Is Footwashing a Biblical Requirement?
by David K. Bernard
Podcast recording (no venue stated in the delivered transcript)
Kind: teaching
Scripture: John 13, John 13:14-15

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/david-k-bernard--is-footwashing-a-biblical-requirement
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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I would say that foot washing is a scriptural teaching now requirement is a strong word I would prefer to say it is a scriptural teaching I think we should practice foot washing now some people think it's symbolic only but you know we Pentecostals generally our approach is to take the scripture as literally as possible so obviously some things are symbols some things relate to first century culture or some things of the Old Testament typologies so so we understand that some things aren't duplicated in a literal sense but overall especially the teachings of the New Testament if they can be applied in actuality we tend to say let's do it that way so we baptize in water literally we anoint with oil literally we lay hands on the sick literally and where there are other groups that symbolize all those things it's figurative you don't actually do that you know we tend to say well if it says do it and if you can do it it's possible and it's available then go ahead and do it so on that basis I would say yes now where I would say you know instead of requirement it's a teaching is that you only have one clear statement here so there I understand there could be some disputed although in first Timothy uh the Apostle Paul talks about the widows that you would support the church should support it should be those who've watched the Saints feet so whether that means a practice of the church they're faithful in church they're they're participating in all the activities of the church or whether it's talking about a secular counterpart I guess that also is subject to dispute and I guess also maybe part of the problem is in the first century people wore sandals when they came into the house they would need to take their sandals off that the roads were Dusty and so normally a servant would wash their feet that was the first thing and so that was a cultural norm in a way that it's not today so some people say well it's just the principle so learn to serve others learn to do things for others but you know you do have a very specific statement I did this and I want you to do this and it is I I guess whether you think it's literal or symbolic um let's ask what's the purpose uh it seems obvious it's designed to teach humility that Jesus I'm I'm Your Leader I'm your Lord but yet I will humble myself to wash your feet so how much more should you be humbled towards one another I think it definitely teaches humility not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think it also teaches service that we should serve one another no matter who we may be and whatever our position is in the church or in society we're all to serve one another and I do think it's interesting throughout history various churches have tried to implement this so what's interesting is that in the uh more liturgical churches or historical churches like the Roman Catholic church and the Anglican church and so forth they don't participate as a congregation probably because it's no longer a cultural norm but their leaders will do it so the pope once a year will choose a beggar and wash feet and the other denominations a lot of times they're top leaders they're Bishops will will once a year or certain intervals will wash a humble person's feet so they do feel the need to to do this you know and and to do it literally of course if it's a high official washing a lowly person's feet once a year it's that almost is taking pride in your humility you know you know the saying is humility is that one virtue that just when you think you have it you've lost it you know I'm proud of being humble well you're not humble so I guess humility is what you have when you don't really think about it you're not you don't really think you have it is when you have it so that symbolic performance almost turns it on its head it you're you're showing how great of a Christian you are or how great of a leader you are which is not really the point now among Revival churches it's interesting throughout the centuries like the anabaptists of the 1500s and the whole the Methodist some of the methods the Holiness movement of the 1900s the the Pentecostal move the of the 20th century uh the holiest movie of the 1800s uh many of those congregations were actually as a congregation Institute the practice of foot washing say whenever they did communion or maybe once a year or maybe in a watch tonight's service so it to me it is significant uh that many of the more conservative literal by believing revivalistic movements that are deliberately saying let's go back to the Bible and recapture what's been lost or missing or neglected well they would literally wash feet so in the early Pentecostal movement is very common and that's why it's in the upci Articles of faith I think that was considered the standard for most churches at the time of the formation of the upci in 1945 it was the most common expectation yes just as you would literally practiced communion you had literally practice foot washing I will have to say I do believe it's diminished greatly and I'm a little saddened by that there is a great book by John Christopher Thomas who's a Church of God Cleveland Tennessee uh Theologian uh it's called I I can't remember the total title but it has foot washing the title John Christopher Thomas foot washing is a great biblical study of why yes it should be practiced today so when I was a pastor we did practice it once a year when we were smaller we would have a watch Night Service we'd have communion foot washing on December 31st we had more extended time but as the church got big it became difficult what we would do is I would take usually in February uh towards the beginning of the year one midweek service I would announce in advance but the men would all meet for a class and I would address some issues that I felt were pertinent to men the women would go to the fellowship hall for foot washing and then the next week we would reverse it the men would have foot washing and what we would do is we of course it was mostly symbolic in the sense you know you want to come to church clean but but you take somebody you have pans of water and you wash someone's feet as you're washing you pray for them and then when you finish they wash your feet so it's mutual submission you pray for one another and then when you finish you find other people to pray for so it becomes a Brotherhood it becomes a prayer service and I would usually teach a little bit on the significance then we would participate and then we would pray so it would take the bulk of the service and you know I've been in in Services where they've been powerful moves of God and in fact we I remember one time we had a someone received the Holy Ghost in the foot Washing Service because it was taught and practiced as a spiritual event um yes it is a little humbling and humiliating but here's my thought final thought on it whether it should be symbolic or literal I tend to say yes it should be done literally and I do understand even though it's not a cultural norm it still still to watch someone's feet is a humbling experience and so probably whereas if you substitute well let's let's shine their shoes or let's wash their car it's not the same level of humility so is there really a good substitute and probably my final thought would be this probably if you list the reasons why you don't want to do it that's probably the reasons why you should do it so I you know obviously we respect local pastors and the choices they make for their congregation but since you're asking me I feel like it is a Biblical practice and I feel like it is a practice that's worth preserving in the Pentecostal movement