M-A-D Prison Ministry
What is Forgiveness?
http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-evangelical-dictionary/forgiveness.html
Terminology. There are several Hebrew terms equivalent to the English "to forgive" as defined below. The three most common are verbs (used transitively): salah [j;l's], kapar [r;p'K], and nasa [a'f"n]. The New Testament most commonly expresses the act of forgiving by aphiemi [ajfivhmi] (noun form: aphesis [a [fesi"] ). The verbs charizomai [carivzomai] (e.g., 2 Col 2:7 ) and apoluo [ajpoluvw] (e.g., Luke 6:37) express the same idea.
Divine Forgiveness. God's restoration of relationship that entails the removal of objective guilt. Thus, to forgive the offense against God's holiness or the perpetrator of the offense are synonymous. Forgiveness can be extended both to nations (especially Israel) and to individuals.
The Old Testament. God is depicted in the Old Testament as merciful. He is described as "slow to anger" and "abounding in love/mercy, " "compassionate and gracious" (Exod 34:6 ; Num 14:18 ; Neh 9:17 ; Psalm 86:15 ; 103:8 ; 145:8 ; Joel 2:13 ; John 4:2 ). God is lenient toward his people, not treating them as their sin deserves (Ezra 9:13-15; Psalm 78:35-38; 103:8-10), and willing to forgive wickedness, rebellion, and sin (Exod 34:7; Num 14:18).
There is, however, a tension in the character of God as depicted in the Old Testament, because just aposed to the characterization of God as merciful is the warning that God as righteous will not forgive sin or at least not leave sin unpunished (Exod 34:7; Num 14:18; Nahum 1:3). Although he is predisposed to be merciful, nonetheless he is a jealous God (Exod 20:5; 34:14; Deut 4:23-24; 5:9; 6:15; Joshua 24:19-20; 1:2). am 7:1-9 illustrates God's character as both merciful and righteous: God forgives and repents of punishing Israel twice but after that, when Israel does not return, he can no longer spare the nation. This tension in God's nature manifests itself in God's dealings with nations especially Israel and individuals.
National Forgiveness. In one case God forgave a nation other than Israel and did not bring the punishment on it that he had planned. God as righteous was compelled to bring judgment on Nineveh, but God as merciful sent Jonah to warn the city of the impending judgment. The Ninevites, including the king, believed and repented of their evil ways and their violence (Jonah 3:8). As a result God as merciful relented from the evil that he had planned to bring on them. This is an illustration of the general principle by which God deals with nations (Jer 18:7-8).
Israel is distinguished from other nations as being chosen by God out of all the nations of the earth as his special possession (Exod 19:15; Deut 7:6; 14:2; 26:18; 1 Kings 3:8; 1 Chron 16:13; Psalm 33:12; 105:6; 106:4-5; 135:4; Isa 41:8; 43:10; 44:1-2). Israel's election has its roots in God's covenant with Abraham, renewed with Isaac and Jacob, thus giving God's relationship with the nation an unconditional basis (Gen 12:1-3; 15:18; Genesis 17:8 Genesis 17:21; 22:17; 26:3-5; 28:13-15; 35:11-12; Exod 2:24; 6:4;Exodus 13:5 Exodus 13:11; 32:13 ;33:1; Deut 1:8; 4:37; 7:8; 10:11; 26:15; 34:4; Joshua 1:6; 21:43-44; 1 Kings 8:40; 1 Chron 16:16-18; 2 Chron 20:7; Neh 9:7-8; Psalm 105:8-11). So, in spite of Israel's disobedience, after he has punished the nation, God is committed to dealing mercifully with it because of the covenant made with the fathers and his love for them (Lev 26:42; Deut 4:31; 9:26-27; 2 Kings 13:23; Psalm 106:40-46; Jer 33:25-26; Micah 7:20).
Individual Forgiveness. God as righteous required obedience from individual Israelites; by observance of all that God commanded each would live (Lev 18:5 ; Neh 9:29). Only some violations of the Torah were forgivable, and these through the cult.
The Day of Atonement was another means by which individual sins could be forgiven. In Leviticus 16 Aaron (or his descendants) is instructed first to expiate himself and his house annually. Then, taking two goats, Aaron is to offer one chosen by lotas a sin offering for the expiation of the sanctuary (v.16), while over the other he is to confess all the wickedness of the sons of Israel and all their rebellion their s in and release this second goat into the wilderness. The released goat removes all wickedness. This was a national ritual designed to remove individual offenses against God's holiness.
In his dealing with individual Israelites, God as merciful stands in tension with God as righteous. He does not deal with individual sin as it deserves, but forgives and mitigates punishment.
The New Testament. The tension between God's dealings with human beings in terms of his mercy and righteousness finds resolution in the New Testament. That the eschatological promises of forgiveness and spiritual transformation have become realities through the appearance, death, resurrection, and exaltation of Jesus Christ is assumed throughout the New Testament. This eschatological resolution pertains to the nation, individuals within the nation, and individual Gentiles.
John the Baptist offered eschatological forgiveness to the nation on the condition of repentance (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3). His offer exemplified the tension between God as merciful and God as righteous, as shown by the fact John rejected some who had not first produced the fruit of repentance before seeking the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin. He evidently assumed that Israel was the totality of Jews who were faithful to the covenant. John the Baptist pointed to the resolution of this tension, however, when he said that the one who would come after him would baptize with the Holy Spirit (Matt 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16).
Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God, and offered his hearers the possibility of entrance into this kingdom on the condition of repentance. He was the mediator of eschatological salvation, which included the extension of forgiveness (Matt 9:3-6; Mark 2:7-12; Luke 5:21-25; 7:36-50). Like John the Baptist, Jesus required that the offer of eschatological salvation be appropriated by individuals; the process of entering the kingdom was that of becoming a child, by passively receiving God's eschatological forgiveness. It is for this reason that Jesus said to his opponents that "the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you" (Matt 21:31b). Human Forgiveness. In the Lord's Prayer, receiving forgiveness from God is joined to forgiving others (Matt 6:12 ; Luke 11:4). Jesus' parable of the unmerciful servant makes the point that human beings are obliged to forgive because God has forgiven them (Matt 18:23-35). God's forgiveness is actually said to be conditional upon forgiving others (Matt 6:14 ; 18:35 ; Mark 11:25-26 ; Luke 6:37). Jesus says that there ought to be no limit on the number of times that one should forgive another so long as the offender repents and asks for forgiveness (Matt 18:21-22 ; Luke 17:3-4). Luke 17:3-4 NIV 3 So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."
Matthew 18:21-22 NIV
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"
22 Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Matthew 6:14 NIV 14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Matthew 18:35 NIV 35 "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
Mark 11:25-33 NIV 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. "
Luke 6:37 NIV 37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Matthew 12:31-32 NIV
31 And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
Mark 3:28-29 NIV
28 I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them.
29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin."
Luke 11:4 NIV 4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation. ' "