Discovery BoxJohn 13:10 
Context13:10 Jesus replied, 1 “The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, 2 but is completely 3 clean. 4 And you disciples 5 are clean, but not every one of you.”
John 13:18-21
Context13:18 “What I am saying does not refer to all of you. I know the ones I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture, 6 ‘The one who eats my bread 7 has turned against me.’ 8 13:19 I am telling you this now, 9 before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe 10 that I am he. 11 13:20 I tell you the solemn truth, 12 whoever accepts 13 the one I send accepts me, and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.” 14
13:21 When he had said these things, Jesus was greatly distressed 15 in spirit, and testified, 16 “I tell you the solemn truth, 17 one of you will betray me.” 18
1 tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”
2 tn Grk “has no need except to wash his feet.”
3 tn Or “entirely.”
4 sn The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet. A common understanding is that the “bath” Jesus referred to is the initial cleansing from sin, which necessitates only “lesser, partial” cleansings from sins after conversion. This makes a fine illustration from a homiletic standpoint, but is it the meaning of the passage? This seems highly doubtful. Jesus stated that the disciples were completely clean except for Judas (vv. 10b, 11). What they needed was to have their feet washed by Jesus. In the broader context of the Fourth Gospel, the significance of the foot-washing seems to point not just to an example of humble service (as most understand it), but something more – Jesus’ self-sacrificial death on the cross. If this is correct, then the foot-washing which they needed to undergo represented their acceptance of this act of self-sacrifice on the part of their master. This makes Peter’s initial abhorrence of the act of humiliation by his master all the more significant in context; it also explains Jesus’ seemingly harsh reply to Peter (above, v. 8; compare Matt 16:21-23 where Jesus says to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan”).
5 tn The word “disciples” is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb. Peter is not the only one Jesus is addressing here.
6 tn Grk “But so that the scripture may be fulfilled.”
7 tn Or “The one who shares my food.”
8 tn Or “has become my enemy”; Grk “has lifted up his heel against me.” The phrase “to lift up one’s heel against someone” reads literally in the Hebrew of Ps 41 “has made his heel great against me.” There have been numerous interpretations of this phrase, but most likely it is an idiom meaning “has given me a great fall,” “has taken cruel advantage of me,” or “has walked out on me.” Whatever the exact meaning of the idiom, it clearly speaks of betrayal by a close associate. See E. F. F. Bishop, “‘He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me’ – Jn xiii.18 (Ps xli.9),” ExpTim 70 (1958-59): 331-33.
sn A quotation from Ps 41:9.
9 tn Or (perhaps) “I am certainly telling you this.” According to BDF §12.3 ἀπ᾿ ἄρτι (ap’ arti) should be read as ἀπαρτί (aparti), meaning “exactly, certainly.”
10 tn Grk “so that you may believe.”
11 tn Grk “that I am.” R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:555) argues for a nonpredicated ἐγώ εἰμι (egw eimi) here, but this is far from certain.
12 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
13 tn Or “receives,” and so throughout this verse.
14 sn The one who sent me refers to God.
15 tn Or “greatly troubled.”
16 tn Grk “and testified and said.”
17 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
18 tn Or “will hand me over.”
