Is foot washing commanded or not in the New Testament? By TA Baisden Let us study what the Bible has to say about foot washing: Let us first study what the old testament has to say about it. Gen. 18:4 "Let a little water be fetched, and wash your feet", In this verse we see that Abraham offer them water to wash their own feet. There was not a command from God to do so. Just a custom or hospitality giving by a host to his guest. Gen. 19:2 Lot has offer them to stay all night in his home, "into your servant house tarry(stay) and wash your feet" at this point he does not even know they are angels. Was this a commandment from God for their feet to be washed or a custom. You be the judge. Gen. 24:32 Laban Rebekah's brother said "gave them straw and provender for the camels and water to wash his feet and the men that were with him". He gave water it does not say that he washed their feet, they did it themselves. A command from God or a custom? Gen. 43:24 "And the man brought the men into Joseph's house and gave them water and they washed their feet". A commandment from God or custom of man, you decide? Ex. 30: 19 "For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat", v. 20 "when they go into the tabernacle of the congregation they shall wash their feet". Now for the first time God has commanded men to to wash their feet. Not their feet only but their hands also, but if you note they are to still do it themselves and He is speaking only to Aaron and his sons who were the high priest and priests in this verse. Ex. 40:31 "And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and feet", v. 32 "they washed". Who was commanded by God in this verses to wash their feet and who was suppose to do the washing? Judges 19:21 "so he brought him into his house and they washed their feet and did eat and drink". Was this a custom of the day or a commandment of God? I Sam. 25:40-41 "And when the servants of David were come to Abigail" and she "said, Behold, let thine handmaiden be a servant to wash the servants feet of my lord David". Here we see something different then any of the above verses. First a woman is mention in washing feet and second someone else was washing their feet. Was it a commandment from God to do this or a custom along with showing humility or a state of humbleness that Abigail had? II Sam. 11:18 "And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house and wash thy feet". We see here in this verse a commandment for feet to be washed was given but not from God but of man. Songs of Songs(Solomon) 5:3 "I have washed my feet". Now let us study footwashing in the New Testament: Luke 7:37-38 v. 37"And behold, a women in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house" v. 38 "stood at Jesus feet behind him weeping and began to wash his feet with her tears and wipe them with the hair of her head". No were in these verses does it say that he commanded or even asked her to wash his feet. In v.44 Jesus said to Simon the Pharisee "Seest thou this women? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me not water for my feet". In this verse Jesus does not say anything about him not washing his feet for him, only he ofter no water to him to wash his feet. Compared to the verses above this Pharisee didn't even think that Jesus deserved to be shone the common curtsey their custom offered to any guest in there home. (Just a note in those days people laid on their sides on the floor on pillows or bed like things when they ate, this is why the women had easy acess to our Lord's feet.) But this verse does show that she believed him to be the Son of God, it also shows her love, graditude, respected, appreciation and honor she was willing to show him as the Christ. John 13:4-5 " that He(Christ) poureth water into a basin and He began to wash the disciples(Apostles) feet". Christ washing the Apostles feet is also found in Matt. 20: 21-28 and in Mark 10: 37-35. First and foremost you must remember at what time this was,Christ was still alive, so the church had not began yet. It did not until after his death at the cross and his acsending back to the Father in heaven. Also this was still the Old testament time. In Mark 9:34 and Luke 22:24, the human side or the fleshly side of the Apostle's shone through. (They knew of Christ coming death, the bible tells us that in many verses some are Matt. 20:18, Mark 10:33, John 11:13, 12:33, 18:32, 21:19). The bible also tells us that they argued among themselves, who would be the greatest, the leader after Jesus death, the most important one, the one who would take charge. In Matt. 20:21 and Mark 10:35-25 it tells us also of James and John wanting a special place in Christ kingdom one to sit on each side of Christ once the kingdom was estabished, which shows they were still thinking of an earthly kingdom. The other 10 apostles where not please when they found this out. When Christ washed their feet He was telling them in his kingdom which is the church, no one is better or held a higher place then anyone else no matter what work or job we do for the Lord.. In God's eyes every Christian is the same, has the same value or worth. So was it a commandent of God for feet to to washed in the church today or was it a just a lesson for each and every Christian to remember till the end of time to be a servant to each other,to be humble, not to think of ourselves to highly. Why would Christ teach this? for we are all ONE in Christ. Not in all the of the verses in which the Bible speaks about foot washing does it ever show a woman's feet being washed. If we are to wash the feet of each other by a commandment of God then each Saint in the whole church would need to wash each others feet no matter were in the world we would be, because if we didn't we would be showing a respect of person, honoring one more them another and this would not please our God. Another thought on foot washing Jesus even washed Judas's feet knowing that the devil had already put in his heart to betray him (vs 27). Which showed this was not a commandment for he was no longer a part of him. Why anyone would consider this a religious act or commitment to be done in the church today or every I really don't understand. Foot washing did not cleanse them spirital in John 15:3 it tells us "ye are cleanse through the word, the word I(Christ) have spoken to you".) so cleansing come through the Word and only the Word. There is one more example of foot washing in the New Testament and the only time it mentioned after the church was started it is in I Tim. 5:5-10, it speaks of widows and humbleness and being a servant. In these verses they raised there children, they lodged strangers and they washed feet. None of these had to do with a public act of worship and it was done outside of a church setting also. I hope this study has help you better understand about the subject of foot washing. |
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