Luke 6:31

Luke 6:31, in plain English

Then came the simplest and most powerful rule of all: 'Treat others the way you want to be treated.' That's it. That's everything.

Why it's here

This one sentence distills all of Jesus' ethical teaching into a single, universally applicable principle.

Who's speaking

Jesus gives the Golden Rule — the summary of His ethical teaching.

Where it sits in the story

Before you speak, before you act, before you react — pause and ask: 'How would I want to be treated right now?' That simple question can transform every relationship you have.

The scholarly reading

The 'Golden Rule' — kathōs thelete hina poiōsin hymin hoi anthrōpoi, poieite autois homoiōs ("as you wish others to do to you, do likewise to them") — summarizes the ethical teaching in a single principle of empathetic reciprocity.

Language and setting

While negative formulations ('do not do to others...') existed in rabbinic tradition (Hillel) and Greco-Roman philosophy, Jesus' positive formulation demands active initiative rather than mere avoidance of harm.

Voice

Jesus states the Golden Rule as a summary principle for ethical conduct.

Significance

This verse functions as the hermeneutical key to the entire ethical section. Rather than providing exhaustive rules, Jesus offers a principle that can generate appropriate behavior in any situation.

29If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone takes your cloak, do not withhold your tunic as well.

30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what is yours, do not demand it back.

31Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.

33If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.

Read all of Luke 6 — Blessed are the poor; woe to the rich. Jesus delivers his version of the great sermon and demands a love so radical it includes your enemies.