Luke 6:33 kjv
And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
Luke 6:33 nkjv
And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
Luke 6:33 niv
And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.
Luke 6:33 esv
And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
Luke 6:33 nlt
And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much!
Luke 6 33 Cross References
Verse | Text | Reference |
---|---|---|
Luke 6:27-28 | But to you who are listening, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you... | Love enemies, foundational to this passage. |
Luke 6:32 | "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them." | Parallel verse, setting up the exact point. |
Luke 6:34 | And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. | Lending without expectation of return. |
Matt 5:46 | For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? | Parallel teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. |
Matt 5:44 | But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you... | Core command to radical love. |
Matt 5:48 | Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. | Call to divine imitation as ultimate standard. |
Rom 12:17 | Repay no one evil for evil... | Counter-cultural ethics of discipleship. |
Rom 12:20-21 | But "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink... Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." | Practical application of doing good to enemies. |
1 Cor 13:4-7 | Love is patient, love is kind... it does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking... | Definition of selfless, non-reciprocal love. |
1 Pet 2:20 | For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten, you endure it patiently? But if when you do good... you suffer for it and endure it patiently, this is a credit in God’s sight. | Distinction between deserved and underserved suffering for righteousness. |
Prov 25:21-22 | If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink... | Old Testament principle of kindness to enemies. |
Heb 13:16 | Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. | Pleasing God through selfless acts. |
1 John 4:7-8 | Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God... Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. | God's nature is love, to be mirrored. |
Luke 14:12-14 | When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends... but invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind... | Selfless generosity, inviting those who cannot repay. |
Ps 112:5 | It is well with the man who deals generously and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice. | Generosity without expectation. |
Gal 6:10 | So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. | Universal application of doing good. |
Titus 3:1 | Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities... to be ready for every good work... | Call to constant readiness for good works. |
Matt 6:1 | "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven." | Motive for doing good: for God, not human praise. |
Col 3:23-24 | Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. | Working for God's approval, not human reward. |
1 John 3:18 | Little children, let us not love with words or with speech but with actions and in truth. | Love as actionable, not merely verbal or transactional. |
Luke 6 verses
Luke 6 33 Meaning
Luke 6:33 challenges the conventional human standard of goodness, which often operates on a principle of reciprocity. The verse points out that merely doing good to those who already do good to you, or loving those who love you, brings no special "credit" or distinct spiritual merit in God's eyes. This is because even "sinners"—a term often used to denote those who operate outside the established moral or religious norms—adhere to such transactional ethics. Jesus raises the standard for His disciples, urging them to move beyond a reciprocal model to a more radical, selfless, and unconditional love and goodness that reflects the character of God.
Luke 6 33 Context
Luke 6:33 is part of Jesus’s extended discourse often called the “Sermon on the Plain” (Luke 6:17-49), which parallels elements of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel. This section of Luke follows Jesus's selection of the twelve apostles and includes beatitudes (blessings) for the poor, hungry, sorrowful, and persecuted, followed by woes for the rich, well-fed, laughing, and popular. The verses immediately preceding Luke 6:33, specifically Luke 6:27-32, lay the foundation for Jesus's radical ethical teaching: "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you." He challenges His hearers to "turn the other cheek," give generously, and lend without expectation of repayment. Verse 33 then highlights that merely doing good to those who already reciprocate is not a distinctive mark of a follower of Christ. The teaching culminates in Luke 6:35-36, urging believers to "be merciful, just as your Father is merciful," calling them to imitate God's indiscriminate goodness.
Historically, the Greco-Roman world and the Jewish society of Jesus's time largely operated on principles of reciprocity, honor, and shame. It was expected that one would be good to friends and vengeful towards enemies. Jesus directly confronts and subverts this widely accepted cultural norm, presenting a counter-cultural ethic rooted in God's nature rather than human standards of justice or reward. This was a direct polemic against any belief system—Jewish or Gentile—that limited love and goodness to those who earned it or reciprocated it, exposing the inadequacy of a merely self-serving or transactional righteousness.
Luke 6 33 Word analysis
And if you do good (καὶ ἐὰν ἀγαθοποιῆτε - kai ean agathopoieite):
- ἀγαθοποιῆτε (agathopoieite) is from agathopoieō, meaning to do good, to act kindly, to benefit, to practice good. It emphasizes the active, intentional performance of good deeds.
- The conditional "if" (ἐὰν - ean) implies a common, understandable action that is being put into question by Jesus.
to those who do good to you (τοὺς ἀγαθοποιοῦντας ὑμᾶς - tous agathopoiountas hymas):
- This phrase highlights the reciprocal nature of the "good" being done. It's a natural human inclination to treat well those who treat us well. This is the baseline, transactional behavior.
what credit is that to you? (ποία ὑμῖν χάρις ἐστίν - poia hymin charis estin):
- ποία (poia): A rhetorical interrogative meaning "what sort of?" or "what kind of?" implying "of what value?" or "of what distinction?"
- χάρις (charis): This multifaceted Greek word means "grace," "favor," "charm," or "thanks." In this context, it refers to "merit," "credit," or "reward" in a divine sense. Jesus's rhetorical question signifies that such actions hold no special merit or distinguishing value in God's sight beyond what is naturally expected from human interactions. There's no heavenly reward for simply participating in human quid pro quo.
For even sinners (καὶ γὰρ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοί - kai gar hoi hamartōloi):
- καὶ γὰρ (kai gar): "for even" or "because also," introducing the explanatory comparison.
- ἁμαρτωλοί (hamartōloi): Plural of hamartōlos, which means "sinner." In this biblical context, it refers to individuals or groups who were generally considered by society (often by religious leaders) as not adhering strictly to God's law or religious customs, such as tax collectors, prostitutes, or those not zealous in piety. The term is used here not to condemn them, but as a universally understood benchmark for those operating without an explicitly divine standard. It sets a low bar, underscoring that ordinary, unspiritualized human behavior already reaches this level.
do the same (τὸ αὐτὸ ποιοῦσιν - to auto poiousin):
- τὸ αὐτὸ (to auto): "the same (thing)."
- ποιοῦσιν (poiousin): "they do" or "they make."
- This phrase concludes the comparison, stating directly that the actions of reciprocal goodness are not unique to followers of God; they are commonplace even among those not striving for spiritual righteousness.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "And if you do good to those who do good to you": This phrase establishes the specific scenario being evaluated – a relationship characterized by mutual benefit and positive exchange. It is presented as a common, default human behavior.
- "what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.": This pivotal part questions the spiritual value of such behavior and then provides the rationale for its limited merit by referencing the actions of "sinners." The implication is that true righteousness, pleasing to God, must surpass mere human-centric, self-interested reciprocity. It points to a higher standard of love and action, motivated not by expected return, but by a selfless desire to do good.
Luke 6 33 Bonus section
- This verse is a prime example of Jesus raising the standard of righteousness beyond mere external observance or legalistic adherence. It's about an inward transformation that redefines how a believer interacts with the world, moving from a calculating ethic to one of overflowing, sacrificial grace.
- The comparison to "sinners" (specifically tax collectors, as often paralleled in Matthew 5:46) would have been particularly stinging for the Jewish audience, as tax collectors were typically seen as collaborating with Roman oppressors and were reviled for their extortionist practices. By stating that "even" these individuals manage reciprocal kindness, Jesus lowers the moral bar significantly for merely transactional good, thereby emphasizing the higher standard required of His followers.
- The entire "Sermon on the Plain" is a call to be like God—a theme explicitly stated in Luke 6:36 ("Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful"). Luke 6:33 demonstrates the negative side of this teaching: how not to be, and implicitly, how to embody the selfless mercy of God in one's actions towards all, regardless of their past deeds or potential future reciprocation.
Luke 6 33 Commentary
Luke 6:33 stands as a concise yet powerful indictment of an ethical system driven by reciprocity. Jesus teaches that if one's actions are merely a mirror of the good they receive, there is no distinguishing characteristic of divine discipleship. It highlights that natural human inclination, even without conscious faith or moral conviction, can lead to such transactional goodness.
The challenge posed by Jesus is profound: True discipleship, empowered by God's Spirit, transcends the worldly principle of "I scratch your back, you scratch mine." It calls believers to embody the nature of God, who pours out rain and sunshine on the righteous and unrighteous alike (Matt 5:45). To receive "credit" or spiritual reward from God, one must act from a heart of unconditional love and mercy, willing to give even when there is no expectation of return, and to do good even to those who may be adversarial. This sets Jesus’s followers apart, defining them not by the goodness of others towards them, but by their own initiative to reflect divine generosity. It forces us to examine our motives: are we kind because we expect something in return, or because it reflects the heart of the Father? Practical application means loving neighbors who annoy us, offering help to those who have previously failed us, or forgiving debts knowing they might not be repaid.