Augustine on the Hermeneutical Priority of Love
“Whoever, then, thinks that he understands the Holy Scriptures, or any part of them, but puts such an interpretation upon them as does not tend to build up this twofold love of God and our neighbor, does not yet understand them as he ought.” (Augustine, On Christian Doctrine, 1.36.40)
If your interpretation of scripture does not result in love of God and love of neighbor, then you have not understood scripture correctly. Augustine is arguing that love is our primary hermeneutic. That may sound odd at first — but when you consider what Jesus says in Matthew 22:34-40, you are forced to agree with Augustine!
This Sunday we will be looking at the relationship between the moral law and the Ten Commandments.
Last Sunday we saw from Romans 1-2 how Paul tells us that the moral law includes two things:
1) everyone knows who God is — and that they are supposed to worship him;
2) everyone knows what God requires — and that disobedience deserves death.
Not surprisingly, Jesus says that the two great commandments of the law covers the same ground:
1) Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength
2) Love your neighbor as yourself.
Jesus says, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” The Law includes the whole of the first five books of Moses. The Prophets include all the historical books. So when Jesus says that the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands, he is saying that the whole Old Testament can only be rightly interpreted by seeing what it means to love God and neighbor. If your reading of scripture does not bring you to love God and neighbor, then you need to keep reading until you get there!
