The Chicken or the Egg
“and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Matthew 6:12 NASB
Have forgiven – Read this carefully. Most of us learned this verse, and the prayer, in some version of the King James. Unfortunately, the King James didn’t make the tense of the verb very clear. “As we forgive” (KJV) could mean “as we are in the process of forgiving,” “as we will forgive in the future,” “as we mean to forgive sometime,” or “as we have forgiven.” The interpretation is left up to the reader. But contemporary translations seem to clear up with ambiguity. The Greek verb is aphiemi (to send away, to let go, give up a debt, forgive). Here it is in the present, indicative tense. But wait a minute! If it is present indicative then the King James Version is right. The translation should be “as we forgive now, at the moment we are also forgiven,” not “as we have already forgiven our debtors.” So where do the contemporary translators find justification for this change? The answer is in the fragments.
Most of the New Testament manuscripts have this verb in the present tense, but most commentators believe that this is a deliberate alteration of an older version where the tense is aorist. This means that in spite of the majority of the texts in the present, most scholars think the original was in the past – the aorist – a completed action. That would mean that the forgiveness we seek in this prayer is based on the prior act of forgiving others. Scholars propose that the text was altered precisely because the aorist tense implies the necessity of an initial act of forgiveness on our part. In other words, God forgives after we have forgiven. That is the sense of the parable of the enormous debt. The forgiven servant was unworthy of forgiveness, and it was rescinded, because he failed to also forgive.
This technical point about the tense of a Greek verb isn’t just intellectual amusement. There are two very serious implications here. The first is fairly obvious. If God forgives us after we have demonstrated forgiveness to others, than it’s very likely that we have a lot of backpedaling to do. Forgiveness is a far cry from the good-old grandfather image of God handed down by a lot of churches. Forgiveness comes after a demonstration of a change of heart.
The second implication isn’t so obvious but is just as important. Joseph Telushkin, a noted modern rabbi, draws a distinction between Judaism and Christianity over this precise point about Yeshua. He notes that Jews could never accept “Jesus” because “Jesus forgives all sin”: ‘The Son of man has the authority to forgive sins’ (Matt. 9:6). Traditional Jewish theology teaches that not even God Himself forgives all sins, only those sins committed against Him alone. As the Mishnah teaches: “‘The Day of Atonement atones for sins against God, not for sins committed against man, unless the injured part has been appeased’ (Mishnah Toma 8:9).”[1] But if Yeshua taught that prior forgiveness was needed before coming to YHWH, then Yeshua’s thought is actually in line with the Mishnah and the rabbis. Appeasement means making the injury right, usually according to the provisions of Torah. To forgive before asking for forgiveness is to take on the responsibility of Torah appeasement prior to expecting God to forgive. Yeshua is simply being Jewish. The alteration in the text is the result of attempts to remove the Jewish character of this requirement from the Lord’s Prayer.
If the original tense of this verse is aorist, then Telushkin’s objection is weaker and Yeshua is a lot more Jewish than He is Christian on this note. Maybe we need to step back and realize that even Christian scholars see the necessity for appeasement with men before forgiveness from God.
Does this change your view just a bit?
Topical Index: forgiveness, have forgiven, aphiemi, Telushkin, Matthew 6:12
Wonderful teaching. Yes it does make a whole lot of difference, as most folks proclaim that they have forgiven, but, deep down they still harbor resentment and bitterness towards the one who has offended them, nor would they continue to relate with the offender. Instead, they keep bringing up the offences to justify the unforgiveness they had supposedly forgiven! Does this make sense?
How could this be forgiveness?
Thank you, Skip.
Ester, i’m not sure what you mean by “nor would they continue to relate with the offender.”
in my own life – the major forgiveness of terrible abuse from my father who was a mean/abusive alcoholic most of my growing up years & into my 30’s but finally saved & delivered from alcohol & lived a Christian life with my mother & passed away at a very young age of 62 – but at least had salvation.
when i began to have a relationship with GOD/JESUS in 1976 – was saved/baptized at 9 years of age & had no discipleship till 1976 but was sealed with the Holy Spirit & knew something was different & had changed & the Lord had His hand of protection on me from the conversion at 9 years old… but never any Word in my spirit…
i “thought” i had forgiven him when i started having a relationship with Jesus but not until he lay dying in the hospital for heart surgery did i totally release him – i remember driving to the hospital in the wee hours of the morning because i got a call from my mother saying we/dad was in trouble to come to the hospital quickly. i cried out to God/Jesus with all my being on that drive – not really sure how i got to the hospital – it was a blur for sure – but i remember telling God/Jesus that none of the terrible acts of abuse mattered any longer that i didn’t care about them nor were they important any longer – they just melted away in lieu of GOD/JESUS saving my father’s life & that is when i totally released my father/forgave him fully – it was a feeling like i had never had before – it was total surrender 4 sure…
God/Jesus spared my father’s life for 2 more years & he fell asleep sitting on the couch watching tv & went/passed to be with the Lord – such an easy way to go for such an abusive person to others most of his life – that is when i knew God/Jesus was truly merciful. my father also said he never felt any pain in all the heart surgery & 1 month stay in the hospital & they burned his chest with the paddles 21 times to stimulate his heart back into rhythm & finally the surgeons stood back & said it was in God’s hands that my father lived & his heart began to beat normally. there were many miracles in my father’s life & the lives of his loved ones through all this – but forgiveness was the major hurdle for most of us.
i feel forgiveness is a progress – like working out our own salvation – that it may come in stages & we may not know or think we have forgiven completely when we have not but God/Jesus do not leave us in such a state because completion will come because HE states He is the Author & Finisher of our faith which forgiveness takes faith to operate – they are tied together in the soul… ♥
jan
Jan
I agree with you, forgiveness is definitely a process. The process only differs from person to person – some have one or two big things to forgive and work through, others plenty(daily) of smaller things. And YHVH gives us free choice!
I always use my friend’s practical example to explain how forgiveness work : while I am holding something against a person, the abuser ( now take an object and hold it against a person), I am always attached to that person, the abuser, by ways of my arm. Only if I forgive and don’t hold anything against him, I am no longer attached to him, but free. My choice!
When I came to faith this was my first big lesson: I cannot expect YHVH to forgive me, if I am not willing to forgive. Again, Christianity or evangelists working the streets to save souls, has made forgiveness(and YHVH) cheap, free and very easy – until you have to learn to forgive yourself. How else do I get to know what Yeshua did for me, if I don’t feel a little( or a lot) what is is like? And in the end , getting to the point where I learn: who am I not to forgive?
What a great testimony, Jan! Thanks for sharing this. I think we all realize that even when we think we have forgiven others, sometimes it comes to our awareness in an unexpected way that we might have “more work to do.” That has happened to me more than once.
The first time I actually observed Yom Kippur, I realized there was a situation I needed to make right. It was an injustice I had done to someone else (many years before), that had now been done to me. I only saw my part in the original situation, when it happened to me. Yep, it takes whatever it takes!
Praise God for His faithfulness in making us His Own!
Hi Jan, forgiveness IS a process; can be difficult to handle, and can take a long time if we say we have forgiven someone who has offended us, but continues to hold on to that fault, grudge/anger.
Really, I have seen and known folks who refuse to free themselves, and the offender, get into fits
of anger at a chance meeting, when forgiveness had been sought for by the offender; and the other party claimed to have no unforgiveness against the offender.
To this day, these folks refuse to relate with each other. The reason given is that the offender is not genuine in seeking forgiveness. Should that be our concern? In such cases, we have to allow ABBA to deal with that person, but accept the apologies on the ‘face value’. We are to forgive first, regardless- as Y’shua came to redeem us in our transgressions, not that we have sought forgiveness from Him first. We are to be Messiah-like, for our own sakes.
Shalom, sis, love your testimony! ABBA is ever gracious to usward.
Jan, my sweet sister..- thank you for sharing your story. You are very brave to do so, and have blessed me today by your willingness to submit to and to obey our ABBA- to do as He says- “And be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another just as G-d has forgiven you in the Messiah.” (Ephesians 4.32)
We all travel with much emotional “baggage” and we all stand in need of the Good Samaritan’s (interesting that He wasn’t Jewish..) healing touch. We all (it seems) are wounded healers. We have been wounded by sin and Satan and abused from every angle, -yet (the scriptures say)- we remain (in the midst of) conquerors through Him who loved us (and loves us still today..). Love will triumph, but that love is His love, and it is His love and His words that will see us through (any difficulty) until we draw our final, fleeting breath.
“Comfort one another with these words”- Whose words are these? These are His words from His book- the only words of healing and comfort. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from Above…- including G-d’s Blessing Book.
We can never give that which we do not first possess. I must (first) be forgiven in order to forgive. He has said (we are listening..)- “without Me you can do nothing”- I must first (experientially) know His forgiveness, then I am able to give unto you (or you) that which I also have received from Him, -His full, final, free forgiveness.
Forgiveness and the ability to forgive is one of our major weapons YHWH has given unto us. Forgiveness sets the captive free and many times the one who is held captive is the one who holds on to (with clenched fist) even a grudge. I have seen this,been witness too, this “root of bitterness” sometimes in those who are very close to me. How I would love to communicate to them: “let go, let go..- free them, and in doing so- free yourself. (Give and it shall be given unto you..)
“Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD (our ADONAI) has cleared of sin.” (Romans 4.8) How am I able to “let go” and forgive those who trespass against me? – I look to Calvary and consider the cost of my own forgiveness. What price was paid for me? -and then who am I to judge? who am I to murmur, complain or hold on to a grudge? I may have been wounded or my ego bruised, or even physically assaulted, yet the command of Christ remains: “forgive..”
“Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” (Matthew 18.21) Oh, wasn’t Peter being magnanimous? So generous of you Peter to forgive (even) seven times..- But what was the Master’s reply? And Yeshua said to him, “I do not say to you until seven times, but until seventy times seven each.” Forgiveness is (for lack of a better word) huge.
“What if” G-d were to forgive us as we forgave others? (I see little piles of smoking cinders..) Someone cuts us off in traffic..- we are quick to forgive- right? Someone cuts in front of us in line at the store..- we are quick to forgive- right? Junior spills his milk at the table..- we are quick to forgive- right? We are ridiculed by our co-workers..- (for whatever reason)- we are quick to forgive- right?
Forgiveness is always the right thing to do..- Why? He said to do it. And when we obey Him, then.. what are the consequences of our choosing to obey Him? Freedom, blessing, -restored relationships, -shalom.
Forgiveness- “try it, you’ll like it..” We are never more like our (compassionate) Father, than when we forgive..
HERE IS THE LINK TO THE VIDEO’S ALL SESSIONS AT THE NOT FOR SALE GLOBAL FORUM ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING THAT I ATTENDED IN SUNNYVALE, CA IN OCTOBER:
http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/events/global-forum-on-human-trafficking/
IT TAKES A FEW MINUTES FOR EACH SESSION TO LOAD UP – SO PATIENT…
JAN
Sorry I’m late posting…just discovered this. Doesn’t the parable provide a slightly different point? Forgiveness was given, and THEN rescinded when it was revealed that the debtor’s heart had not been changed. It causes me to wonder if the point is this: I cannot enjoy the constant experience of God’s forgiveness if I am not constantly demonstrating that same forgiveness to others. Unforgiveness shatters the peace of knowing I’m forgiven. Doesn’t it demonstrate that I don’t understand or have forgotten what Jesus did for me?
Bonnie, you may have already read it, but the link in the red letters in the above Today’s Word, “demonstration of a change of heart”, pretty much sums your question up for you I think…..
Blessings