# Great Commandment Bible Study ## Background - I feel the Holy Spirit has been emphasizing the Father in my studies and prayer time. So, it seemed good to do a study on the Great Commandment that emphasizes loving God the Father. - God loved the crown jewel of His [[Creation]], [[Mankind]] so much that He sent His one and only Son to die for us so we may have [[Eternal_Life|eternal life]]. {[[John_03|John 3.16 (BSB)]]} - There is absolutely no way we can pay God back for His love toward us! However, it is clear in Bible that He desires that we love Him back. But what does that look like? Or said in our current vernacular, what is God's love language? - I think He described it succinctly via Moses, Matthew and Mark in the [[Great_Commandment|Great Commandment]]. - 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One. 5 And you shall [[Love]] the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. {[[Deuteronomy_06|Deuteronomy 6.4-5 (BSB)]]} - 37 Jesus declared, “ ‘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|Matthew 22.37-40 (BSB)]]} - 29 Jesus replied, “This is the most important: ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” 32 “Right, Teacher,” the scribe replied. “You have stated correctly that God is One and there is no other but Him, 33 and to love Him with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, which is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” {[[Mark_12|Mark 12.29-33]] (BSB)} - Although the **Deuteronomy 6.5** version only uses a total of 10 Hebrew words (8-unique) in the Great Commandment, it takes the entire Bible to fully understand those words. At this point in my quest to "know Him who is from the beginning" I want to fully understand all of these word so I can truly love God as He desires. ## Questions --- - What does God say via the Bible about how He wants us to love Him? - What does it look like to love God with everything He gave me? - In the context of the Great Commandment, what do all of the key words mean. See [[Great_Commandment_Keywords_Study|Great Commandment Keywords]]. --- ## TL;DR --- - --- ## To Do --- - Transfer notes from (2022.02.23.0534_Great_Commandment.odt) - Done - Deleted original odt file - Finish study - Clean-up links --- ## General Thoughts - ## Chapter-by-Chapter Thoughts ### Deuteronomy 6 2025.02.01 - The New Testament Great Commandment originates as the Shema in the OT ### Deuteronomy 11 ### Matthew 22 2025.01.28 {23-40} - An "expert in the law" (scribe?? - See Mark 12.28) tested Jesus with a question: "which commandment is the greatest in the Law?" - Atypically, Jesus actually answered his question with a clear straight-forward statement. See Mark 12.28-34 below for thoughts on why Jesus may have deviated from His usual pattern {37-40} 2024.12.25 {23-40} - Context - The Matthew version of the GC story is mainly a reply by Jesus to a question proffered by a scribe. Jesus' reply is the subject of the GC study which led to this study on one of the key words {37-40} - Prior to the discussion about the GC, Jesus silenced the Sadducees and their question about the resurrection {23-33} - So, the Pharisees put forth an "expert in the law" to challenge Jesus (the author of the law) with the question, "Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?" 'm not sure what their angle was, but nevertheless, it failed. {34-36} - Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God with heart, soul and mind. Then He said we should love our neighbors which is the "second. Based on the language, it seems there is definitely a hierarchy of these two commandments." {37-40} ### Mark 12 2025.02.01 - Mark referred to the person questioning Jesus by his job title, "scribe" {28} 2024.12.25 {28-32} - Similar to the Matthew version recorded in Matthew 22.36-4-36 a scribe (an expert in the law) attempted a re-attack after the Sadducees were shot down. however, in this version, there was an conversation exchange between Jesus and the scribe {28-34; Matthew 22.36-4-36 } - However, in the Mark version: - the scribe commented that Jesus was right {28-34} - Although Jesus included "soul" [[G5590]] and "mind" [[G1271]], the scribe changed them to "understanding" [[G4907]] when he repeated it back to Jesus {30, 33} - Mark's commentary on the scene {34} - Jesus saw that the man had answered wisely - Jesus said to the scribe, "You are not far from the kingdom of God" ### Luke 10 2025.01.28 - In the Luke passage - An expert in the law (scribe?? - See Mark 12.28) challenged Jesus by asking, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” {25} - In typical fashion, Jesus answered his question with two questions: {26} - "What is written in the Law" - "How do you read it?" - I think it is interesting that Jesus emphasized reading in His question. - The phrase "do you read it" comes from the Greek word "anaginóskó" ([[G0314]]) - Unlike the Matthew and Mark versions, Luke uses a quote from the expert in the law to state the Great Commandment. {27} - “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ - Jesus then assessed the scribe's assertion and raised the bar for salvation to an impossible level: - Assessment: "You have answered correctly” {28} - Salvation requirement: - “Do this and you will live” {28} - “Go and do likewise” {37} ## Keyword Thoughts - See my note [[Great_Commandment_Keywords_Study|Great Commandment Keywords]] for lists of keywords in both the OT and NT that I am focusing on in my quest to "know Him who if from the beginning" {1 John 2.12-14). - Presented below are my thoughts on the definitions of the key words. - Love [[H0157]] - See [[Love_H0157_Study]] - with all [[H3605]] 1. Part of speech 2. Occurrences 3. Various definitions 4. Scripture examples 5. My thoughts - heart [[H3824]] 1. Part of speech 2. Occurrences 3. Various definitions 4. Scripture examples - Hosea 6.6 1. My thoughts - soul [[H5315]] 1. Part of speech 2. Occurrences 3. Various definitions 4. Scripture examples 5. My thoughts - strength [[H3966]] 1. Part of speech 2. Occurrences 3. Various definitions 4. Scripture examples 5. My thoughts - love [[G0025]] 1. Part of speech - Verb 2. Occurrences - 143 3. Various definitions - see *agapé* [[G0026]] for the noun - the essential nature of God - Love can be known only from the actions it prompts - an exercise of the will in deliberate choice - Love had its perfect expression among men in the Lord Jesus Christ - Christian love is the fruit of His Spirit in the Christian - Christian love has God for its primary object, and expresses itself first of all in implicit obedience to His commandments - Self-will, that is, self-pleasing, is the negation of love to God - Christian love, whether exercised toward the brethren, or toward men generally, is not an impulse from the feelings, it does not always run with the natural inclinations, nor does it spend itself only upon those for whom some affinity is discovered. Love seeks the welfare of all, and works no ill to any, love seeks opportunity to do good to 'all men, and especially toward them that are of the household of the faith - In respect of *agapao* as used of God, it expresses the deep and constant "love" and interest of a perfect Being towards entirely unworthy objects, producing and fostering a reverential "love" in them towards the Giver, and a practical "love" towards those who are partakers of the same, and a desire to help others to seek the Givers - to wish well - to long for - to take pleasure in 4. Although the noun version of love, “*agapé* [[G0026]]” is not directly associated with the Great Commandment its origin is *agapaó* [[G0025]]. So its definitions help to round out the meaning of *agapaó* [[G0025]]. Here is the GBD: - God is love - Moral preference - Love is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit - From 1 Corinthians 13: - Love IS: patient, kind - Love DOES: rejoice in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things - Love is NOT: proud, rude, self-seeking, easily angered, fail - Love DOES NOT: envy, boast, keep an account of wrongs, take pleasure in evil 5. Scripture examples - *agapaó* [[G0025]] - Matthew 5.43-47 - Matthew 6.24 - Luke 11.43 - John 3.19 - John 7.44-47 - John 12.37-43 - John 13. 1-17 - John 13.34-35 - John 14.15 - Romans 8.28 - Romans 13.8-10 - 1 Corinthians 2.6-9 - 1 Corinthians 8 - Galatians 5.13-15 - Ephesians 5.25-30 - Colossians 3.12-15 - James 1.12 - 1 Peter 1.3-12 - 1 Peter 1.22 - 1 John 4.9-10 - 1 John 2.15-17 - 1 John 4.20-21 - *agapé* [[G0026]] - 1 Corinthians 13 - Galatians 5.22-23 6. My thoughts 1. It seems that most of the NT verses about love have to do with loving each other. Therefore, I am thinking that the best or at least a good way to “love God” is to love our neighbor. - all [[G3650]] 1. Part of speech 2. Occurrences 3. Various definitions 4. Scripture examples 5. My thoughts - heart [[G2588]] 1. Part of speech 2. Occurrences 3. Various definitions 4. Scripture examples 5. My thoughts - soul [[G5590]] 1. Part of speech 2. Occurrences 3. Various definitions 4. Scripture examples 5. My thoughts - Mind [[G1271]] - My thoughts - Compare with my thoughts on [[Mind|mind]] in: [[Romans_12.1-2_Renew_Mind]] - From 2022.03.09.0730_mark 7.1-23 - @@@ More - Various notes and studies - [[Mind_G1271_Study|Study: Mind (G1271) Study]] - [[Mind|Topic: Mind]] - [[G1271|Strong's Word: G1271]] - neighbor [[G4139]] 1. Part of speech 2. Occurrences 3. Various definitions 4. Scripture examples 5. My thoughts 2. as [[G5613]] 1. Part of speech 2. Occurrences 3. Various definitions 4. Scripture examples 5. My thoughts 3. yourself [[G4572]] 1. Part of speech 2. Occurrences 3. Various definitions 4. Scripture examples 5. My thoughts - strength [[G2479]] - My thoughts - There is some sort of connection between power and strength {Ephesians 1.19, Ephesians 6.10, 2 Thessalonians 1.9, 2 Peter 2.11, Revelation 5.12 and Revelation 7.12} - Although not the exclusive definition, there is a chance strength could refer to the physical strength of our bodies. {Mark 12.30 & 33, Luke 10.27, Ephesians 1.19 and 2 Thessalonians 1} - Paul used physical armor on our physical bodies as an analogy to discuss spiritual warfare. Though not as strong an example, there is still some connection between strength and our bodies {Ephesians 6.10} - Various notes and studies - [[Strength_G2479_Study| Study: Strength (G2479) Study]] - [[Strong| Topic: Strong]] - [[G2479| Strong's Word: G2479]] --- ## Other Notes 2025.01.16 - After Jesus silenced the Sadducees, a scribe, sent by the Pharisees tested Him with a question; “Which commandment is the most important of all?” {Matthew 22.34 & Mark 12.28} - Jesus answered him with the Shema {Mark 12.29-31} - I am still confused about what happened next. {Mark 12.32-33} - First, the scribe parroted back what Jesus had just said, but with a prefix that Jesus answered correctly. - Next, Mark provides some commentary saying, "when Jesus saw that the man had answered wisely ..." - Finally, Jesus stated to the scribe, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." - To summarize: - A scribe tested Jesus with a question - Jesus answers the question - The scribe evaluated Jesus' answer and gave Jesus a passing grade - Then, the scribe parroted back what Jesus had just said - Finally, after some commentary, Jesus told the scribe, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." - Notwithstanding my confusion, Mark closed out the scene by saying that "no one dared to question Him any further" {Mark 12.34} 2024.12.18 - One, two or three commandments?? See [[Greatest_Commandments_241218]] my thoughts 2024.12.28 - Jesus' (the Word) characterization of the Great Commandment is important: - This is the first and greatest commandment {Matthew 22.38} - "This is the most important" {Mark 12.29} - No other commandment is greater than these. {Mark 12.31} --- ## Extra-Biblical - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh2KwEwaroc -