The Command

The other day, in our Sunday School class, we were going through a study in 1John. During the context of teaching, the instructor made this statement. "We are required to love all men."  Men of course meaning all people. Well, I took exception to that - the required part - and offered that that may not be the case. Christ commands/requires us to love one another, but there is no where, that I am aware of, that Christ commands us to love all men.

Well my goodness...you should have seen it! You would think that I had committed heresy. Of course, being a Yankee in a Southerner's court did not help matters much. That was already one strike against me. Nevertheless, I clung to my observation.

The retorts ranged from quoting Jesus' response to the young ruler who inquired which of the commandments was the greatest, the point being "love your neighbor as yourself" was a command. Indeed it was, but not a command of Christ. Nor is "neighbor" a reference to all men. Then there was the "love your enemies" point. Which was a part of Jesus' sermon on the mount. Again, not couched in a command.

He commanded Peter to "Come" in reply to Peter's request. He commanded demons to leave the oppressed, but as far as I can tell, John 15 shows us his only command to his followers. That is that we love one another and by so doing demonstrate that we are followers of Christ.

Yes, I know about the great commission in Matthew 28 where Christ says, "...teaching them all that I have commanded you." But what does that entail? Does it refer back to Jesus saying he had come to fulfill the Law and the Prophets? That his intent was not to do away with that teaching rather he had come to fulfill it. Or could it refer to the teachings he expressed as the disciples followed him, learned from him and now are enjoined to communicate them to new disciples?

Command is a strong word. It is not one Jesus employs often. Related to this writing, either command or commandment is found in ten verses in John, as used by Jesus. The context is either Jesus following the commandments of God or Jesus giving a "new commandment" (John 13:34, cp. 1John 3:10), that we are to love one another.

Now I am not going to quibble over whether or not what Jesus "taught" is equal to his commanding something. And as my wife pointed out, which is where I did not make my observation clear enough. In other words, I failed to clarify that indeed, Christ teaches us to love our enemies, those who persecute us, the disadvantaged, etc. Which is different than commanding us to do something, nevertheless, still has extreme weight when fleshing out our Christian experience.

The point I was attempting to make was outside of a handful of instances where he commands people to "tell no one" (Matthew 17:9), commands Peter to "come" to him on the water (Matthew 14:28-29), commands demons to depart (Mark 9:25), he seldom commands anything related to discipleship.

There was already a record in history where people, mainly the people of God, failed in their attempts to keep commandments unto righteousness. That is why our relationship to God is not built on commandments but grace through faith.  It is a relationship not a command - except to "love on another." And God knows how much trouble we have with even that.

Love is our obligation and expression of living within the community of faith. We get that right and much of the rest of righteousness through following Christ comes "naturally."

See also...Romans 12:18, Galatians 6:10, 1Thessalonians 3:12, 5:14-15, 1Peter 2:17 for some other examples of teachings regarding "all men".