A Short Treatise on the Love of God

1st Chapter...Evangelists; that a Scribe original: "Schriftgeleerde"; a scholar of the scriptures, often translated as 'lawyer' or 'scribe' in biblical contexts. stood up and approached Jesus, to test him [to see] if he well knew the First and Greatest Commandment: and if he did not know it, to convict him therewith, that he had not fulfilled this Commandment, or was not doing so now.

2. By asking, he then tested Jesus, to know from him the First and Greatest Commandment of the Law: [he] who had not yet performed even the least Commandment out of Love for God and Neighbor. Thus, only such a person seeks his Savior and Salvation original: "Saligmaker en Saligheid"; the author emphasizes the connection between the person of the Savior and the state of being saved/blessed.—one who knows this Commandment, but does not do it. Therefore he also thinks that Jesus and his True Disciples do not know these Commandments, much less perform them: that is the reason why the Lawyers original: "Wetgeleerden"; legal scholars specializing in religious law. always test them, to hear these Commandments from them, only so that they might catch them in their own words.

3. So it then clearly appears that these Lawyers, as long as the World stands, shall know neither Jesus nor their Neighbors; how then should they Love Jesus and their Neighbors: for from this true knowledge first flows the right Love. And it is impossible to love God, whom one has not seen, while one does not love his Neighbor, whom one sees every day. For he who has no "small Love"—that is, the Love of the Neighbor—has much less "great Love"—that is, the Love of God. And he who loves much, is forgiven much, and he who loves little, is also forgiven little.

1 John 4: 20.

Luke 7: 47.