Is the statement 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you' biblical?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" is a biblical statement. In fact, it is more than a biblical statement; it is a command from Jesus Christ Himself. In Luke 6:31 Jesus says, "And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them." Matthew 7:12 says, "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." Jesus' command comes in the context of the Sermon on the Mount, in a section where He discusses loving our enemies. The natural instinct is to hate our enemies and wish for hurt to come upon them. Jesus says that His children are to live differently. We are to love even our enemies, and one way to do this is to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Leviticus 19:34 says, “You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.” In this passage, the Lord God instructs the Israelites on treating neighbors in their land. They were to care for foreigners who dwelt among them in the same way they would native Israelites.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• In Luke 6:31 Jesus says, "And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them."
• Matthew 7:12 says, "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." The Law and the Prophets is a way to refer to the Old Testament. The specific laws of the Old Testament are summed up by loving God and loving others (see Matthew 22:37–40). Our love for God is revealed in our love for others, and treating others the way we would want to be treated reveals our love.
• Christ revealed His love for us even when we were sinners, and we, too, are called to love others, whether or not they deserve our love. “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6–8).
• Romans 12:20 tells us how we are to treat our enemies: “To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’” This verse is about responding to evil with kindness, which can have a transformative effect on the one who wrongs you. We can do unto our enemies what we would want done to us and in so doing show them love.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Christ's command has been aptly named "the Golden Rule" and its wisdom is almost universally recognized. Christ's command is a “law of love” (see Romans 13:8–10) which encompasses and encapsulates all of God's commandments. That's why Jesus uses the phrase, "for this is the Law and the Prophets." The Golden Rule is positive in nature and by it, Christ commands positive action. Rather than simply tell us not to hate, Christ tells us to actively love others. For example, do you want others to protect and preserve your life when you are in danger? Yes. Therefore, in order to keep the Golden Rule you would need to do the same to others, seek to protect and preserve their life. Shortly before His crucifixion Jesus told His disciples, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34–35). "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" is one way to explain what loving others looks like in practice.

UNDERSTAND

• The Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” is a direct teaching from Jesus (Luke 6:31; Matthew 7:12), summarizing the Law and the Prophets.
• Doing unto others as we would have them do unto us calls for active, positive actions towards others, including our enemies.
• This rule goes beyond merely avoiding harm, embodying the essence of loving others as Christ loves us, fulfilling all of God's commandments.

REFLECT

• How does the Golden Rule challenge you to act differently in situations where you might feel wronged or mistreated?
• Can you recall a recent situation where applying the Golden Rule made a positive difference in your relationship with someone?
• How does doing unto others as you would have them do unto you challenge or encourage you?

ENGAGE

• Many other cultures have laws similar to the Golden Rule. However, they are different; usually these statements are about not doing things to others that you would not like to be done to you. This is a negative action statement—avoid doing things that are distasteful. Jesus calls us to go above and beyond just avoiding doing certain things to others; He calls us to love others and to actively do good to them as you would like to be done to you. We let the love of Christ shine through us in hopes that they will see Him and His love in us (Matthew 5:14–16; 1 John 4:7–12).
• In what ways do the teachings of Jesus in Luke 6:31 and Matthew 7:12 expand on or differ from similar principles found in other cultural or religious traditions?
• How could applying this principle of “doing unto others” radically change our relationships?