Loving Others: Two Formulas
Our Savior, when someone inquired, "Which is the first commandment of all?", answered by the formula of the Shema, with its Deuteronomic injunction that a man must love God with all his heart and being. Then Jesus, although no one pressed him further, thought it important to add that there is, in fact, a similar second commandment—this one from Leviticus—obligating human beings to love their neighbors as themselves. Perhaps most significant in this juxtaposition of mandates is the fact that both of them employ the same verb for "love," agapao.
It is instructive to observe that the Septuagint, Israel's Greek translation of the Scriptures, used this identical verb in both of the passages to which Jesus alludes (Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18). What is new here is the Lord's joining of these two commandments in a way that makes them inseparable (cf. 1 John 4:20–21).
Now with respect to the "second" commandment, the New Testament speaks of it in two forms. The first and dominant form is the Lord's direct quotation from Leviticus: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." This is how the commandment is expressed in multiple sources: James (2:8), Paul (Rom. 13:8–10; Gal. 5:14), and all the Synoptic Gospels (Matt. 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27).
THIS ARTICLE ONLY AVAILABLE TO SUBSCRIBERS.
FOR QUICK ACCESS:
Patrick Henry Reardon is pastor emeritus of All Saints Antiochian Orthodox Church in Chicago, Illinois, and the author of numerous books, including, most recently, Out of Step with God: Orthodox Christian Reflections on the Book of Numbers (Ancient Faith Publishing, 2019).
more on bible from the online archives
5.3—Summer 1992
Everything You Need to Know About Morality & the Bible by David Mills
27.4—July/August 2014
The Bible, Sacred Theology & the Mind of Christ by Patrick Henry Reardon
32.3—May/June 2019
on the Implications of Changing the Pater Noster by John M. McCarthy
calling all readers
Please Donate
"There are magazines worth reading but few worth saving . . . Touchstone is just such a magazine."
—Alice von Hildebrand
"Here we do not concede one square millimeter of territory to falsehood, folly, contemporary sentimentality, or fashion. We speak the truth, and let God be our judge. . . . Touchstone is the one committedly Christian conservative journal."
—Anthony Esolen, Touchstone senior editor
• Not a subscriber or wish to renew your subscription? Subscribe to Touchstone today for full online access. Over 30 years of publishing!
personal subscriptions
Get a one-year full-access subscription to the Touchstone online archives including pdf downloads for only $19.95. That's only $1.66 per month!
Purchase Print &
Online Subscription
Get six issues (one year) of Touchstone PLUS full online access including pdf downloads for only $39.95. That's only $3.34 per month!
gift subscriptions
GIVE Print &
Online Subscription
Give six issues (one year) of Touchstone PLUS full online access including pdf downloads for the reduced rate of $29.95. That's only $2.50 per month!
Transactions will be processed on a secure server.
bulk subscriptions
Order Touchstone subscriptions in bulk and save $10 per sub! Each subscription includes 6 issues of Touchstone plus full online access to touchstonemag.com—including archives, videos, and pdf downloads of recent issues for only $29.95 each! Great for churches or study groups.
kindle subscription
OR get a subscription to Touchstone to read on your Kindle for only $1.99 per month! (This option is KINDLE ONLY and does not include either print or online.)
Your subscription goes a long way to ensure that Touchstone is able to continue its mission of publishing quality Christian articles and commentary.
more from the online archives
22.5—June 2009
C. S. Lewis on Civilization & the Natural Order by Timothy L. Hall
33.3—May/June 2020
Bach's Cantata BWV 106, Gottes Zeit ist die allerbesteZeit (God's time is the very best time) by Ken Myers
