Scripture does not give his name. A scribe who asked honestly — and heard he was not far from the kingdom.
The Scribe Who Asked About the Greatest Commandment
“Not Far from the Kingdom”
Scripture gives no name
In Mark’s Gospel
He had heard the Sadducees disputing with Jesus and saw that Jesus "answered them well"
Mark 12:28
He asked: "Which is the first commandment of all?"
Mark 12:28
Jesus answered: "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these"
Mark 12:29-31
The scribe answered wisely: "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth... to love him with all the heart... and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices"
Mark 12:32-33
Who they were
- Honest — he asked to learn, not to trap (Mark 12:28)
- Wise — he understood that love outweighs ritual (Mark 12:33)
- Near — "not far from the kingdom of God" — the closest any religious leader comes in Mark (Mark 12:34)
Read about them
Faces of Faith
“Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” — Hebrews 12:1
A keepsake of The Scribe Who Asked About the Greatest Commandment’s story — the portrait on the front, the key moments on the back.
Faces of Faith cards coming soon to the TruVINE store.
Every claim above is from Scripture unless labeled “Tradition.” Depictions are checked against the WEB text on this site.
