Theme · theological
Forgiveness
After the golden calf, God proclaims himself 'merciful and gracious, slow to anger, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin' — the first self-description God gives after revealing his name. The Psalms celebrate forgiveness as the removal of sin 'as far as the east is from the west.' Through the prophets, God promises to remember sin no more under the New Covenant. Jesus makes forgiveness central to his teaching, from the Lord's Prayer to the parable of the unforgiving servant, insisting that those who have been forgiven much must forgive likewise.
Related doctrines
Passages expressing this theme
- 1John 1:7 — But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
- 1John 1:9 — If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
- 1John 2:1 — My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
- 1John 2:12 — I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.
- 1John 5:16 — If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for
- 1Kgs 8:39 — Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the childr
- 1Kgs 13:6 — And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king
- 1Pet 3:9 — Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
- 1Pet 4:8 — And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
- 1Tim 1:13 — Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
- 2Chr 7:14 — If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal
- 2Chr 30:9 — For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gra
- 2Cor 1:3 — Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
- 2Cor 1:4 — Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
- 2Cor 2:7 — So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.
- 2John 1:9 — Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
- 2Sam 7:14 — I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
- 2Sam 12:13 — And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
- 2Sam 14:14 — For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from hi
- 2Sam 16:12 — It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.
- 2Tim 4:16 — At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.
- Acts 2:38 — Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
- Acts 3:14 — But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
- Acts 5:31 — Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
- Acts 7:60 — And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
The Church Fathers on Forgiveness
Forgive us... as we forgive. Unfortunately there's no need to do any festooning here. To forgive for the moment is not difficult. But to go on forgiving, to forgive the same offence again every time it recurs to the memory--there's the real tussle. My resource is to look for some action of my own which is open to…
"Forgive," "cover," "not reckon"—all amount to one and the same thing. For all three are given and received in the same way.Paul has three categories to cover the different types of sin. The first category is that of wickedness or ungodliness, in that the Creator is not acknowledged. The second category is that of…
Forgiveness of sins comes through the resurrection.
Forgiveness as a transaction is impossible until the offender seeks that forgiveness. Forgiveness as a readiness to conduct the transaction is possible now. You can't give the present until it is requested, but you can have it wrapped and sitting by the door.
"Forgive, and you will be forgiven." "Give, and it will be given you." These are the two wings of prayer, on which it flies to God. Pardon the offender what has been committed, and give to the person in need.
And this is obvious, for what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the person of Christ. In this he touches four things required for such pardon or forgiveness. The first is discernment, so that pardon is not granted indiscriminately and rashly; hence he says, if I have forgiven…