Bible Strands
Luke 6:40
A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses his followers in Luke 6, placing this statement between a warning about misguided leadership and a critique of hypocritical judgment.
The words — μαθητὴς (mathētēs) means disciple and ὑπὲρ (huper) means above, establishing that a learner does not outrank his instructor. κατηρτισμένος (katērtismenos) translates to fully trained, indicating that complete instruction produces conformity to the teacher.
The thread — The same principle appears in Matthew 10:24, which states a disciple is not above his teacher, and John 13:16 and John 15:20, which note that a servant is not greater than his master.
Why it lands — It requires a reader to verify whether their actions match their instruction rather than claiming authority beyond their training.
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
The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
Cross-references
- John 13:16 Truly, truly, I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
- Matthew 10:24 A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.
- John 15:20 Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well.
- Matthew 23:15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.