Matthew 6:14-15
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus uses "trespasses" here, a word that implies a wilful fall or a conscious deviation from the right way, not just a minor slip. This highlights that our willingness to forgive others' deliberate wrongs is directly linked to God's willingness to forgive our own conscious sins. It's not just about overlooking debts, but about addressing significant breaches of trust and character.
Jesus is teaching his followers how to pray, and in the Lord's Prayer he's just taught them, he included the line "forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." This verse directly explains the necessity of that line, emphasizing that God's forgiveness toward us is directly tied to our willingness to forgive others who have wronged us. If we hold onto unforgiveness, we essentially disqualify ourselves from receiving God's mercy.
Ever wondered if your prayers are being heard? Jesus links our forgiveness from God directly to how we treat others.
Jesus isn't setting up a simple transactional system, but revealing a profound spiritual principle: the way we extend mercy to others is the way we receive it from God. He calls us to forgive, not because the offender deserves it, but because we need God's forgiveness.
The word Jesus uses for 'trespasses' carries a weight that goes beyond a simple slip-up. What does it really mean to trespass against someone?
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The Greek word Jesus uses here, 'paraptomata,' isn't just about minor errors or accidental falls. It speaks to a more deliberate falling away, a conscious violation of what is right, like veering off course or stumbling into wrongdoing.
Is forgiveness just an emotion, or is it something more active? Jesus' words point to a deeper, more intentional act.
Jesus’ instruction about forgiveness isn’t about waiting for a warm, fuzzy feeling. It’s about making a decision, a commitment to release the debt someone owes you.
Understand the original words
paraptōma · Greek Noun
Literally a 'stepping aside' or a falling away. It denotes a violation of divine law or a lapse into sin, signifying a breach of the relationship between God and man.
patēr · Greek Noun
Refers to God as the Creator and Sustainer who maintains a personal, paternal relationship with the believer. It denotes authority, intimacy, and the promise of His providential care.
This passage directly parallels Jesus' teaching on forgiveness, emphasizing that when you stand praying, you must forgive those who have wronged you, or your heavenly Father will not forgive you either.
Colossians 3:13Paul echoes Jesus' command, urging believers to bear with each other and forgive grievances, just as the Lord has forgiven them, highlighting the reciprocal nature of divine and human forgiveness.
Ephesians 4:32This verse further illustrates the principle, instructing believers to be kind, compassionate, and forgiving toward one another, because God in Christ has forgiven them, showing that our forgiveness from God is the model and motivation for forgiving others.
In the parable of the unforgiving servant, Jesus powerfully illustrates the severity of God's judgment on those who receive His boundless forgiveness but refuse to extend forgiveness to others, making the point that our forgiveness is conditional on our willingness to forgive.
barnesMatthew 6:14: "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:"
For if ye forgive men their trespasses - If ye forgive others when they offend or injure you. Your heavenly Father will also forgive you - This is constantly required in the Bible. See the notes at Matthew 6:12. Our Saviour says we should forgive even if the offence be committed seventy times seven times, Matthew 18:22. By this is meant, that when a man asks forgiveness, we are cordially and fore…
vincentMatthew 6:14: "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:"
Trespasses (παραπτώματα)The Lord here uses another word for sins, and still another (ἁμαρτιας) appears in Luke's version of the prayer, though he also says, "every one that is indebted to us." There is no difficulty in supposing that Christ, contemplating sins in general, should represent them by different terms expressive of different aspects of wrong-doing (see on Matthew 1:21). This word is…
Jesus uses "trespasses" here, a word that implies a wilful fall or a conscious deviation from the right way, not just a minor slip. This highlights that our willingness to forgive others' deliberate wrongs is directly linked to God's willingness to forgive our own conscious sins. It's not just about overlooking debts, but about addressing significant breaches of trust and character.
Jesus is teaching his followers how to pray, and in the Lord's Prayer he's just taught them, he included the line "forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." This verse directly explains the necessity of that line, emphasizing that God's forgiveness toward us is directly tied to our willingness to forgive others who have wronged us. If we hold onto unforgiveness, we essentially disqualify ourselves from receiving God's mercy.
Jesus is teaching his followers how to pray, and in the Lord's Prayer he's just taught them, he included the line "forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." This verse directly explains the necessity of that line, emphasizing that God's forgiveness toward us is directly tied to our willingness to forgive others who have wronged us. If we hold onto unforgiveness, we essentially disqualify ourselves from receiving God's mercy.
"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." — Jesus uses "trespasses" here, a word that implies a wilful fall or a conscious deviation from the right way, not just a minor slip. This highlights that our willingness to forgive others' deliberate…
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