Bible Strands
John 13:14
So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus, seated with the twelve at the Last Supper, has just finished washing their feet and is drawing a logical conclusion from what he has done.
The words — ἐγὼ (egō) carries emphatic force, "I myself," marking the speaker as the one who performed the act; εἰ (ei) sets the conditional hinge: if this is the case, the conclusion follows.
The thread — The same mutual-humility logic appears in 1 Peter 5:5 (humility toward one another), Acts 20:35 (help the weak, remembering the Lord's words), and Romans 12:16 (associate with the lowly).
Why it lands — It is a logical argument, not a suggestion: the lowest task performed by the highest person becomes the standard for the group. It asks the reader to accept that serving others is not a demotion but the expected posture among equals.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
Cross-references
- 1 Peter 5:5 Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- Acts 20:35 In everything, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
- Romans 12:16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited.
- Galatians 5:13 For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love.
- Luke 22:26 But you shall not be like them. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who leads like the one who serves.
- Mark 10:43 But it shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
- 1 Peter 4:1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves with the same resolve, because anyone who has suffered in his body is done with sin.
- Hebrews 5:8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered.
- Matthew 20:26 It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
- 1 Corinthians 8:13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to stumble.