Is Footwashing in the New Testament a Command or Just Symbolic?
1) Direct Answer
It is a command to be practiced by believers. It is not merely symbolic, though it carries a spiritual meaning. Footwashing is a New Testament ordinance tied to the Lord’s Supper.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- Jesus said, “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet… I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you… If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them” (John 13:14–15, 17).
- He explained the spiritual meaning—cleansing in our daily walk—yet still told them to do it (John 13:8–10).
- The early church continued it: a faithful widow is described as one who “washed the saints’ feet” (1 Timothy 5:10).
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- Jesus didn’t say, “Think about what I did,” but, “Do as I have done to you.” That’s a command.
- If it were only cultural, the Holy Spirit would not have stamped it in the church record as a mark of faithful service (1 Timothy 5:10).
- Like water baptism and the Lord’s Supper, it is both meaningful and to be literally observed. The act expresses humility, fellowship, and the reminder that the Lord keeps us clean in our daily walk—but He still told us to do it.
4) Reinforcing Statement
Now notice, the Bible ties blessing to obedience: “Happy are ye if ye do them.” So we keep it because the Lord said so. It’s not three ideas or traditions—it’s one simple command: wash one another’s feet.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
On the wings of a snow-white Dove
65-1128E §44
The dove is used in the Bible as a symbol of peace, and also it's used by nations as a symbol of peace. We have nations... Our nation is represented by an eagle, and there's other birds of other nations. Rome has an eagle, Germany has an eagle; many of them, great birds of the sky. But in all of them, the dove symbolizes peace in all nations. It's a universal thing. Just like Brother Green said one night, Brother Pearry Green said, "The symbol of surrender is 'raise your hands.' Any nation, raise up your hands, it'...
The Token
63-1128E §42
How it would symbolize the three stages that we've come through! It would symbolize the three mercies of God, through Luther Martin, and Pentecost... Martin Luther, and also through Wesley, and Pentecost, the three stages of the journey. The three stages of Israel's journey, the three messengers to Sodom, all these different things it would symbolize. It would symbolize the ministry of today. It would symbolize the message of Billy Graham, of grace to the world; of Oral Roberts, as power to the world; and of the pr...
Exhortation on healing
51-0501 §23
Jesus went and spit on some mud and made a little cake and put it on a man's eyes. He didn't have to do that. Do you believe that? He [unclear words] another man's ears and spit and touched His tongue. And He had... He didn't have to do that. It was for some symbol. Is that right? Naaman was suppose to dip seven times in the Jordan. Why, he didn't have to do that. It was just a symbol that the prophet give him to do, something to do. And God sends some of us forth to do certain things. And then we see that God has...
Seals 4: The Second Seal
63-0319 §14
Now, a mysterious thing now when the beast told John, "Just come and see." And he didn't see what it was. He just saw a symbol. And that symbol, the reason it... He said, "Come see," but he saw a symbol, that he was to symbolize it to the church in a way that they would watch until it came to the last age. And then the seals would be opened. Now does everyone understand that now? See, the seals would be opened.
The Mark of the Beast
54-0513 §18
Now, we're going to begin. Turn in your Bible now to the 13th chapter of Revelations, and we will start just in a few moments. Now, this is very essential. And listen closely now. First, we want to pick up our subject from last night. Last night we taken on the church ages, how that we saw Jesus standing in His church, "Speaking as the voice of many waters and He had hair like wool; eyes like flames of fire." Remember, all the Revelation is a vision, and symbolic. All of it has a meaning, so you have to watch close...