³⁵ and one of them, an expert in the law, asked him a question to test him.^{(A) 36} “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” ³⁷ He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^{(B) 38} This is the greatest and first commandment. ³⁹ And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’^{(C) 40} On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”^(D)

³⁴ I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.^{(A) 35} By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”^(B)

Love for One Another

⁸ Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.^{(A) 9} The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; you shall not murder; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”^{(B) 10} Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.^(C)

¹⁴ For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”^(A)

⁸ If you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well.^(A)

¹⁶ So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.

God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. ¹⁷ Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world.^{(A) 18} There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. ¹⁹ We love^[a] because he first loved us. ²⁰ Those who say, “I love God,” and hate a brother or sister are liars, for those who do not love a brother or sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.^{(B) 21} The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.