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"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 our enemies and one way to do this is to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
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 which encompasses and encapsulates all of God's commandments. That's why Jesus uses the phrase, "for this is the Law and the Prophets." In fact, when Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, He said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 22:37–40). The Golden Rule has always been an essential part of the Bible's message.
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.
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 which encompasses and encapsulates all of God's commandments. That's why Jesus uses the phrase, "for this is the Law and the Prophets." In fact, when Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, He said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 22:37–40). The Golden Rule has always been an essential part of the Bible's message.
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.
