11 Bible Verses about Ritual Washing
Most Relevant Verses
I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.
Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he opened for us through the curtain, that is, his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God,read more.
let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded. Then he came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered him, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."read more.
Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not every one of you."
Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Now six stone jars were standing there, according to the manner for purification of the Jews, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.
Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purifying.
Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus and said, "Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat." He answered them, "And why do you transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?read more.
For God commanded, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might have received from me is a gift to God' he is not to honor his father with it. Thus you have made the word of God of no effect for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, when he said: 'These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.'" And he called the people to him and said to them, "Hear and understand: not what goes into the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."
Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered together to him, they saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.read more.
When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash themselves. And there are many other traditions which they observe, the washing of cups and pitchers and copper vessels.) The Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with impure hands?" And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites; as it is written: 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. In vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.' You let go of the commandment of God, and hold on to the tradition of men." And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God, in order to keep your tradition! For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban' (that is, a gift devoted to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do." And he called all the people to him again, and said to them, "Hear me, everyone, and understand: there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him." (...) When he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. So he said to them, "Are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, since it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and so passes on?" (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, "What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, come evil thoughts, fornications, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man."
While he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him; so he went in and sat at table. The Pharisee was surprised to see that he did not first wash before dinner. But the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.read more.
You foolish ones! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? But give for alms those things which are within; and behold, everything is clean for you.
These preparations having thus been made, the priests go continually into the outer tabernacle, performing their ritual duties. But into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the holy place had not yet been disclosed as long as the outer tabernacle was still standing.read more.
This is symbolic for the present time. According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, since they relate only to food and drink and various washings regulations for the flesh imposed until the time of reformation. But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, he entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves, but he entered the holy place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?