Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 9
September 26, 1957
NUMBER 21, PAGE 3

... And Feet-Washing!

Bob Crawley, Birmingham, Alabama

Churches of Christ have not been generally disturbed in recent years by the doctrine making feet-washing a congregational work. Whenever the various "holiness" and "Pentecostal" sects that advocate such practice have been willing, our brethren have been anxious and able to meet them in debate. This is true because, as a rule, our brethren have occupied firm Scriptural ground on this issue and have been willing to stand upon it. Currently, however, there are those among us who are working like gophers to undermine that ground.

On the question of feet-washing we generally recognize the following facts. When the Lord washed the apostles' feet on the eve of his crucifixion he was teaching them by example and command regarding their duty in future years as apostles and as Christians. "If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye also should do as I have done to you." (John 13:14, 15.)

When we have encountered those who make feet-washing a congregational work, we have opposed them with the argument that although the Lord commands its practice, we must accept the authority of the New Testament as to how it is to be done, by whom and in what capacity. It is to be practiced as an act of personal service ,as an expression of home-hospitality, and not as a congregational function. Our strongest evidence in making this argument is the Scripture in I Timothy 5:9, 10: "Let none be enrolled as a widow under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man, well reported of for good works; if she hath brought up children, if she hath used hospitality to strangers, if she hath washed the saints' feet, if she hath relieved the afflicted, if she hath diligently followed every good work."

The passage in John 13:14, 15 sets forth the command, making the washing of feet a necessary act of Christian obedience. Anyone who is too proud, too indifferent, too inhospitable to render such service to one in need of it is too rebellious to be called a follower of the Lord. But, the passage in I Tim. 5:9, 10 gives us divine authority specifying the sphere in which such service is to be rendered.

Even though the Lord bound feet-washing upon his disciples, we cannot find as much as one case or one verse in all the New Testament to indicate that the performance of such duty was a congregational responsibility. Rather, this passage in I Timothy (the only occasion on which feet-washing is mentioned as being practiced by Christians) points out that feet-washing was a personal and individual responsibility. It was to be done in the same sphere in which children are to be reared, in which hospitality is to be shown to strangers, and in which those generally afflicted are to be relieved. We must recognize these as the proper function of the individual Christian, and the Christian's home.

We learn from this example (the example of the proper life of an exemplary Christian widow) the proper sphere in which feet-washing is to be practiced. We do not contend that such service cannot permissibly be performed by a person in the same house in which the church customarily assembles, but the service itself is not the responsibility of the congregation. If some Christian's home is so poverty stricken as to be unable to provide a basin and towel for washing their own feet and those of others, then the church should relieve their poverty (as authorized by Acts 6:1-3), but that is not to say that it would be proper for the church to provide a marble and brass 'congregational foot-bath fountain" in the church building as though the washing of feet were a congregational responsibility.

Even those brethren who for some purposes (such as soliciting from church treasuries for the support of schools and colleges) argue that there is no distinction to be made between the work of churches of Christ and the work of individual Christians, can see that feet-washing is an individual and not congregational work. We wish they were as perceptive regarding the rearing of children and the lodging of strangers. It is not the responsibility of the churches of Christ to provide day nurseries, youth centers, hobby shops, etc. for the social and recreational welfare of children (or older folks, either). Providing such things, if they are needed, is the responsibility of the individual Christian in the sphere of the home.

Although many churches, as a result of liberal and digressive teaching, are engaging in many charitable, semi-charitable, and commercial enterprises which are not their proper function as churches of Christ, we have not yet heard of one of them which is practicing feet-washing as a congregational work. However, in view of the concerted effort being made by the professional promoters among us to destroy our confidence in the authority of approved Scriptural examples for providing us a pattern of work, we would not be surprised to hear of it at any time. "After all," as some brethren would say, "Jesus gave the command to wash feet, and he didn't tell us how to do it. The case in I Timothy 5: 9,10 is a mere example and therefore is not binding upon us as an exclusive pattern, so why not have a congregational feet-washing next Sunday morning?" Why not, indeed?