Great Commandment

The Great Commandment (or Greatest Commandment)^[a] is a name used in the New Testament to describe the first of two commandments cited by Jesus in Matthew 22 (Matthew 22:35–40), Mark 12 (Mark 12:28–34), and in answer to him in Luke 10 (Luke 10:27a),

According to Jesus of Nazareth, the first and greatest commandment is that "the Lord is our God, the Lord is one.^[1]

According to Mark 12 (Mark 12:28–34) in full answer of the which commandment is first:

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him,

"Which commandment is the first of all?"

Jesus answered,

"The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord is our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’

The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

There is no other commandment greater than these.'"

— Mark 12:28–31

Both the first and second commandments came from the Old Testament^[2][3] and meant to be obeyed by Jews and followers of Jesus.

... and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He [Jesus] said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

— Matthew 22:35–40

Most Christian denominations consider these two commandments as, together, forming the core of the Christian religion.^{[4][better source needed]}

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