and Piper on Love and God’s Commands

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I follow Mark Driscoll on Twitter and just watched a little 4:27 video that he tweeted about: “Song of Solomon Q&A 3.” I’ve embedded it below.

It contains some solid practical advice for troubled marriages. On the whole, it’s good stuff.

Two items caught my attention—particularly because of how they seem to be at odds with things John Piper teaches:

  1. “If [love is] commanded, that means it’s not a feeling.”
  2. “God couldn’t command you to do something that was impossible for you to do.”

Here’s a transcript of the relevant portion with the key parts in bold:

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