John Calvin Commentary Matthew 22:40

"On these two commandments the whole law hangeth, and the prophets." — Matthew 22:40 (ASV)

On these two commandments. I now return to Matthew, where Christ says that all the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.⁷⁸ He does not intend by this to limit all the doctrine of Scripture to them, but rather that everything taught anywhere concerning how to live a holy and righteous life must be referred to these two leading points.

For Christ does not discuss in general terms what the Law and the Prophets contain. Instead, in formulating His reply, He states that nothing else is required in the Law and the Prophets than that everyone should love God and their neighbors. It is as if He had said that the sum of a holy and upright life consists in the worship of God and in charity to others, as Paul states that charity is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 13:10).

Therefore, some poorly informed people are mistaken in interpreting this statement of Christ, as if we should seek nothing more in the Law and the Prophets. For just as a distinction should be made between the promises and the commandments, so in this passage Christ does not state generally what we should learn from the Word of God. Instead, He explains, in a way appropriate to the occasion, the purpose to which all the commandments are directed.

Yet the free forgiveness of sins (by which we are reconciled to God), confidence in calling on God (which is the earnest of the future inheritance), and all the other parts of faith, though they hold the first rank in the Law, do not depend on these two commandments. For it is one thing to demand what we owe, and another thing to offer what we do not possess.

Mark expresses the same thing in other words: there is no other commandment greater than these.

⁷⁸ “Restraindre à ce sommaire;” — “to limit to this summary.”;” — “to limit to this summary.”