Luke 6:40 · Bible study
Luke 6:40 Commentary: Discipleship to Christ
Greek · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What does it mean to be 'fully trained'? A study of Luke 6:40's key Greek term (katērtismenos) and its promise of Christlikeness.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Disciples are formed into the likeness of their Teacher (Christ), not elevated above Him. Formation is a process of being set right.
- Key words: mathētēs (learner/disciple), katērtismenos (perfect passive participle, to be fully trained, restored, set in joint).
- Main debate: Does katērtismenos promise entire sanctification in this life (Clarke/Wesleyan), or does it describe comparative thoroughness of training (Calvin/Gill)? Both agree the final goal is Christlikeness.
- Theological theme: Discipleship as formation into Christlikeness, not mere information transfer; the humility of remaining under the Master's authority.
- Best use: A grounding text for pastoral formation, spiritual direction, and encouraging believers that growth into Christ's likeness is God's sure work.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.
WEB World English Bible 2000
A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.
KJV King James Version 1769
The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
The disciple is not above his teacher: but every one when he is perfected shall be as his teacher.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
A disciple is not above his teacher, but every one perfected shall be as his teacher.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
The disciple is not above his teacher, but every one that is perfected shall be as his teacher.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
The disciple is not above his master: but every one shall be perfect, if he be as his master.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
El discípulo no es sobre su maestro; mas cualquiera que fuere como el maestro, será perfecto.
O discípulo não está acima do seu mestre; mas todo aquele que estiver completamente capacitado será como o seu mestre.
Le disciple n’ est pas plus que le maître; mais tout disciple accompli sera comme son maître.
Der Jünger ist nicht über seinen Meister; wenn der Jünger ist wie sein Meister, so ist er vollkommen.
De discipel is niet boven zijn meester; maar een iegelijk volmaakt discipel zal zijn gelijk zijn meester.
Un discepolo non è da più del maestro; ma ogni discepolo perfetto sarà come il suo maestro.
Nie jestci uczeń nad mistrza swego; lecz doskonały będzie każdy, będzieli jako mistrz jego.
Ученик не бывает выше своего учителя; но, и усовершенствовавшись, будет всякий, как учитель его.
學生 不 能 高過 先生； 凡 學成了 的不過 和 先生 一樣。
The disciple is not greater than his master, but everyone whose learning is complete will be like his master.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 6:40
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree on the verse's central claim: disciples cannot surpass their teacher, but the whole aim of training is to make them resemble the teacher. The key term driving the interpretation is the participle κατηρτισμένος (katērtismenos), the perfect passive of καταρτίζω (katartizō, to mend, set, equip). Vincent notes the verb was used in medical language for setting a bone. The perfect tense denotes a completed state with ongoing results, and the passive voice indicates the disciple receives this formation.
Calvin argued Christ's point was specifically about resemblance, the disciple being made fit and suitable to the master, not abstract perfection. Adam Clarke, from a Wesleyan perspective, stressed thorough instruction joined with a heart united to God, seeing it as a promise of sanctification. Gill viewed it as comparative perfection in knowledge, not absolute in this life. The JFB reading connects it directly to the preceding parable: a blind guide's perfect training only results in a shared fall. Together, the grammar of the passive participle promises that discipleship is a process of being set right into the image of the Teacher.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The core truth is undisputed across traditions: disciples are formed to be like their Teacher, not to surpass Him. The goal of discipleship is Christlikeness through submission to the Master's training.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The meaning of 'fully trained' (katērtismenos) | The word implies a process of being completed, restored, or fitted. The perfect passive participle indicates the disciple receives this training as a finished work with ongoing results. | Some traditions (Wesleyan/Holiness, following Adam Clarke) read this as a promise of entire sanctification or Christian perfection possible in this life. Others (Reformed, following Calvin and Gill) emphasize comparative perfection and fitness for purpose, meaning the disciple is thoroughly conditioned to be like the master, not absolutely sinless. |
| Context of the maxim: Warning vs. Promise | Verse 40 is directly connected to the blind guide parable in v.39. The fate of the disciple is tied to the quality of the teacher. | Does the passage primarily warn potential leaders not to be blind guides (JFB, Matthew Henry), or does it primarily promise that those properly trained by Christ will be like Him (Clarke, Lange)? Most harmonize the two, seeing it as both a warning against bad teachers and a promise to those faithful to the true Teacher. |
| The scope of 'everyone' (pas) | The verse applies universally to all disciples, not just the original twelve apostles or formal church leaders. | No significant debate. The term pas is interpreted universally across traditions. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Luke places this saying within the Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:17-49), a collection of Jesus' ethical teaching on mercy and judgment. It arrives immediately after the sharp parable in verse 39: "Can the blind guide the blind? Won't they both fall into a pit?"
In first-century Judaism, the relationship between a rabbi and his talmidim (students) was total. The goal of a disciple was to absorb the rabbi's teaching and imitate his life so closely that the student could be said to be covered in the dust of the rabbi. The word mathētēs (disciple) itself means learner. You did not surpass your master; you aimed to become a faithful extension of him. Jesus takes this common proverb and presses it into a promise and a warning.
The warning in Luke's context targets spiritual superiority. If you appoint yourself a judge over others (v.37) or a guide for the blind, you had better have your own sight clear (v.42). The promise lands on the disciple who stays under the Master. The verb katērtismenos, used in Greek medical literature for reducing a dislocated limb (noted by Adam Clarke), pictures discipleship as a healing restoration. You are not asked to surpass Jesus. You are invited to be set right by Him so that your life increasingly shows His character. This is a promise that His work in you will reshape you into His likeness.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Luke 6:40. The Greek text is stable across major manuscript families, including the Alexandrian and Byzantine traditions. The reading κατηρτισμένος (katērtismenos) for fully trained is universally attested with no notable dispute. The consistency of the text across these traditions contributes to the strong ecumenical agreement on the verse's core meaning.
Reception History
Luke 6:40 has served as a foundational text for Christian formation across traditions. The early church used it to anchor catechesis in the goal of imitation rather than mere instruction. Monastic and spiritual formation traditions drew on it extensively to frame the teacher-student relationship as a path to Christlikeness.
In the Reformation period, Calvin stressed the resemblance aspect of the verse, guarding against spiritual pride. Wesleyan tradition (through Adam Clarke) emphasized the transformative promise: the heart can be united to God and purified, seeing this as a promise of sanctification for the faithful disciple. Baptist expositor John Gill applied the verse to the integrity of pastoral ministry, warning that a flawed teacher produces flawed disciples. Across these traditions, the verse anchors the teaching ministry of the Church in the hope that formation into Christ's likeness is the goal of discipleship.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- The Boundary of Discipleship (v.40a). A disciple is not above his teacher. This is a fundamental humility. We do not outgrow the need for the Master. Any vision of spiritual life that sees us ascending beyond Christ misunderstands the gospel.
- The Goal of Discipleship (v.40b). Everyone when fully trained will be like his teacher. The perfect passive participle (katērtismenos) promises a completed work of restoration. The goal is not information but transformation into Christlikeness. We are being set right.
- The Hope of the Disciple. If the goal is likeness to the Teacher, then the process (however slow or painful) has a sure completion. The Master's training will not fail.
Five-Point Outline
- Position: The disciple is not above the teacher. This sets a ceiling on pride.
- Peril: The blind guide context (v.39) shows the cost of bad teaching, both leader and follower fall.
- Process: Fully trained (katērtismenos). The passive voice reminds us we are not self-made disciples. The Master trains us.
- Promise: Will be like his teacher. This is a divine guarantee, not a human aspiration.
- Practice: This demands clear self-assessment (the beam and the speck, v.42). We can only lead others well when we are being formed under the Master ourselves.
Illustration Hooks
- The apprentice woodworker who insists on modifying the master's plans before mastering the basic joinery. Formation requires trust in the teacher's process before personal innovation.
- A physical therapist slowly setting a broken bone. The word katartizō is the same term. Discipleship can feel like the tenderness and pain of a joint being reset. The end goal is full restoration of function, a life that works the way it was designed.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- If I am supposed to be like Jesus, why do I still struggle with the same sins? Does this verse set a standard I will never reach?
- How can I tell if I am truly being formed under Jesus as my teacher, or just learning facts about Him?
- What does it look like to be fully trained practically, especially when life feels messy and incomplete?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits at the heart of Jesus' teaching on discipleship in the Sermon on the Plain. It answers a question every follower asks: what is the goal of this journey? The answer is not advancement past the Teacher, but formation into His likeness. The discussion below helps a group explore what it means to be a learner under Christ.
Discussion Questions
- Observation: What does verse 40 say about the relationship between a disciple and a teacher? What is the ceiling and what is the goal?
- Context: How does verse 39 (the blind guide) shape the way you understand verse 40? What danger is being highlighted?
- Language: The word translated fully trained (katērtismenos) is a medical term for setting a bone or a joint. How does this image change your understanding of what discipleship is?
- Interpretation: Is this verse primarily a warning for leaders, or a promise for all disciples? Explain your reasoning.
- Comparison: Read Matthew 10:24-25, where Jesus uses the same proverb. How does the different context (persecution vs. ethical teaching) shape the meaning of the proverb?
- Application: In what area of your life do you most need to stop trying to be above the Teacher and instead allow Him to set you right?
- Hope: How does the promise will be like his teacher bring comfort to someone who feels stuck in their spiritual growth?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Matthew 10:24 | “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord. |
| Matthew 10:25 | It is enough for the disciple that he be like his teacher, and the servant like his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household! |
| Matthew 23:15 | Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as yourselves. |
| John 13:16 | Most certainly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his lord, neither is one who is sent greater than he who sent him. |
| John 15:20 | Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his lord.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke draws attention to the Greek word for perfect, which originally meant setting a dislocated bone or mending a torn net. A disciple truly instructed in divine things has his disordered heart restored to harmony and will therefore live exactly as his teacher lived.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that the Greek word used here is better translated as "fit" or "suitable" than as "perfect." His point is that Christ is speaking about a disciple being shaped after the master's example, not about reaching comprehensive perfection.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Gospel according to St. Luke : with maps, notes and introduction .. F: d 40 . every one that is perfect shall be as his master ] Rather, who has been perfected, 2 Ti_3:17 . A favourite quotation of St John ’s, Luk_13:16 , Luk_15:20 . See Mat_10:25 .
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note draws a sharp distinction: no disciple rises above his teacher, but the one who becomes a complete disciple reaches the teacher's own level. The point is not about surpassing the master, but about being fully conformed to him.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that a disciple cannot surpass his teacher in knowledge and learning. The goal is not to exceed the master but to become like him. Applied to Christ, even when his disciples reach perfection, they will be made like him, not greater.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that a disciple's goal is to become like his teacher, and he considers himself complete when he reaches that level. If the teacher is a blind guide, then the disciple's full training will only lead him into the same ruin as his master.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry emphasizes that the measure we use for others is the exact measure God uses for us, making mercy and generosity the only safe path.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent notes that the Greek word translated "perfect" here carries the sense of readjusting or restoring something back to its proper condition, like setting a dislocated joint. This is the same word Paul uses for believers being perfectly joined together rather than divided, and for restoring a brother caught in sin.