Year not stated · Egypt and Exodus

Israel called to holiness and love of neighbor

The LORD called Israel to be holy because He is holy. The people were commanded to honor parents, reject idols, care for the poor and foreigner, judge justly, and love their neighbors as themselves (Leviticus 19:1-37).

undated in Scripture
📖 Leviticus 19:1–3

1Then the LORD said to Moses, 2“Speak to the whole congregation of Israel and tell them: Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy. 3Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must keep My Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.

Connections

Quotation

Love your neighbor as yourself fulfills the law

Paul quotes four commands from the Ten Commandments. He says they are summed up in the command, "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Romans 13:8–10

Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Exodus 20:13-17 and Deuteronomy 5:17-21 contain the commands against adultery, murder, theft, and coveting. Leviticus 19:18 commands love for one's neighbor. Romans 13:8-10 quotes these commands and says that love does no wrong to a neighbor.

Quotation

Be holy, because I am holy

Peter quotes a command that appears several times in Leviticus: be holy, because the LORD is holy.

1 Peter 1:15–16

But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Leviticus 19:2, 11:44-45, and 20:7 each call God's people to be holy because He is holy. First Peter 1:16 introduces the same command with "for it is written."

Quotation

Love your neighbor as yourself

Paul quotes the command to love your neighbor as yourself. He tells believers to serve one another in love.

Galatians 5:13–15

For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.

Leviticus 19:18 commands Israel not to seek revenge or bear a grudge, but to love a neighbor as oneself. Galatians 5:13-15 repeats that command while calling believers to serve one another instead of harming one another.

Quotation

James cites love of neighbor

James quotes the command to love your neighbor as yourself while warning against favoritism.

James 2:8–9

If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

Leviticus 19:18 says to love your neighbor as yourself. James 2:8 repeats those words and calls them a law stated in Scripture. Verse 9 says that showing favoritism breaks the law.

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