Matthew 6:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

NIV: But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

NASB: But if you do not forgive other people, then your Father will not forgive your offenses.

CSB: But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses.

NLT: But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

KJV: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

NKJV: But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

This is the counterpoint to Jesus' positive statement in the previous verse (Matthew 6:14). He makes this two-part remark to emphasize part of His model prayer for His disciples (Matthew 6:9–13). The key phrase being underlined is "forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" (Matthew 6:12). While the combination of these statements is easily misunderstood, they must be considered in the full context of Jesus' teachings.

Jesus said in the previous verse that those who forgive others for their sins—meaning wrongs done to us by others—will be forgiven by their heavenly Father. Now He adds the reverse; in logic, this is referred to as the contrapositive. His claim here is that those who refuse to forgive others will not be forgiven for their own sins by God.

Two aspects of this verse are difficult to process. First, human nature struggles to conceive of forgiving those who have hurt us. Human beings can do truly depraved, horrible things to each other. Some atrocities are difficult to describe, or to think about, let alone forgiving someone who has done them. All the same, Jesus insists we understand how much God has forgiven us for. A parable He gives later (Matthew 18:21–35) explains that we have all sinned against God, and by comparison, our sin against God is far more than any person can sin against another.

Read carelessly, this teaching is also difficult to square with the idea that God's grace is a free gift, one in no way dependent on a person's works. Yet that is the persistent teaching of both the four Gospels and the New Testament (John 3:16–18; Titus 3:5). Jesus' death pays for our sin and His perfect righteousness becomes our own through faith (Romans 3:21–26). Jesus does not mean that forgiving others is a condition for salvation, but that forgiveness is the expected condition of those who have been saved.

Does this mean those who refuse to forgive others can still be saved? Ultimately, that is the wrong question. God's intent is for all true Christians—those who have been born again, who have been forgiven by the death of Jesus for their offenses against God—to turn and freely forgive anyone who has wronged them (Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13). In other words, this verse speaks to evidence of salvation, not a requirement for salvation itself (James 2:14–17; John 14:15; 1 John 4:19–21). Unforgiveness is inherently contradictory to godliness.

Matthew 6:7–16 follows Jesus' instruction about praying behind closed doors; He now teaches how to pray. Christ denounces the use of mindless repetition or meaningless jargon. God doesn't need filler words, and He doesn't need us to repeat ourselves in order to be heard. Jesus then models a simple, authentic prayer, now famously referred to as the Lord's Prayer. It is addressed to God the Father and begins by declaring His holiness and asking for His will to be accomplished on earth. This model prayer also makes personal requests for daily food, forgiveness of sin, and deliverance from temptation and evil. Jesus then underscores part of that prayer by saying those who want God's forgiveness must forgive others.

The Sermon on the Mount continues in chapter 6, which is entirely composed of the words of Christ. Jesus teaches that God rewards deeds motivated by sincere devotion to Him, not by approval from other people. He teaches a simple and authentic model prayer. Christ warns against stockpiling money and possessions on earth. Instead, believers should make choices that store up treasure in heaven. A person's top priority can either be God, or money, but cannot be both. Along with that, Jesus says believers should fight against anxiety about daily needs. The heavenly Father knows what we need. All we need to do is pursue His kingdom and righteousness; He will take care of our needs, one day at a time.

Chapter 5 began Matthew's telling of the Sermon on the Mount. In that passage, Jesus pointed out that thoughts and attitudes are part of righteousness, just as much as actions. In Chapter 6, He explains how good deeds are only righteous when done out of sincere devotion to God, rather than for other people's approval. He also provides a model for prayer. Jesus explains how excessive worry, such as over money, interferes with faith in God. Knowing that God loves us should lead believers to trust Him, not to be anxious. Chapter 6 is one of the few chapters of the New Testament entirely composed of the words of Christ. In chapter 7 Jesus will introduce additional themes such as appropriate judgment, trust in God, and treatment of others.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.