Most people in Western society have heard of the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
This well-known teaching comes from Jesus Christ, quoted in Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31.
But many don’t realize there was a “Silver Rule” stated centuries before Christ and most often attributed to the philosopher Confucius in the 5th century BC. It states: Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you.
So, wait—did Jesus just steal this teaching and invert it?
Well, as we say in the Midwest, “Yeah, no.”
Christ isn’t simply putting a proactive spin on a Chinese proverb. What He’s actually doing is doubling down on a much older biblical teaching dating back to the time of Moses in the 14th century BC, found in Leviticus 19:18, which reads: Love your neighbor as yourself.
The Silver Rule feels like that old saying our mothers used to tell us: If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all.
But Christ’s teaching stands in stark contrast to both Confucius’ wisdom as well as our mothers’ kindness. The Golden Rule is not about tolerating people you dislike; it’s about treating people the way you’d want to be treated.
Christ didn’t just speak about the Golden Rule, but rather he showed it through serving others, even to the point of laying down his own life for them.
The Golden Rule is greater because the Silver Rule is essentially about avoidance, while the Golden Rule is about action.
