Giving Water in Jesus Name Scripture Reference
Jesus' teaching on giving water in his name is recorded in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. In Matthew 10:42, Jesus says, "Whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, most certainly I tell you he will in no way lose his reward" [1]. Mark 9:41 has a similar statement: "For, whosoever shall give you to drink a cup of water, in name that, Christ's, ye are, Verily! I say unto you, in nowise, shall lose his reward" [2].
The phrase "in the name of a disciple" or "in my name" indicates that the act of giving water is done because of the person's connection to Christ. According to Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, this means "from love to Me, and to him from his connection with Me" [6]. Matthew Henry interprets this as an act done "because ye belong to Christ, and are of his family" [3].
The early Church Fathers understood this teaching as emphasizing the importance of kindness and generosity towards those who belong to Christ. Augustine notes that the reward is not lost for those who give a cup of water in Christ's name, highlighting the value of small acts of kindness [4]. The act of giving water is seen as a symbol of spiritual nourishment and refreshment.
In the context of Jesus' teachings, giving water in his name is not just a physical act but also a spiritual one. It represents the idea of providing spiritual sustenance to those who are thirsty for it. As John Chrysostom notes, the grace of the Spirit is sometimes referred to as "Water," symbolizing its life-giving and refreshing nature [8].
The significance of water in Jesus' teachings is also seen in his conversation with the Samaritan woman, where he offers her "living water" that will quench her spiritual thirst [8]. This theme is echoed in the writings of the early Church Fathers, who often used water as a metaphor for spiritual cleansing and renewal [5, 7].
The teaching on giving water in Jesus' name remains a significant aspect of Christian discipleship, emphasizing the importance of kindness, generosity, and spiritual nourishment towards others. As Charles Hodge notes in his Systematic Theology, the biblical concept of water is closely tied to the idea of spiritual life and renewal [9].
Sources
- Matthew “Whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, most certainly I tell you he will in no way lose his reward.” -- Matthew 10:42”
- Mark “Mark 9:41 (Rotherham) — For, whosoever shall give you to drink a cup of water, in name that, Christ’s, ye are, Verily! I say unto you, in nowise, shall lose his reward.”
- Mark (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Mark 9:41: Here, I. Christ promiseth a reward to all those that are any way kind to his disciples (Mar 9:41); "Whosoever shall give you a cup of water, when you need it, and will be a refreshment to you, because ye belong to Christ, and are of his family, he shall not lose his reward." Note, 1. It is the honour and happiness of Christians, that they belong to Christ, they have joined themselves to him, and are owned by him; they wear his livery and retainers to his family; nay, they are more nearly related, they are members of his body. 2. They who belong to Christ, may someti”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 6: Augustine — Homilies on the Gospels — CHAP. VI.--OF THE CIRCUMSTANCE THAT MARK HAS RECORDED MORE THAN LUKE AS SPOKEN BY THE LORD IN CONNECTION WITH THE CASE OF THIS MAN WHO WAS CASTING OUT DEVILS IN THE NAME OF CHRIST, ALTHOUGH HE WAS NOT (part 1): WHAT CHRIST HAD IN VIEW IN FORBIDDING THE INDIVIDUAL TO BE INTERDICTED WHO WAS PERFORMING MIRACLES IN HIS NAME. 7. Mark proceeds with his narrative in these terms: "For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. And whosoever shall offend”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 5: Hippolytus, Cyprian, Caius, Novatian — CUP OF THE LORD. (part 4): and should rise up, and should Himself be the hope of the Gentiles. To which things divine Scripture adds, and says, "He shall wash His garment in wine, and His clothing in the blood of the grape."(2) But when the blood of the grape is mentioned, what else is set forth than the wine of the cup of the blood of the Lord? 7. In Isaiah also the Holy Spirit testifies this same thing concerning the Lord's passion, saying, "Wherefore are Thy garments red, and Thy apparel as from the treading of the wine-press full and well t”
- Matthew (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Matthew 10:42: And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones--Beautiful epithet! Originally taken from Zac 13:7. The reference is to their lowliness in spirit, their littleness in the eyes of an undiscerning world, while high in Heaven's esteem. a cup of cold water only--meaning, the smallest service. in the name of a disciple--or, as it is in Mark (Mar 9:41), because ye are Christ's: from love to Me, and to him from his connection with Me. verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward--There is here a descending climax--"a prop”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 5: Hippolytus, Cyprian, Caius, Novatian — EPISTLE LXXV.(4) (part 10): will I put within you."(1) Also in Numbers: "And the man that shall be unclean until the evening shall be purified on the third day, and on the seventh day shall be clean: but if he shall not be purified on the third day, on the seventh day he shall not be clean. And that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of sprinkling hath not been sprinkled upon him."(2) And again: "And the Lord spake unto Moses saying, Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. And thus shalt thou do u”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on John & Hebrews: Homily XXXII. John iv. 13, 14 “Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting Life.” [1.] Scripture calls the grace of the Spirit sometimes “Fire,” sometimes “Water,” showing that these names are not descriptive of its essence, but of its operation; for the Spirit, being Invisible and Simple, cannot be made up of different substances. ”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 144: Index of Scripture References Genesis 1:26 1:26-27 1:27 2:7 2:7 3:1 3:6 3:15 3:15 3:19 3:22 3:22 6:3 6:5 6:5-6 8:21 8:21 10:15-18 15:18 17:13 21:27 37:35 46:15 46:18 46:22 46:25 Exodus 4:16 7:1 10:17 30:12-16 30:15 31:3-4 32:30 32:32 34:6-7 34:7 Leviticus 4:2 4:3 4:20 4:26 5:1 5:6-7 5:16 5:16 5:17 7:1 7:18 16:6 17:10 17:11 17:16 19:8 20:17 22:9 Numbers 6:11 9:1-23 9:13 10:1-36 11:17 14:33 14:34 16:22 18:22 18:32 19:1-22 21:1-36 24:1-25 24:17 27:18 35:31 Deuteronomy 1:39 8:18 10:16 18:18-19 30:6 30:6 Joshua 24:25 Judges 3:10 16:31 1 Samue”