📖 Biblical Definition
The fifth petition of the Lord's Prayer: "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." Christ's vocabulary of sin-as-debt-owed-to-God. The petition is reciprocal: forgive us AS we forgive others. Christ adds the only commentary on any petition (vv 14-15): "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not... neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
Fifth petition: reciprocal forgiveness; sin-as-debt vocabulary.
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The fifth petition of the Lord's Prayer (Matt 6:12). Christ's vocabulary of sin-as-debt-owed-to-God. The Greek opheilēma means a debt; aphiēmi means to release or send away. The petition: release us from our debts as we release our debtors. Reciprocal structure: forgive us AS we forgive others. Christ adds the only commentary on any petition in the prayer (Matt 6:14-15): "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." The unforgiving-servant parable (Matt 18:23-35) illustrates the principle. Forgiving and being-forgiven are inseparable.
📖 Key Scripture
Matthew 6:12 — "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."
Matthew 6:14-15 — "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
Matthew 18:33 — "Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?"
⚠️ Modern Corruption
The conditional structure ("AS we forgive") is often softened or dropped; Christ stated it plainly twice.
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The conditional "AS we forgive" disturbs many readers: it sounds like forgiveness is earned. Christ's commentary in vv 14-15 doubles down on the conditional. The Reformed reading: receiving forgiveness and giving forgiveness are organically connected; the unforgiving heart has not actually received forgiveness in any deep way; the truly forgiven heart cannot retain unforgiveness. Not earning — evidence.
Recover the connection: forgiving others is not how you earn forgiveness; it is how you show you have been forgiven. The unforgiving servant proved he had not understood what was forgiven him.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Greek aphes hēmin ta opheilēmata hēmōn.
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['Greek', 'G863', 'aphiēmi', 'to forgive, release']
['Greek', 'G3783', 'opheilēma', 'debt']
Usage
"Forgive us as we forgive."
"Reciprocal structure; Christ commented."
"Forgiving shows the forgiveness received."