The Greatest Commandment

Prober · 02-07-2007, 06:37 PM

Deut 6:5 "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."

Jesus said...

Luke 10:27 "...Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

It's interesting to me that Jesus adds "mind" and "neighbor" to the equation. As Christians, how should we interpret this...especially in the light of 1st Corinthians 13?

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

lunamoth · 02-07-2007, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prober

Deut 6:5 "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."

Jesus said...

Luke 10:27 "...Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

It's interesting to me that Jesus adds "mind" and "neighbor" to the equation. As Christians, how should we interpret this...especially in the light of 1st Corinthians 13?

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Hey Mark.

If we focus on this, we can't go wrong.

Thank you!

Laurie

lunamoth · 02-07-2007, 07:19 PM

If it's OK with Mark, I'd like to ask a question.

Is love sufficient?

What else is needed, if anything?

Silas · 02-07-2007, 07:24 PM

Love will suffice. If we love as Christ did, e.g., in his total submition to the Father's will, we'll fulfill the law. God promises to cause us to grow in that love whereby we'll one day be as Christ. Life, for the believer, is the road to glorification and perfection. While we'll never be perfect in this life, we have the promise that one day will be perefect in God's presence; not because of our works, but because of Christ' finished work.

Prober · 02-07-2007, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lunamoth

If it's OK with Mark, I'd like to ask a question.

Is love sufficient?

What else is needed, if anything?

I think it is sufficient because everything else comes from Love. As verse seven says...

"Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."

So Faith comes from Love...Good works come from Love...

Makes it seem easy, huh?

Prober · 02-07-2007, 08:17 PM

Here's another one...

"Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name." Psalm 91:14

(Love that whole chapter!)

Dondi · 02-07-2007, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lunamoth

If it's OK with Mark, I'd like to ask a question.

Is love sufficient?

What else is needed, if anything?

Love ain't easy.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." - I Corinthians 13:4-5

Prober · 02-07-2007, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dondi

Love ain't easy.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." - I Corinthians 13:4-5

Yeah, that's true...Maybe I should have said "easy formula".

But is it worth it? Oh, yeah!

lunamoth · 02-07-2007, 10:28 PM

7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son[b] into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for[c] our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

19We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

(1 John 4)

lunamoth · 02-07-2007, 10:31 PM

Another definition of love:

26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1)

lunamoth · 02-07-2007, 10:34 PM

And more definitions of love:

5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed
and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?

6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness [a] will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.

(Isaiah 58)

Prober · 02-07-2007, 10:34 PM

AMEN, Laurie!

And...John 3:

14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

Prober · 02-07-2007, 10:37 PM

He loved us SO MUCH! How can there be any hate in our hearts?

Silas · 02-07-2007, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prober

He loved us SO MUCH! How can there be any hate in our hearts?

Because apart from Christ and the grace of God we're evil.

InLove · 02-07-2007, 10:42 PM

Thank you guys, for the spiritual food. Very much appreciated, especially in these confusing times. I'd like to add a Scripture, even though I know it doesn't say the word "love", it embodies it. Y'all have discussed how love is not always easy. And I thought of this:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luke 23:34

Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing...."

Keepin' the faith....

InPeace,
InLove