Mat 5:43, Tit 3:8 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 43. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy . The command to love our neighbour was a law of God, . That we must, therefore, hate our enemy, was an inference drawn from it by the Jews. They supposed that if we loved the one, we must, of course, hate the other. They were total strangers to that great, peculiar law of religion, which requires us to love both. A neighbour is literally one that lives near to us; then, one that is near to us by acts of kindness and friendship. This is its meaning here. See also . (h) "Thou shalt love thy neighbour"

Matthew 5:43

Verse 43. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. The command to love our neighbour was a law of God, Lev 19:18. That we must, therefore, hate our enemy, was an inference drawn from it by the Jews. They supposed that if we loved the one, we must, of course, hate the other. They were total strangers to that great, peculiar law of religion, which requires us to love both. A neighbour is literally one that lives near to us; then, one that is near to us by acts of kindness and friendship. This is its meaning here. See also Lk 10:36.

(h) "Thou shalt love thy neighbour" De 23:6

Titus 3:8

Verse 8. This is a faithful saying. 1Timm 1:15. The reference here is to what he had been just saying, meaning that the doctrine which he had stated about the method of salvation was in the highest degree important, and entirely worthy of belief.

And these things I will that thou affirm constantly. Make them the constant subject of your preaching.

That they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. This shows that Paul supposed that the doctrines of the gospel were fitted to lead men to holy living. Comp. Tit 3:1, and Php 4:8. The "good works," here refer not merely to acts of benevolence and charity, but to all that is upright and good--to an honest and holy life.

These things are good and profitable unto men. That is, these doctrines which he had stated were not mere matters of speculation, but they were fitted to promote human happiness, and they should be constantly taught.

(b) "careful" Tit 3:1,14