The “Golden Rule” is the name given to a principle that Jesus taught in His Sermon on the Mount. The actual words “Golden Rule” are not found in the Scriptures, just as the words “Sermon on the Mount” are not found either. Later, Bible translation teams added these titles to make Bible study a little easier. The phrase “Golden Rule” began to be attributed to this teaching of Jesus during the 16th and 17th centuries.
What we call the Golden Rule refers to Matthew 7:12: “Then, in everything, do to others what you want them to do to you, because this sums up the Law and the Prophets”. Jesus knew the human heart and its selfishness. In fact, in the previous verse, he describes human beings as innately “evil” (verse 11). Jesus’ golden rule gives us a standard by which naturally selfish people can measure their actions: actively treat others the way they like to be treated.
The English Standard Version translates the Golden Rule thus: “Whatever you want others to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Jesus brilliantly condenses the entire Old Testament into this single principle, taken from Leviticus 19:18: “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.” Once again, we see the implication that people naturally love themselves, and the command uses that human flaw as a starting point for treating others.
People universally demand respect, love, and appreciation, whether they deserve it or not. Jesus understood this desire and used it to promote godly behavior. Do you want them to show you respect? So respect others. Do you long for a kind word? Then speak words of kindness to others. “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). The Golden Rule is also part of the second great commandment, preceded only by the command to love God himself ( Matthew 22:37–39 ).
What is interesting to note about the Golden Rule is that no other religious or philosophical system has its equal. Jesus’ golden rule is not the “ethics of reciprocity” so commonly adopted by non-Christian moralists. Liberal critics and secular humanists often try to explain away the uniqueness of the Golden Rule by saying that it is a common ethic shared by all religions. This is not the case. Jesus’ command has a subtle but very important difference. A quick review of the sayings of Eastern religions will make this clear:
• Confucianism: “Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you” ( Analects 15:23)
• Hinduism: “This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause you pain if they did it to you” (Mahabharata 5:1517)
• Buddhism: “Do not harm others in a way that would harm yourself” (Udanavarga 5:18).
These sayings are similar to the Golden Rule, but are expressed negatively and are based on passivity. The Golden Rule of Jesus is a positive command to show love. proactively Eastern religions say: “Refrain from doing”, Jesus says: “Do!” Eastern religions say that it is enough to control your negative behavior, Jesus says to find ways to act positively. Due to the “inverted” nature of non-Christian sayings, they have been described as the “silver rule.”
Some have accused Jesus of “borrowing” the idea of the Golden Rule from Eastern religions. However, the texts of Confucianism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, cited above, were all written between 500 and 400 BC. C, at least. Jesus takes the Golden Rule from Leviticus, written around 1450 B.C. So, Jesus’ source for the Golden Rule predates the “silver rule” by about 1,000 years. Who “borrowed” from whom?
The command to love is what separates Christian ethics from the ethics of any other religion. In fact, the defense of love in the Bible includes the radical command to love even one’s enemies ( Matthew 5:43–44 ; cf. Exodus 23:4–5 ). This is unheard of in other religions.
Obeying the Christian imperative to love others is a mark of a true Christian (John 13:35). In fact, Christians cannot claim to love God if they do not actively love other people as well. “If someone says: ‘I love God’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, he cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20). The Golden Rule summarizes this idea and is unique to the Judeo-Christian Scriptures.