Quote:
Originally Posted by panta dokimazete  ok - bear with the weaker brother:
You are asserting that Jesus was not logically connecting the 2 commandments? Even though he was answering a specific question?
What is the greatest command?
You are saying he added the neighbor portion as an "Oh, by the way?" |
OK, brother, I'm not trying to be harsh. I'm critical because you asked for criticism in the OP.
The original question in the passage was "which is the greatest commandment?" Jesus answered that there were two greatest commandments. So he corrected a misconception that they were previously arguing about (while skillfully negating their trap) and, at the same time, set out the foundation for the entire law.
So the second is not a "by the way." Jesus said it was an equal commandment. So now we understand better that there are two distinct commandments that undergird the whole law: one focused on God, the other focused on the one aspect of God's creation that bears his image: your neighbor. Just as we see in the 10 commandments. They are interrelated because they both deal with love, but their focus (objective) is separate.