Footwashing in John 13 and the Johannine Community?

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Coram Deo

Puritan Board Junior
Does anybody know anything about this book?

It can be found here

Produce Description is:

There is good evidence that the Christian community where the Gospel of John was written practiced footwashing as a religious action. However, few scholars have studied the practice or meaning of the rite. This book undertakes the most comprehensive study so far of the practice of footwashing in the ancient world, unearthing many fascinating parallels to the early Christian act. Thomas next studies the footwashing in John 13 with the tools of modern literary analysis, asking what the text was intended to mean to the readers implied by the Gospel. He then turns to a study of the actual readers in John's community to reconstruct what they believed about it and how they carried it out. The author concludes that the purpose of footwashing in the community was to act as as sign of the cleansing of post-conversion sin committed by a disciple after baptism.

What are your thoughts on the above quote?

I personally do not have a problem with foot-washing as long as it is not seen as a sacrament. Whether it is an addendum of the Lord's Supper or just a ordinance that is not a sacrament..

But what are your thoughts on what the author wrote "the purpose of footwashing in the community was to act as as sign of the cleansing of post-conversion sin committed by a disciple after baptism."

What about his historical record of the Patristic practice of footwashing?

Knowing that Footwashing acts as a symbol of what we are suppose to do internal; humility, why shouldn't we practice it to remind us of what we are to do internally?

Any other thoughts on the topic?
 
Christ washed the feet of the twelve but the scripture never indicates that it should be repeated as an act of worship. I would think that those who hold to the RPW would/should reject this practice.
 
Bill,

I personally know RPWers that would disagree with you both CredoBaptist and PaedoBaptist...

And there does seem from scripture to indicate that it should be repeated and possible example of it in Timothy...

But I would rather interact with what the author of the book was quoted as..


Christ washed the feet of the twelve but the scripture never indicates that it should be repeated as an act of worship. I would think that those who hold to the RPW would/should reject this practice.
 
Then I'll leave you to others on the topic. I wouldn't argue on this topic except based on scripture.

Ta.
 
My pastor just preached on John 13 yesterday during morning worship.

He takes the view that Rev Winzer so concisely explained.

My pastor pointed out how Peter did not understand what Jesus was doing, how the Savior and Lord could stoop so low. Yet when Jesus tells Peter He must do this, Peter misunderstands again by thinking of the act as a sacrament similar to the cleansing ritual where the water and/or blood is to be applied to the ear lobe (head) thumb (hands) and big toe (feet).
 
Christ washed the feet of the twelve but the scripture never indicates that it should be repeated as an act of worship. I would think that those who hold to the RPW would/should reject this practice.

Exactly. The same would go for Ash Wednesday, Lent, the whole Church Calendar concept, or anything else not EXPLICITLY COMMANDED by the Scriptures.

The RPW is so simple, yet it is amazing how many will go to any length to deny it.
 
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