What is forgiveness?

The Story of Jane Hunt:

Biblical Counseling Keys on Forgiveness Title Page

The year is 1944. Nazi Germany occupies Holland. An elderly watchmaker and his family are actively involved in the Dutch Underground. By hiding Jewish people in a secret room of their home, members of the Ten Boom family courageously help Jewish men, women, and children escape Hitler’s roll call of death.

Yet one fateful day, their secret is discovered. The watchmaker is arrested, and soon after being imprisoned, he dies. His tenderhearted daughter Betsie also cannot escape the jaws of death at the hands of her cruel captors. In the Nazi concentration camp, she perishes. And what about Corrie, the watchmaker’s youngest daughter? Will she live … and, if so, will she ever be able to forgive her captors, those who caused the death of her father and her sister? While she is trying to survive the ravages of Ravensbruck, one of Hitler’s most horrific death camps, can anything sustain Corrie ten Boom? To what can she cling? Indeed, Corrie does survive. Her God sustains her. She lives the truth of these words …

Biblical Counseling Keys on Forgiveness I. Definitions: The Many Faces of Forgiveness

Two years after the war, Corrie is speaking at a church in Munich. She has come from Holland to a defeated Germany, bringing with her the message that God does indeed forgive. There in the crowd, a solemn face stares back at her. As the people file out, a balding, heavyset man moves toward her—a man in a gray overcoat, a man clutching a brown felt hat. Suddenly a scene flashes back in her mind: the blue uniform; the visored cap with its skull and crossbones; the huge room with its harsh, overhead lights; the humiliation of walking naked past this man … this man who is now standing before her.

“You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk. I was a guard there,” he says. “But since that time I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well.” He extends his hand toward her and asks, “Will you forgive me?” Corrie stares at the outstretched hand. The moment seems like hours as she wrestles with the most difficult decision she has ever had to make. Corrie knows Scripture well, but applying this passage seems to be too much …

“If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

(Luke 17:3–4)

Efésios 4.32 CSB

32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.

What does the bible says about forgiveness?

In the ESV we have about 129times the word (forgive) distributed in 111 verses. That doesn´t include similar words and expressions.

In the Old Testament?

The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary Forgiveness (Old Testament)

The basic term for forgiveness in the OT is slḥ, occurring some 50 times: the verb sālaḥ occurs 46 times in the active Qal (33) and passive Nipʿal (13). The remaining 4 uses of the root comprise the noun sĕlı̂ḥâ (3 times) and the adjective sallaḥ (once). The agent effecting forgiveness is the deity: This usage is consistent both for the Qal, where the subject of the verb is always God, and for the Nipʿal, which functions as a divine passive (e.g., wnslḥ lw = “and it shall be forgiven him [by the deity]”). The verb in the Qal takes as object both the person to be forgiven and the sin, expressed by the nouns ʿāwôn (“iniquity, guilt”) ḥăṭāʾâ (“sin”), and pešaʿ (“rebellion, transgression”)

The first Pentateuchal usage of the verb slḥ (Exod 34:9) is in a context of intercessory prayer by Moses, for the sinful behavior of his people. Moses bases his appeal for forgiveness on the creedal statement in Exod 34:6–7 in which the character of God is described and in which his mercy and his willingness to forgive are confessed. (ANCHOR YALE). The same happens with Salomon at the temple (1Reis 8:30,34,36,50), Amos (Amos 7:2) . In Daniel’s intercessory prayer for forgiveness of the people, the noun (sĕlı̂ḥôt) appears in Dan 9:9, linked with mercy; relying on God’s abundant mercy (9:18), Daniel prays, “O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive!” (9:19).

The Anchor Bible Dictionary presents at least 9 other synonims for this radical: forgiving sins and trangressions (Ex 34:7; Salmos 32:5; Oseias 14:3); healing (2Cron 7:14); God not remembering our iniquities (Isaias 43:25; Isaias 63:8); The forgiveness related to God´s mercy (1Reis 8:50; Isaias 55:7; Jonah´ story); purification or cleanse (Jeremias 33:8 ); expiation or atonement (Jeremias 18:23; Salmos 79:9); passing it by (scape goat; David´s child).

In the New testament

The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary Forgiveness (New Testament)

The existence of forgiveness takes for granted the fact of human sin as an offense against God’s holy law or against another human being; forgiveness is the wiping out of the offense from memory by the one affronted, along with the restoration of harmony. Forgiveness is not simply “the remission of penalties; what is remitted is sin

ἀφίημι -

The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary Forgiveness (New Testament)

These terms frequently have the sense of remission of financial debt; they were also used of forgiveness prior to the NT (

1. to dismiss or release someone or someth. from a place or one’s presence

a. w. personal obj. let go, send away (X., Cyr. 1, 2, 8; Polyb. 33, 1, 6; Tob 10:5; Sir 27:19; Jos., Ant. 16, 135 τ. ἐκκλησίαν) crowds Mt 13:36; Mk 4:36; 8:13 (mng. 3a is also prob.).

b. w. impers. obj. give up, emit obj. τὸ πνεῦμα give up one’s spirit Mt 27:50 (cp. ἀ. τ. ψυχήν Hdt. 4, 190 and oft. in Gk. lit.; Gen 35:18; 1 Esdr 4:21; Jos., Ant. 1, 218; 14, 369 al.). φωνὴν μεγάλην utter a loud cry Mk 15:37 (φων. ἀ. Hdt. et al.; Appian, Bell. Civ. 3, 68 §279; Epict. 2, 22, 12 al.; Gen 45:2; Philo, Sacr. Abel. 34; Jos., Bell. 4, 170, Ant. 8, 325, Vi. 158).

c. in a legal sense divorce γυναῖκα (Hdt. 5, 39) 1 Cor 7:11ff.—Lit.—LEpstein, Marriage Law in the Bible and the Talmud ’42; MHumbert, Le remariage à Rome ’72; CPréaux, in La Femme I, ’79, 161–65 [Hellen. period]; JMurphy-O’Connor, JBL 100, ’81, 601–6; JMoiser, JSNT 18, ’83, 103–22.

2. to release from legal or moral obligation or consequence, cancel, remit, pardon

τὸ δάνειον the loan Mt 18:27 (OGI 90, 12; PGrenf I, 26, 9; Dt 15:2). ὀφειλήν a debt vs. 32 (cp. 1 Macc 15:8 πᾶν ὀφείλημα βασιλικὸν ἀ.). Also of remission of the guilt (debt) of sin (Hdt. 6, 30 ἀπῆκέ τ̓ ἂν αὐτῷ τὴν αἰτίην; 8, 140, 2; Lysias 20, 34 ἀφιέντας τ. τῶν πατέρων ἁμαρτίας; Herodas 5, 26 ἄφες μοι τὴν ἁμαρτίην ταύτην; 38, 72f; 1 Macc 13:39.—In another construction Diod. S. 9, 31, 4 Κῦρος αὐτὸν ἀφίησι τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων=absolves him of his misdeeds), in OT and NT predom. in sense of divine forgiveness. W. dat. of pers. and acc. of thing: ὀφειλήματα remit, forgive debts (Appian, Ital. 9 §1 ἠφίει τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ χρήσταις τὰ ὀφλήματα) Mt 6:12a; cp. b (s. Sir 28:2 and ὡς 3aβ; FFensham, The Legal Background of Mt 6:12: NovT 4, ’60, 1f [Deut 15:2 LXX]; on the text FBurkitt, ‘As we have forgiven’ Mt 6:12: JTS 33, ’32, 253–55); forgive ἁμαρτίας (Ex 32:32; Num 14:19; Job 42:10 al.; Jos., Ant. 6, 92) Lk 11:4; 1J 1:9. παραπτώματα Mt 6:14f; Mk 11:25; vs. 26 v.l. Pass. (Lev 4:20; 19:22; Is 22:14; 33:24 al.) ἁμαρτίαι Lk 5:20, 23; 7:47b; 1J 2:12; 1 Cl 50:5; Hv 2, 2, 4; Hs 7:4; PtK 3 p. 15, 12; ἁμαρτήματα Mk 3:28 (s. GDalman, Jesus-Jeshua [Eng. tr. PLevertoff 1929], 195–97; JWilliams, NTS 12, ’65, 75–77); PtK 3 p. 15, 27; cp. Mt 12:31f. W. dat. of pers. only Mt 18:21, 35; Lk 17:3f; 23:34 (ELohse, Märtyrer u. Gottesknecht, Exkurs: Lk 23:34, ’55). Pass. (Lev 4:26, 31, 35; Num 15:25f al.) Lk 12:10; Js 5:15.—J 20:23b (s. JMantey, JBL 58, ’39, 243–49 and HCadbury ibid. 251–54). W. impers. obj. only Mt 9:6; Mk 2:7, 10; Lk 5:21, 24; 7:49; J 20:23. Pass. Mt 9:2, 5; Mk 2:5, 9 (s. HBranscomb, JBL 53, ’34, 53–60; B-D-F §320); Lk 7:47f. ἀνομίαι Ro 4:7; 1 Cl 50:6 (both Ps 31:1). Abs. ἀφίετε 1 Cl 13:2.

3. to move away, w. implication of causing a separation, leave, depart from

a. lit. of pers. or physical things as obj. (PGrenf I, 1, 16; BGU 814, 16; 18) Mt 4:11; 8:15; 26:44; Mk 1:20, 31; 12:12; Lk 4:39. The spirit left the possessed man 9:42 D; abandon (Soph., Phil. 486; Hyperid. 5, 32; X., Hell. 6, 4, 5) Mt 26:56; Mk 14:50.—W. impers. obj. (PFay 112, 13; Jer 12:7; Eccl 10:4; 1 Esdr 4:50): J 10:12; house Mk 13:34; cp. Mt 23:38; Lk 13:35 (Diod. S. 17, 41, 7: Apollo appears and explains that he would leave Tyre, which is doomed to destruction); Judaea J 4:3 (Jos., Ant. 2, 335 τ. Αἴγυπτον); the way Hv 3, 7, 1; everything Mt 19:27, 29; 10:28f; Lk 5:11; 18:28f.

b. fig. of impers. obj. give up, abandon (Aeschyl., Prom. 317 ὀργάς; Arrian, Anab. 1, 10, 6; Jos., Ant. 9, 264 ἀ. τ. ἄρτι βίον) τὴν πρώτην ἀγάπην Rv 2:4; τ. φυσικὴν χρῆσιν Ro 1:27; leave (behind) to go on to someth. else (in orators; Plut., Mor. 793a; Epict. 4, 1, 15 al.) τὸν τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ Χρ. λόγον Hb 6:1; neglect (Diod. S. 1, 39, 11; POxy 1067, 5) also omit (Diod. S. 8, 12, 11) τὰ βαρύτερα τοῦ νόμου what is more important in the law Mt 23:23; τὴν ἐντολήν Mk 7:8 (Hyperid. 5, 22 νόμον).

4. to have someth. continue or remain in a place. Leave standing/lying (without concerning oneself further about it as, in a way, Diod. S. 5, 35, 3 a fire without putting it out) αὐτόν Mt 22:22; τὰ δίκτυα 4:20; Mk 1:18; ἐκεῖ τὸ δῶρον Mt 5:24; cp. 18:12; [p. 157] J 4:28; ἡμιθανῆ half dead Lk 10:30 (cp. Jdth 6:13).—Leave (behind) w. pers. obj. (2 Km 15:16; 3 Km 19:3; Tob 11:2) as orphans J 14:18 (Epict. 3, 24, 14; Jos., Ant. 12, 387). τινὰ μόνον 8:29; 16:32.—τινί τι ἀ. let someone have someth. (cp. Jos., Ant. 7, 274 τ. υἱὸν ἄφες μοι) Mt 5:40. W. acc. only τέκνον, σπέρμα Mk 12:19ff; vs. 21 v.l. τινί τι leave, give (Eccl 2:18; Ps 16:14); Mt 22:25; εἰρήνην ἀφίημι ὑμῖν I leave you peace (cp. Diod. S. 25, 16 τὸν πόλεμον ἀφίημι=I leave [you] war) J 14:27; leave (over, remaining) (Da 4:15) Hb 2:8.—Pass. be left, remain (Da 4:26) οὐ μὴ ἀφεθῇ λίθος ἐπὶ λίθον not a stone will be left on another Mt 24:2; Mk 13:2; cp. Lk 21:6 (on the hyperbole cp. Reader, Polemo p. 338).

5. to convey a sense of distancing through an allowable margin of freedom, leave it to someone to do something, let, let go, allow, tolerate

a. w. acc. (Arrian, Anab. 1, 25, 2; Himerius, Or. [Ecl.] 4, 1; 4 Km 4:27; PsSol 17:9) Mt 15:14; Mk 5:19; 11:6; 14:6; Lk 13:8; Ac 5:38. ἀφεῖς τ. γυναῖκα Ἰεζάβελ you tolerate the woman Jezebel Rv 2:20. ἐὰν ἀφῶμεν αὐτὸν οὕτως if we let him go on like this (i.e. doing miracles) J 11:48.—Related types of usage allow, let, permit, leave w. double acc. οὐκ ἀμάρτυρον αὐτὸν ἀφῆκεν God has not left himself without a witness Ac 14:17 (cp. Soph., Oed. Col. 1279 ἀ. τινὰ ἄτιμον; PFay 112, 13; POxy 494, 5f ἐλεύθερα ἀφίημι δοῦλά μου σώματα; 1 Macc 1:48). W. acc. and inf. (BGU 23, 7; POxy 121, 15; Ex 12:23; Num 22:13; PsSol 17:27) Mt 8:22; 13:30; 19:14; 23:13; Mk 1:34; 7:12, 27; 10:14; Lk 8:51; 9:60; 12:39; 18:16; J 11:44; 18:8; Rv 11:9; Hv 1, 3, 1; 3, 1, 8; Hs 9, 11, 6. W. ἵνα foll. Mk 11:16.

b. The imperatives ἄφες, ἄφετε are used w. the subjunctive esp. in the first pers. (this is the source of Mod. Gk. ἄς; B-D-F §364, 1 and 2; Rob. 931f) ἄφες ἐκβάλω τὸ κάρφος let me take out the speck Mt 7:4; Lk 6:42 (cp. Epict. 4, 1, 132 ἄφες σκέψωμαι; POxy 413, 184 [II 1d] ἄφες ἐγὼ αὐτὸν θρηνήσω). ἄφες (ἄφετε) ἴδωμεν let us see Mt 27:49; Mk 15:36 (cp. Epict. 3, 12, 15 ἄφες ἴδω). It is also used w. the third pers. (Epict. 1, 15, 7 ἄφες ἀνθήσῃ). And w. ἵνα in a colloquially expressed sentence ἄφες αὐτήν, ἵνα τηρήσῃ αὐτό let her be, so that she can keep it for the day of my burial J 12:7. (The usage Epict. 4, 13, 19 ἄφες οὖν, ἵνα κἀγὼ ταὐτὰ ὑπολάβω is not strictly parallel, for the impv. is not followed by a pronoun. The rendering let her keep it [s. Mlt. 175f] treats ἄφες as an auxiliary. NRSV’s addition, ‘She bought it’, is unnecessary.) The second pers. is rare ἄφες ἴδῃς Hs 8, 1, 4 acc. to PMich. Abs. let it be so, let it go (Chariton 4, 3, 6) Mt 3:15; GEb 18, 40 (w. ὅτι foll.=‘for’).—B. 768; 839; 1174. DELG s.v. ἵημι. M-M. TW. Sv.

The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary Forgiveness (New Testament)

Divine forgiveness is dependent on the loving nature of God. But while offered to all, pardon is not given to all. Impediments to forgiveness include stubborn unrepentance (Mark 4:12), unbelief (implicit in Acts 2:37–38, 40), denial of wrongdoing (1 John 1:8, 10), and refusal to forgive other people (Matt 6:14–15). There is scarce NT support for the universal remission of sins. Rather, V 2, p 836 forgiveness is the exception to God’s wrath which will fall upon all but the pardoned

Great paradigm of God´s forgiveness in the NT is the story of the prodigal son (Lucas 15:11-32). In the N.T forgiveness is also a metaphor of conversion (Rom 4:7-8; Efésios 1:7; Colossenses 1:14) .

This is also the prayer that Jesus taught us Forgive as we forgive (Mt 6)

One of the News in the N.T is that the role for forgiveness is also given to Jesus - That is what he says so that you may know that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive the sins (Mateus 9:1-8; Marcos 2:1-12) Also, the Cross and the Blood sacrifice of Jesus are the means and fulfilent of this divine pardon (forgiveness).

When the Christian prays “and forgive us our debts” he or she must also be able to say “as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matt 6:12). This kind of gracious response to offense undergirds Paul’s advice to strong Christians in Gal 6:1–2, who are to offer loving and humble help to those who fall into sin. An unforgiving spirit is the evidence of stubborn pride, which is not the attitude with which to approach to God for mercy. “Forgive and you will be forgiven” (Lucas 6:37; also Marcos 11:25, Sir 28:2). Jesus is also credited with the instruction that one should not ask for forgiveness if another is angry at him for some cause (Mateus 5:23–24 ). The command to seek reconciliation is given to the offended and to the offender both. (ANCHOR)

Finally, the disciples are called to live a life as redeemed people which means having the ability of forgiving every transgression against us. And it really means, EVERY!

What is (not) forgiveness?

Biblical Counseling Keys on Forgiveness B. What Is Forgiveness Not?

• Forgiveness is not circumventing God’s justice.…

— It is allowing God to execute His justice in His time and in His way.

• Forgiveness is not waiting for “time to heal all wounds.” …

— It is clear that time doesn’t heal wounds—some people will not allow healing.

• Forgiveness is not letting the guilty “off the hook.” …

— It is moving the guilty from your hook to God’s hook.

• Forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation.…

— It takes two for reconciliation, only one for forgiveness.

• Forgiveness is not excusing unjust behavior.…

— It is acknowledging that unjust behavior is without excuse, while still forgiving.

• Forgiveness is not explaining away the hurt.…

— It is working through the hurt.

• Forgiveness is not based on what is fair.…

— It was not “fair” for Jesus to hang on the cross—but He did so that we could be forgiven.

• Forgiveness is not being a weak martyr.…

— It is being strong enough to be Christlike.

• Forgiveness is not stuffing your anger.…

— It is resolving your anger by releasing the offense to God.

• Forgiveness is not a natural response.…

— It is a supernatural response, empowered by God.

• Forgiveness is not denying the hurt.…

— It is feeling the hurt and releasing it.

• Forgiveness is not being a doormat.…

— It is seeing that, if this were so, Jesus would have been the greatest doormat of all!

• Forgiveness is not conditional.…

— It is unconditional, a mandate from God to everyone.

• Forgiveness is not forgetting.…

— It is necessary to remember before you can forgive.

• Forgiveness is not a feeling.…

— It is a choice—an act of the will.

How does these definitions change our way of seeing the world?

What are the blessings of forgiveness?

I become free to live my life (Not being stuck with my past)

I am able to forgive others

I extend the chance for others to see Christ through me

What are the damages of not forgiving?

Psychological disorder

Traumas and Wounds carried to other areas in life

not being able to be the best version of yourself

Some questions brought by the book:

What can I do when I don´t feel like forgiving?

Is forgiving the same as reconciliation?

After we forgive , we must try to reconcile?

How Can I respond in a Christlike way when I´m being treated so unjustly?

Why should we get rid of unforgiveness?

How Can I forgive someone who hasn´t apologized or shown any kind of repentance?

If I forgive those who offend me. I´ll a classic enabler

Why is it so difficult to forgive?

Why should we forgive?

Biblical Counseling Keys on Forgiveness God’s Heart on Forgiveness

God commands that we forgive each other.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

• God wants us to forgive others because He forgives us.

“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Colossians 3:13)

• God wants us to see unforgiveness as sin.

“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” (James 4:17)

• God wants us to get rid of unforgiveness and have a heart of mercy.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5:7)

• God wants us to do our part to live in peace with everyone.

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:18)

• God wants us to overcome evil with good.

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)

• God wants us to be ministers of reconciliation.

“God … reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:18–19)