The Greatest Commandment

The Porter's Gate performs “The Greatest Commandment” as a simple setting of the answer Jesus gave when he was asked which commandment matters most. The song begins by quoting it: love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.

The refrain moves from the command to its result. “Let us be known, let us be known by the way we love.” The line is sung by one voice and then echoed by the group, which makes it feel like a promise the whole church is making together. The last line states the matter in the plainest terms, “The greatest commandment is love.” There is no bridge and no argument, only the repetition of one idea until it settles in. The Porter's Gate is a collective of artists who write worship songs with a communal feel, and this track reflects that approach, with open harmonies and a folk sound that invites others to join in. It works well as a charge at the end of a service, sending people out to show their faith through how they treat others, and it is easy to teach to children and adults at once. The song asks to be known for love before anything else.

Loving God and neighbor is Matthew 22:37-39. Being known as disciples by love is John 13:35, and love coming from God is 1 John 4:7.