LIST OF ARTICLES:

WHAT YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT PSYCHOPATHS (I consider this one of the top five most-important articles for practical application on this website. It is NOT what you think. ---Harry Bethel)
"Wow, thanks Brother Harry. That was a great read and has really got me thinking."
"The psychopath article is very eye opening (and frightening in its implications) to say the least. I pray the Lord will use this article to help and heal others hurting under the manipulation of psychopaths."
"I just read your psychopath article. Wow, it's an eye opener and those people are totally under Satan's spell. It's very frightening, we need to trust God in All we do, and All [whom] we meet."

ABORTION

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

THE CONDEMNATION OF ADAM AND SALVATION OF EVE

AIDING AND ABETTING YOUR PASTOR

ARE ALL CHRISTIANS AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST?

A MESSAGE FOR AMERICA

AMUSEMENTS

THE ART OF ALMOST SAYING SOMETHING

UNLIMITED ATONEMENT

WATER BAPTISM

BIRTH CONTROL

BISHOPS, ELDERS AND DEACONS

A LETTER FROM BOLIVIA

BOOKS READ AND CHURCHES VISITED

THE LAST WORD ON BURIAL AND CREMATION

CAN A CHRISTIAN HAVE A DEMON?

A MESSAGE FOR ROMAN CATHOLICS

A CHALLENGE TO ALL PASTORS ON PLANET EARTH

THE CHASTENING OF THE LORD

SHOULD CHRISTIANS CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS

WHAT IS THE CHURCH?

IT'S TIME TO COME OUT OF THE CHURCHES

THE SO-CALLED GREAT COMMISSION

COMPROMISING CHRISTIANS

COUNTING THE COST

SHOULD CHRISTIANS BORROW MONEY?

THE DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES

THE DEEP THINGS OF SATAN

DEMOCRACY --- A SCRIPTURAL PERSPECTIVE

THE CHURCH IS LOSING DISCERNMENT

DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE

DOCTRINAL STATEMENT

THE GREAT ENSLAVEMENT

WHAT IS FAITH? --- MOST CHRISTIANS DON'T KNOW

LAKE OF FIRE

IS RITUALISTIC FOOTWASHING SCRIPTURAL?

FROG

GOD'S VOMIT

GOSPEL MESSAGE IN MANY LANGUAGES

WHAT IS GRACE? --- MOST CHRISTIANS DON'T KNOW

HEADCOVERING

THE HOLOCAUST--- PERSECUTION OR GOD'S JUDGMENT?

HOW TO BE SAVED

HUMILITY

SHOULD CHRISTIANS BUY INSURANCE?

INTRODUCTION

THE JEWS ARE NOT GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE

OCCUPATIONS SUITABLE FOR CHRISTIANS

THE LAST DAY

THE LONELINESS OF THE CHRISTIAN

IT'S A MAN'S WORLD

THE MARK OF THE BEAST --- 666

THE MENACE OF THE RELIGIOUS MOVIE

A MESSAGE FOR MESSIANIC JEWS

MOTHER TERESA'S TEACHING

THERE'S A NEW HEAVEN COMING

THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES

NON-RESISTANCE

ALL THE NEW TESTAMENT COMMANDMENTS

THE GREAT OMISSION

THE PASTOR PHENOMENON

PERSECUTION AND MARTYRDOM --- THE NEW TESTAMENT NORM

PORNOGRAPHY

THE GREAT POSTPONEMENT

PRE-FLOOD DAYS AND YEARS

A REFUTATION OF PRETERISM

PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE?

THE PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE HOAX

PROPHETS

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

HARDLY ANY CHRISTIANS WILL BE RAPTURED!

 REPENTANCE ---  A FORGOTTEN DOCTRINE

ETERNAL REWARDS --- RECEIVING AND LOSING

SHOULD CHRISTIANS KEEP THE SABBATH?

SMOKE SCREENS

SPANKING CHILDREN

THE SUBJECTION AND SILENCE OF WOMEN

THE LORD'S SUPPER

TABLE OF DENOMINATIONS

SHOULD CHRISTIANS KEEP THE TEN COMMANDMENTS?

PROVOCATIVE THOUGHTS

SHOULD CHRISTIANS TITHE?

QUOTES FROM TOZER

TRIMMING CALVIN'S TULIP

ARE YOU A TRUE-CHRISTIAN APOSTATE?

HOW TO KNOW THE TRUTH

SHOULD CHRISTIANS WATCH TELEVISION?

TYPICAL CHRISTIAN RESPONSE

GOD'S ULTIMATE WARNING TO CHRISTIANS

UNDERGROUND CHURCH

UNFORGIVENESS

UNITY OF THE SPIRIT OR THE SPIRIT OF UNITY?

UNSAVED IN THE CHURCH

WHERE ARE THE UPRIGHT WOMEN?

VISITOR RESPONSES

SPIRITUAL WARFARE

WHO DO YOU THINK IS LYING?

HOW TO KNOW THE WILL OF GOD

CLICK HERE TO READ 100+ BRIEF TEXT BOXES ON THE ARTICLE CONTENTS PAGE THAT WILL GIVE YOU AN INVALUABLE EDUCATION CONCERNING HAVING A CLOSE WALK WITH JESUS CHRIST

Harry Bethel
BethelMinistries.com

Concerning the ordinance of foot washing, neither Christ nor the Apostles commanded that it should be done as a ritual in the assembly of believers. Washing feet should be a practical service rendered in the daily lives of the saints.

Washing feet was a custom in the East, and practiced as early as Abraham's time (Gen. 18:4; 19:2) before the advent of the nation of Israel and continued onward (Judges 19:21). These verses are indicative of the custom of one washing one's own feet. An Old Testament record of the host at least offering to wash the feet of guests is found in 1 Samuel 25:41. Of course, the open sandals and common travel by walking lent itself to refreshment by washing one's own feet or having them washed by someone else.

Jesus, as a guest in the Pharisee's house, reproved the latter, in part, for not giving any water for His feet. Although the host was not hospitable in this regard, there was a woman present who, in true humility and in a spirit of service, washed Jesus' feet with her tears (Lk. 7:44).

Washing the feet of guests was simply an act of hospitality extended by some hosts or their servants. There is no reason from Scripture to believe that any of the twelve Apostles personally washed the feet of guests in their homes. Jesus, in teaching a greater level of humility, said that they ought to wash one another's feet (Jn. 13:14). Jesus expected all His disciples to wash the feet of others, which is simply a manifestation of humility when done in a spirit of service. In fact, that level of humility is required of a widow in order for her name to be placed on the widows' list: "If she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints' [men's and women's] feet" (1 Tim. 5:10).

But this service to others is not the same as that seen among some Christian groups today. Feet are washed in a wholesale fashion, the ritual having been planned well in advance, and everyone having already washed their own feet before leaving their homes to participate in the foot-washing ceremony. The intention may be good in desiring to follow the Lord in obedience to His Word, but virtually the entire truth has been missed. The enemy has caused some of God's people to add another ritual like so many rituals of the Roman Church.

The requirement by Jesus (not an "ordinance") for Christians to wash one another's feet is just as needful today, as a demonstration of true humility, as it was during His earthly ministry. But this must be considered within the context of the culture within which one lives. (This is a fine point to consider, and we should in no way let cultural norms dictate how we interpret truth revealed in Scripture. Wisdom from God is needed here as in so many other practical applications of Scripture.) In the West the custom of washing feet as a service to guests is nonexistent. Indeed, as host in your home, if you were to ask a guest to remove his socks and shoes so that you can wash his feet, he likely would be embarrassed, and if the issue was pressed he would be offended.

The custom of washing the saints' feet in the East in the early Christian era was a practical act of hospitality. If we as Christians live in a society in which the washing of feet is a practical need, then the service should be rendered perhaps as often as we have guests in our home. And we should be the ones to wash our guests' feet, not hired servants if we have any.

Jesus' teaching regarding this was based on a practical need. Never should it be construed as an ordinance to be performed as a ritual or ceremony in the assembly of believers as practiced by some Christian groups today. Washing one brother's feet as a ceremony once or twice a year is not at all what Jesus taught. But as with a number of other practices, many well-meaning Christians today are guilty of tokenism. That is, they do things that are merely tokens of obedience to precepts rather than what is really required. Again, washing feet in lands where this is appropriate is just as much for today as it ever was. Even the best of Christendom today has gotten to the point where we think we can please God with our mere tokenism, including washing one or two pairs of feet each year as a ritual instead of rendering a practical service in true humility.

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