Under ‘Knowledge” the specification states “Jesus’ only command was to love and that human reason must decide how best to apply this”.

However as we can see below, Jesus issued no less than sixty-four commands, only four of which mention love. Some repeat Old Testament law (for example, don’t covet you neighbour’s wife or don’t blaspheme God’s name) and some overturn Old Testament law (for example, do not retaliate, Matthew 5:38-9, and love your enemies, Matthew 5:44). So we might say human reason has a number of judgements to make:

1. What is the relationship between Jesus’ commands and those of the Old Testament, some of which are replaced and others of which are interpreted in a unique way?
2. If it’s true that Christian Ethics is based on the Bible, the Church, reason and experience (the so-called Wesleyan – Methodist –  quadrilateral has four elements although the specification only mentions three), then what weighting do we place on each?
3. It is clearly false to say ‘Jesus’ only command was to love’, as the specification states. That is a situationist distortion.

List of Commands of Jesus

• Repent—Matthew 4:17
  
• Follow Me—Matthew 4:19
  
• Rejoice when you are persecuted for following Jesus—Matthew 5:12
  
• Let Your Light Shine by good deeds—Matthew 5:16
  
• Teach God’s Law given Moses & the Prophets—Matthew 5:17–18
  
• Do Not Be Angry with your brother–Matthew 5:21-22
• Do Not Insult Others By Calling Them Fools–Matthew 5:22
• Be Reconciled with the one you offended—Matthew 5:24–25
• Do Not Covet A Married Woman—Matthew 5:27–28
• Repent from sin by cutting off the temptation, or go to hell—Matt 5:29-30
• Don’t say more than ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to prove you are truthful —Matthew 5:37 (outside court is implied)
  
• Do Not Retaliate Against Evil Persons Who Strike You–Matthew 5:38-39
• Sacrifice Beyond What Others Demand You Give—Matthew 5:38–42
  
• Love Your Enemies—Matthew 5:44
  
• Pray For Those Who Persecute You—Matthew 5:44
• Be Perfect—Matthew 5:48
  
• Give In Secret And Not Where Others Can See You Giving—Matthew 6:1–4
• Do Not Pray Alone In Public Where Others Can See You–Matthew 6:5-6
• Do Not Pray Repetitious Prayers–Matthew 5:7-8
• Do Not Lay Up Treasures on Earth (that Sacrifices Treasures in Heaven)—Matthew 6:19–20
• Seek Above All God’s Kingdom, and God will provide materially—Matthew 6:33
  
• Do Not Judge By Standards You Cannot Meet—Matthew 7:1-3
  
• Do Not Cast Pearls Before Mockers Who Are Not Listening—Matthew 7:6. (See our study.)
  
• Be Persistent in Prayer – Ask, Seek, and Knock—Matthew 7:7–8
  
• Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You—Matthew 7:12
  
• Choose the Narrow Way That Leads to Life—Matthew 7:13–14
  
• Beware of False Prophets Who Have Signs & Wonders But Work Lawlessness / Negation of the Law given Moses—Matthew 7:15
• Pray God Sends Co-Laborers To Spread Good News—Matthew 9:38
  
• Be Wise as Serpents—Matthew 10:16
  
• Fear God, Not Man—Matthew 10:26  and Matthew 10:28
• Take My Yoke (Training) Upon You (Obey)—Matthew 11:29
  
• Do not blaspheme (insult) Yahweh’s name for it is unpardonable — Matthew 12:31
• Honor Your Parents (means Support in Poverty)—Matthew 15:4
  
• Beware The Pharisees (Minimizing Law to Tithing and issuing Commands that “make of none effect” the Law given Moses)—Matthew 16:6; 23:23;15:6
  
• Deny Yourself, Take Up Your Cross & Follow Me—Luke 9:23
  
• Repent From Sin And Turn in Deep Sorrow For Justification–Luke 18:9-14
• Despise Not Little Children —Matthew 18:10
  
• Go to Those Who Wrong You And Confront Over Their Wrong—Matthew 18:15
  
• Beware of Covetousness; life is not in the abundance you have—Luke 12:15
  
• Forgive Those Who Wrong You, even if they keep wronging you over and over—Matthew 18:21–22
  
• Stay Married Unless God Allows Separation For Adultery—Matthew 19:6; 5:31-32
  
• Never Seek To Rule Over Other Believers—Matthew 20:26–28
  
• Be A People Producing Fruit, Or You Will Not Receive the Kingdom–Matthew 21:4
• Invite To Meals The Poor, the Lame, etc.—Luke 14:12–14
  
• Render to Caesar What Belongs to Caesar—Matthew 22:19–21
  
• Render to God What Belongs to God–Matthew 22:19-21
• Love the Lord [Yahweh] with all your heart, mind and soul—Matthew 22:37–38
  
• Praise, honor and worship the name of Yahweh. Matt 6:9 (Henry commentary on “Hallowed be thy name”).
• Make the name of Yahweh known to fulfill the will of Christ in His prayer to the Father.  John 17:6
• Love Your Neighbor—Matthew 22:39
• Call no man father, e.g. father Abraham — Matthew 23:9
• Await My Return; Do Not Listen To Imposters in the Wilderness or Private Places Saying It Is Me; My Return Will Be Universally Seen—Matthew 24:4-6, 23-27
• Produce spiritual profits, and God’s abundant blessings will flow. Otherwise, what you have in blessings will be taken away. (Matt. 25:29. Cf. Matt 13:12)
• Try to understand my message, and more understanding will be given. If you don’t, what little understanding you have will be taken away. (Matt 13:12.)
• Be “Alive Again” / “Born Again” – Like the Prodigal Who Repented from Sin and Headed Back to the Father—John 3:7; Luke 15:11-32
• Be Shrewd With Money, Using it to Gain Friends to lead them to the Kingdom. Luke 16:1-16 (discussed).
• If You Love Me, Keep My Commandments—John 14:15
  
• Watch and Pray—Matthew 26:41
  
• Feed My Sheep—John 21:15–16
  
• Baptize My Disciples—Matthew 28:19
  
• Teach The Nations (including Gentiles) All That I Have Commanded–Matthew 28:19
• Receive God’s Power—Luke 24:49
  
• Make Disciples of All Nations, Teaching Them to Observe All That I Commanded You —Matthew 28:20
• Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (John 13:34.)