The New Testament emphasizes love for God and love for neighbor as most important, and it centers the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Jesus himself named love for God and neighbor as the greatest commandments.
Greatest commandments
When asked about what matters most, Jesus pointed first to love. He identified love for God and love for one’s neighbor as the greatest commandments, presenting them as the central priority.
“You shall love the Lord your God… love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39)
What everything hangs on
Jesus went further than listing two important duties. He said that “all the Law and Prophets hang” on these two commands: loving God and loving neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40). In other words, the New Testament presents these loves not as optional virtues but as the organizing center for how God’s will is understood in light of Jesus’ teaching.
Apostolic emphasis
The New Testament’s apostles echo this same emphasis. They describe love as the greatest of all and speak of love as the fulfilling of the law. This continues the thread of Jesus’ teaching: love is not treated as one topic among many, but as a defining summary of faithful life and obedience.
Good news in Christ
Alongside the New Testament’s central emphasis on love stands its central message of salvation: salvation by grace through faith in Christ. The New Testament holds these themes together—calling love the heart of God’s commands and proclaiming the good news that salvation comes through Jesus Christ.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Jesus call the greatest commandments?
Jesus calls love for God and love for neighbor the greatest commandments. He summed them up in his words: “You shall love the Lord your God… love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).
Where does Jesus teach this in the New Testament?
This teaching is recorded in Matthew 22:37-40. In that passage, Jesus names loving God and loving neighbor as greatest and says all the Law and Prophets hang on these two commands.
How do the apostles treat love in the New Testament?
The apostles echo Jesus’ emphasis by calling love the greatest of all and by describing love as the fulfilling of the law. Their teaching aligns with the idea that love is central to what the New Testament highlights as most important.
Is love the only central emphasis in the New Testament?
Alongside love for God and neighbor, the New Testament also centers on the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ—salvation by grace through faith in Christ. These themes stand together as core emphases.
What does it mean that all the Law and Prophets hang on love?
In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus presents love for God and love for neighbor as foundational—so central that the rest of God’s instruction (summarized as “the Law and the Prophets”) depends on and is understood through these two commands.