Question. Now, what do you say about the love of our neighbor?
Answer. Christ’s will was that there should be the strongest bonds of love among his Christians. And since we are by nature most inclined to love ourselves, there could not be a clearer, shorter, more meaningful, or fairer rule of brotherly love than that which the Lord has drawn from our own nature and set before us: that every person should show to his neighbor the same goodwill that he shows to himself. From this it follows that we should not do anything to our neighbor, nor say or think anything of him, which we would not want others to do, say, or think about ourselves. Scripture Reference: John 13:34-35; 1 Cor. 13:45; Eph. 5:2, 29, Phil. 2:1-3; 1 Thess. 4:9-10; Matt. 7:12 and 22:36; Luke 6:31; Rom. 13:8-10; 1 Cor. 13:5-6.
Question. How far does the name of “neighbor” extend?
Answer. The name “neighbor” includes not only those who live near us, or are our relatives, friends, or those joined to us by any social bond of love, but also those whom we do not know—even our enemies. Scripture Reference: Matt. 5:43-44; Luke 10:33, 36-37; 1 Thess. 4:9-10
Question. Since the Law shows a perfect way of rightly worshiping God and of loving our neighbor, ought we not to love completely according to its rule?
Answer. Yes, certainly; so much so that God promises life to those who live according to the rule of the Law, and on the other hand, threatens death to those who break his Law, as has been said before.
Scripture Reference: Deut. 8:1, 11:22, 28, and 30:15, 17; Matt. 19:17; John 2:50; Rom. 6:23 and 10:5