Many things were propounded by the scholastics regarding the order of love, but most of them lack the foundation of the Holy Scriptures. It is certain that some order should be preserved in loving and fulfilling the duties of love, partly because whatever is from God is orderly, and all right love is of God; partly because Christ said plainly that the first commandment is for us to love God and the second, which is like unto it, is for us to love our neighbor. Hence, God should first be loved and then neighbor.

For us to show preference to saints and brothers in the Lord over other neighbors who are not brothers in the Lord is also in harmony with the Holy Scriptures. For the apostle says: “let us be generous toward all, but especially toward those of the household of faith” (Gal. 6[:10]). And he praises the Ephesians on account of their love, which they particularly have toward saints (Eph. 1:15).

Girolamo ZanchI | Commentary on the Apostle Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians. trans. Patrick J. O’Banion (Merchant Royal Press, 2024), 249.

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