Matthew 7:12
Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
Jesus' Teachings
The Golden Rule
Do to others what you would want done to you — the sermon's whole ethic in one sentence
Introduction
What if you only had to remember one rule to know how to treat people? Near the close of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus offers exactly that — one sentence he says sums up everything the law and the prophets were actually asking for.
It sounds almost too simple to be the point of an entire sermon: treat others the way you'd want to be treated. But simple isn't the same as easy, and Jesus places it here, at the hinge of the sermon, as the practical test of everything he's just taught about anger, judgment, and love.
Most cultures before and after Jesus taught some version of this rule in the negative — don't do to others what you wouldn't want done to you. Jesus flips it positive, which changes everything about what it actually demands.
Scripture
Luke 6:31
And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
Galatians 5:14
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Translation note: Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV). The King James Version is in the public domain.
Key insights
- Jesus states it positively: act, don't just avoid harm
- It stands in for the whole law — not just good manners
- Most ancient versions of this rule were phrased negatively
- It requires imagination: knowing what you'd actually want
Related resources
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