Why did Jesus say "forgive us our debts"?
The word debt suggests we owe God something we cannot pay. “Forgive us our debts” suggests that we have done things that we should not have done, and left undone things we should have done. “Forgive us our trespasses” comes from the Book of Common Prayer, which is why many people use the word trespasses.
In the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6) Jesus Christ teaches His disciples how to pray and encourages them to "Forgive the Debt of Others" if they want "Their Own Debt to be Forgiven".
The 'Parable of the Unforgiving Servant' is from the Christian Bible: Matthew 18:21-35. It details the story of a servant who was forgiven a massive (unrepayable) debt, only to refuse forgiveness to another servant who owed a relatively small debt.
Both the King James Version and the Revised Standard Version of the Bible say, “Forgive us our debts.” In ordinary English usage, the word debts does not equate to sins. Nor does the word trespasses appear to be an exact synonym for sins.
Debt and debtor are used in a moral sense also as indicating the obligation of a righteous life which we owe to God. To fall short in righteous living is to become a debtor. For this reason we pray, "Forgive us our debts" (Matthew 6:12).
At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel the loan he has made to his fellow Israelite. He shall not require payment from his fellow Israelite or brother, because the LORD's time for canceling debts has been proclaimed.
Debt forgiveness is a process where a creditor pardons a debtor from part or all of their outstanding debt. Various types of debt may qualify for forgiveness. Debt forgiveness can offer relief from overwhelming financial burdens, but it does have downsides. There are alternative options for managing debt.
Forgive Us Our Debts (Italian: Rimetti a noi i nostri debiti) is a 2018 Italian drama film about a man struggling under the crushing weight of debt who has to work as a debt collector to pay off his creditors. The film was released on May 4, 2018, by Netflix.
As in Matthew 6:12 above, debts are taken to mean sin. Just as the king (God) had forgiven the debts (sins) of his slaves, so the unforgiving slave should have forgiven the debts (sins toward him) of his fellow slaves. Forgiveness is to replace indebtedness.
The parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21-35)
A man owed the king ten thousand talents close talentsA unit of currency used in the Roman Empire.. He could not pay so he begged for mercy – and the king cancelled the debt.
What is the Lord's Prayer for debts?
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
You may have felt like your sins are too serious or that you have made the same mistake too many times. But no matter how much we have sinned, we can always repent and be forgiven. Some sins may be easier to correct than others, but Jesus Christ has provided for total forgiveness from all sins. He is eager to forgive.
We are all indebted to God due to our sin. The debt is eternal. It therefore requires an eternal payment. The debt is paid because Christ paid it.
Matthew 6:12 - Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Matthew 18:27, 30, 32, 34 - Forgive because your debts have been forgiven. Luke 7:42-43 - He who is forgiven much (debt) loves much; he who is forgiven little (debt) loves little. Romans 4:4 - Wages, like a debt owed, must be paid.
And central to the Lord's Prayer is this line, “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” According to Jesus, an understanding of debt and debt forgiveness is actually central to how we relate to God and how we relate to other people.
In the New Testament, Christians were warned to not go into debt, as we are free from bondage due to the redemptive work of Jesus. 1 Corinthians 7:23 “You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.”
Matthew 18:21-35 The Parable of The Unforgiving Servant.
He then goes on to tell a parable. The story is that a poor guy owes a rich guy an impossible amount of money. The rich guy is going to take everything from the poor guy and throws him in prison, but the poor guy begs for his life and the rich guy forgives him.
Deuteronomy 15:1-3 The Message (MSG)
You must not press your neighbor or his brother for payment: All-Debts-Are-Canceled—GOD says so.
Matthew 6:12-14 New King James Version (NKJV)
And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Debt forgiveness provisions exist to help curb hairy bookkeeping and arbitrage opportunities as a result of bad debts. Debt forgiveness would typically provide the creditor with a revenue loss (or in some cases, a capital loss).
What is the only debt that Cannot be forgiven?
Loans, medical debt and credit card debt are generally all able to be discharged through bankruptcy. Tax debt, alimony, spousal or child support and student loans are all typically ineligible for discharge.
Matthew used the word “debts” figuratively for “sins,” whereas in Luke's more direct style, he relates that Christ teaches us to ask forgiveness of our sins (hamartia).
Deuteronomy 15:1-2 New Century Version (NCV)
At the end of every seven years, you must tell those who owe you anything that they do not have to pay you back. This is how you must do it: Everyone who has loaned money must cancel the loan and not make a neighbor or relative pay it back.
As our various English translations have it, do we mean sins, trespasses, or debts? Debt covers both financial and non-financial owing, as in “mortgage debt” and “debt of gratitude.” Trespass points to property violations. Sin connotes violation of sacred commandments.
The Lord's Prayer says to “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” Why doesn't this apply to student loan forgiveness? No. In the Paternoster, that word is sometimes translated from the Greek as 'debts' and sometimes translated as 'trespasses', but both reflect middle English.
