What does "forgive us our debts" mean in Matthew 6:12? Text and Immediate Context “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12) Placed in the heart of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), the petition sits between requests for daily provision (v. 11) and spiritual protection (v. 13). Verses 14-15 expand the thought, equating debts with trespasses and grounding forgiveness in the Father’s character. Old Testament Background: Sin as Debt 1. Legal Code—Unpaid wages or obligations demanded restitution (Exodus 22:14, Leviticus 5:15). 2. Jubilee Release—Every seventh year debts were cancelled (Deuteronomy 15:1-2). Physical release prefigured spiritual deliverance. 3. Prophets—Isaiah 1:18; 55:7 portray pardon as wiping a ledger clean. The prayer thus echoes covenant economics: God remits what the sinner cannot repay. New Testament Development • Matthew 18:23-35 portrays an unpayable “ten thousand talents” cancelled by the king—an explicit commentary on 6:12. • Colossians 2:14: Christ “erased the record of debt… nailing it to the cross.” The cross is the payment God Himself provides. • Romans 4:4-8 cites Psalm 32 to show imputed righteousness as cancelled debt. Link to Atonement Forgiveness rests on substitutionary sacrifice. Isaiah 53:5-6 foretells the Servant bearing iniquities; Hebrews 9:22 affirms “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” The resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:17) validates the payment, proving the ledger genuinely cleared. Interpersonal Forgiveness The second clause—“as we also have forgiven our debtors”—does not purchase divine favor but evidences it (Ephesians 4:32). Refusal to forgive contradicts the gospel one claims to have received (Matthew 6:14-15). Patristic and Liturgical Witness The Didache 8 (c. A.D. 50-70) transmits the same petition, confirming first-generation usage. Early church orders (Apostolic Constitutions, 4th century) retained the wording, indicating continuous liturgical practice. Archaeological Corroboration • A first-century debt-release papyrus from Wadi Murabbaʿat illustrates the legal vocabulary Jesus applies to sin. • Dead Sea Scroll 11QMelch interprets Jubilee spiritually—an interpretive stream Jesus completes. Practical Theology 1. Daily Confession—Because believers still stumble (1 John 1:8-9), the prayer renews fellowship, not justification already secured (John 13:10). 2. Humility—Acknowledging debt crushes self-righteousness (Luke 18:13-14). 3. Mission—A forgiven people extends forgiveness, showcasing the gospel’s power (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). Eschatological Horizon Unforgiven debt results in eternal separation (Matthew 25:41-46). Yet Revelation 1:5 celebrates the redeemed: “To Him who loves us and has released us from our sins by His blood.” Summary “Forgive us our debts” petitions the Father to remit the moral liabilities we owe Him, a request grounded in Christ’s atoning work and authenticated by His resurrection. Having received full cancellation, believers mirror that grace toward others, embodying the very kingdom they pray to see manifested. |
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