This view hinges on the reciprocal interpretation of ἀλλήλων (allelon) translated as “one another” in John 13:14: So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. However, ἀλλήλων carries a reciprocal as well as a non-reciprocal meaning depending on the context. Luke 23:12 records: That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with ἀλλήλων. It is clear from this context that the reciprocal meaning is intended because friendship cannot be unilateral. On the other hand, John 6:41-43 records that when “the Jews began to complain about Jesus”, he responded: “Do not complain among ἀλλήλων.” The Jews were not complaining about each other, they as a group were complaining about Jesus. Jesus wanted the group to stop complaining. In this context, the non-reciprocal meaning is intended. Hence, to convey the non-reciprocal meaning, English Bibles translate ἀλλήλων as “yourselves” in John 6:43: “Do not complain among yourselves.” Hence, Jesus’ command to his disciples to wash the feet of ἀλλήλων can literally mean that Jesus wanted everyone to wash the feet of everyone else in the group; or that Jesus wanted the group to wash feet. So, did the disciples understand the footwashing that Jesus commanded to be reciprocal or non-reciprocal?
First, if they had understood the footwashing to be reciprocal, when Jesus concluded the footwashing with the command, “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them”[1], the 12 disciples would have in obedience to the command performed 132 footwashing among themselves. They didn’t. Immediately after Jesus had concluded the footwashing, he dealt with Judas who afterwards took his leave from them[2], then he gave a long sermon[3], then he prayed[4], and finally he went out with his disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane[5].
Second, if they had understood the footwashing to be reciprocal, they would have implemented it resulting in everyone in the church having performed footwashing. Has everyone in the church performed footwashing? 1 Timothy 5:9-10 lists the things that not every widow has done, but if a widow has done these things she is qualified for financial assistance from the church: “Let a widow be put on the list if she is not less than sixty years old and has been married only once;she must be well attested for her good works, as one who has brought up children, shown hospitality, washed the saints’ feet, helped the afflicted, and devoted herself to doing good in every way.” Note that one of the things listed as not having been done by every widow is footwashing. If not every widow has administered footwashing, all the more not everyone in the church has administered footwashing.
[1] Jn 13:17.
[2] Jn 13:21-30.
[3] Jn 13:31-16:33.
[4] Jn 13.17.
[5] Jn 18:1.