A familiar Bible saying, checked in context
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
Paraphrase
Luke 6:31 expresses the familiar Golden Rule with different KJV words and word order.
By @The..Mustard..Seed · Updated
Read the relevant KJV passage
Luke 6:31And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
Compare the evidence
Matthew’s parallel is especially close to the common form and adds “for this is the law and the prophets.”
Matthew 7:12Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
The command to love a neighbour appears in the law. Reading it beside the Gospel saying shows a related theme without making the two sentences identical.
Leviticus 19:18Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
What the context adds
Luke 6:31 gives the rule in the setting of loving enemies, doing good, and lending without expecting repayment. Matthew 7:12 presents its own version as a summary of the law and the prophets. The familiar “Do unto others” wording is a compact restatement, while the KJV uses “as ye would that men should do to you.” The surrounding paragraphs matter: Luke’s audience is asked to act generously even when a person may not return the favor. The familiar sentence can sound like mutual politeness; the Gospel setting goes further.
A question to carry forward
What does the rule ask of a reader when the other person is unlikely to return the kindness?
Keep reading
Read Luke 6:27–36 and ask whom Jesus includes when he speaks of doing good.
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