Feet Washing.

Feet washing is the modern position. LS is commanded and seen as a NT church practice in the NT. FW is not.

 

I don't understand what you mean, when you say: Feet washing is the modern position??

By who Tom? The majority, and does that make it right?

Also, maybe you could give us an answer why did the Lord wait until after supper to wash their feet, and say "what I do now ye know not, but ye shall know hereafter". I am sure you know he couldn't of meant "washing their feet because they were dirty", surely the apostles would of know that.

BBob,

 

John 13:8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.

Christ was teaching us to serve. He was also teaching us humility. He also said:
John 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.

He was pretty plain in what He was saying. Nobody has a problem with braking the bread and drinking the wine but they have an issue with washing the feet. He did all of them.
If you try to say that it was cultural or a symbol meaning to serve, then why brake the bread and drink the wine? Maybe thats cultural and symbolic also.

Washing a brothers feet causes one to be humble. Some are too proud to do this. Some may be at chuches were it has never been done so they never considered it. What ever the case may be, there are numerous reasons not to do it and only one reason to do it. It's because of that one reason that I choose to do it.

If you have never done it, I urge you to do it once. Pray about it and humble yourself to wash your brothers and sisters feet. I have yet to do it and not experience the Lord blessing me. If you do it for the right reason and not just to perform a ritual, there is no question it is pleasing to the Lord.

 

Why not really humble yourselves, and go to a nursing home, and offer help there... Get a job as an orderly...

It must be so comforting to walk out of church knowing that you are a humble person... and all other denominations that don't are not as humble as you.

There are 2 church ordinances in the Baptist denomination.
Baptism and communion... not Foot Washing.. Foot washing was added, and from what I have seen it was added about the same time as snake handling was added.

 

Since Jesus done it to the disciples, His example was here first. That truly means we didn't add it, most people dropped it.

 

Really, someone should of told the Lord, don't you think Tim??

Here is where a widow receive "honor" because she had washed the saints feet. Look like it would be the same if she had of washed some poor person's feet, unless there was something attached to the washing of the saint's feet. What you think??

1 Tim 5:
9: Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man,
10: Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.

She only lodged the strangers, but washed the Saints feet, what about that!!

Never read about any snake handling for religeous purposes, have you??

This observation of washing feet shows that it went a long way back farther than what you said Tim. It says that some churches rejected it. That tells me that most did it.


BBob,

 

Don't they have those snake handlers in your neck of the woods, Tim? :laugh:

 

RE: Feet washing

The word "CHRISTian" means CHRIST-like. Jesus washed the Disciples feet AFTER the Sacrament, not before. I choose to do what Jesus Christ did. I won't post all the scriptures that are already posted by Bro Bob and Bro Outsider, but these are why I choose to wash my Brother's feet. When Peter told Jesus He wasn't going to wash his feet, Jesus told him if I wash thee not, you will have not part with me(something close to that). Peter then said not only feet, but my head and my hands also. IOW, wash me all over if you want to!! It all boils down to being submissive to God and His commands, IMHO. If y'all don't wash feet in your home church, it's your business, not mine. But for me and my house, I will serve the Lord. Y'all have to serve Him the best way you know how. I am not your judge. May God bless!!

Willis

 

Tim,

It is a wonderful experience. I really urge you to try it sometime.
I truly hope you didn't mean what you said. I can assure you that is not what I think when I leave our communion. But I do leave rejoicing and singing praises to the Lord so I do not think what we do is wrong.

 

The Historian Dr. Philip Schaff on Feet Washing.
In these views we are fully borne out by the eminent Dr. Philip Schaff. In his history of the Christian Church from the Apostles on he has occasion to note the practice of feet-washing. He endeavors to look upon it with the eyes of those early saints, and then testifies as follows: "This washing of feet seems to answer fully the conception of a sacrament. There is the outward and visible sign--the washing of feet; and the promise of salvation connected therewith; and the express command of Christ--"I have given you an example," &c.
In Chambers' Encyclopedia we have the same testimony, also abundantly confirming our conclusions as above stated. [105] Under the word "Washing of feet" it is said: "The origin of this observance is extremely ancient. It is founded on the example and exhortation or precept of our Lord Jesus, John 13:5-14, and is traceable in the writings of Justin, Tertullian, Ambrose and Augustine. The writings of Augustine plainly show that this practice was in use in his day * * * * as a solemn institution of Christ."

Here is proof by a Historian, who most admire Dr. Phillip Schaff, that the feet washing went all the way back to the ancient church and recognized by such names as Justin, Tertullian, Ambrose and Augustine.

Maybe you should do a study on it.

BTW; Not one of these early fathers mentioned "snake handling" .

We never made no such statement and do not deserve to be told that, by your or anyone else.

BBob,

 

Christ was teaching us servanthood.. and when he said to do likewise, he was telling us to be a servant... not just wash feet...

Serve soup in homeless shelters
If someone NEEDS their feet washed, wash them.. .(BTW, how many here wash their feet before going to a foot washing?) If you want to be like the disciples and Jesus, go out wear sandals, and get them really dirty.

Take a homeless person to breakfast
Go clean a elderly person's toilet...
Become a servant to others..

If a church practices feet washing, but isn't a servant to the community, then is that church really serving?
Of course I hope all churches here that practice this is also serving others... that would be GREAT!

I don't mean to flame anyone beliefs, but to be a baptist, there are only 2 ordinances we hold to.. baptism and communion.. .

That is in the Baptist distinctives...
So when you add foot washing as an ordinance, you are no longer Baptist IMO.

I have been known to do some really disgusting stuff to help others.
I would have no problem washing someone's feet if they needed it. I have..
I would have no problem cleaning someone's toilet if they needed it. I have...
I am not above helping or serving.. I just don't see footwashing as an ordinance...

But if your church can praise God doing it... Go for it.
Just don't expect me to participate.

 

Sorry then about the snake handling thing..

 

With that kind of attutude towards it, you would not be welcome to take it, or wash feet.

Why not start off with what He really told us to do. Also, were all the early church fathers wrong?

So now you are calling us non-Baptist. That is not your call and you are out of line.

When were thes Baptist distinctives written, before Justin??

There are only 8 of which we keep, its just that we don't consider those 8 to be all of the Bible.

BBob,

 

Joh 13:13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. Do you call him Lord and Master? Christ is the head of the church. What church do you go to?

 

Wrong part of the state...
WV is the only state that it is still legal for churches to handle snakes... and most of this is done in the southern counties of WV.. down in the real Appalachia.. Talk about going back in time, visit southern WV.. it is a different world!

We up in the northern part of WV are not as folksy.

But I have to say something good about the fact that WV allows snakehandling... We are an independant bunch, and really know what religious freedom is all about...

I have always said, that WV churches could be filled if WV would pass a law that men could not go to church here.. and if they did, they would be arrested and tried for treason....

Our attitude... "YOU WATCH ME!!!" And the churches would be full of rednecks trying to prove that NNE, I mean NNE tells us what to do!!

I am proud to be a WVian.
We are not afraid to fight for what we believe in. We will stand up to a tornado, and laugh at it.
We will lead the fight..for what is right... Just look at the fight in the ABC/USA... Guess who is one of the leaders to reform it... YOU got it right the WVBC.

Sometimes I can get scrappy on here.. .part of that is my upbringing in WV. We are a stubborn bunch...

But we can be the most loyal, and loving bunch as well!

 

Feet Washing

Foot washing meetings are my favorite meetings, we have one every year then every church in the Old Regular has one each year so you can visit them and share their joy.

1 Tim ch 5 verse 9&10 says that one of the qualifications of a widow indeed was that she has washed the saints feet.

 

Here are the Baptist distinctives.. it is what makes us Baptist.
Notice there are only 2 ordinances...
If you call footwashing an ordinance.. you are not technically a Baptist since you have just added a third ordinance to the list. That is not me out of line, I am just stating a fact and pointing out that Baptists, we have only 2 ordinances.. this is a fact. And an ordaining detail.. if we would say there are 3 ordinances.. no baptist church will ordain us.

NOw if you just incorporate this into communion and not call it an ordinance, then you have no problem.
Besides, you have the soul liberty to do what you feel God calling you to do.. and if you truly feel God wants you to wash each others feet, go for it.. He has not convinced me that we need to do that now. There are more pressing needs.

I am sorry if I offend anyone because I am standing this way.. I have just vowed to uphold the Baptist distinctives when I was ordained a baptist minister. And to do otherwise would be sin to me.. because I believe the baptist distinctives are biblical.
Here they are..



HISTORIC BAPTIST DISTINCTIVES

Bible - the soul authority for faith and practice ​

Autonomy or independence of the local church​

Priesthood of all believers​

T wo offices - ​

​

<B>Pastor ​

Deacon



​

Individual soul liberty and responsibility

Separation of Church & State​

​

Two ordinances​

​

Believer's Baptism by immersion ​

Lord's Supper​

​

Saved, baptized and serving members​

http://www.fbinstitute.com/moore/baptistdist.html


​

</B>

 

Charles Spurgeon

As often as ye have done it unto one of these little ones, ye have done it unto me. Amen,

Luk 7:38And stood at his feet behind [him] weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe [them] with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed [them] with the ointment.

BBob,

 

I have you know, I was a Baptist, probably before you came into the world.

I do not see "to love thy neighbor as thyself". Don't you have to do that to be a Baptist. You are being ridiculous Tim. I could go on and on and on and on, with scripture that is not in your distinctives. jeepers

If it turns out that I am right and you are wrong, because the distinctives come before scripture, then you went through this world leaving off some of what Jesus told you to do. If I am wrong, then Jesus is not going to hold it against me because I love my brethren enough to kneel down and wash their feet. I left my pride in the sinful world.
BBob,

 

\

That's true, I have no doubt.. but if you call it an ordinance, you are not a 2 ordinance baptist, but a 3 ordinance baptist, and in my neck of the woods there are only 2 ordinances...
2 ordinances are the standard for Baptists...

I didn't invent the distinctives.. so don't crucify me... I am just pointing out that Christ only gave 2 ordinances... Baptism and communion.

I have no beef with you Bob... I KNOW you are a great Christian.. and I am honored to have known you.. I just disagree with you on this.

And if I was ever worshipping with you on the day you had feet washing, I would simply excuse myself.

And if others came along, and wanted to outlaw it, I would stand beside you shoulder to shoulder to protect your rights.

I just don't see it as a literal interpretation.. I see the meaning behind it to mean that we are to serve others in their needs.