Forgiveness in Prayer According to Ephesians 4:32
Ephesians 4:32 instructs believers to "be kind to one another, full of pity, having forgiveness for one another, even as God in Christ had forgiveness for you" [1]. This verse is part of a larger exhortation to unity and love within the church, as seen in the surrounding context of Ephesians 4.
The literary context of Ephesians 4:32 is a call to live a life worthy of the calling to which believers have been called (Ephesians 4:1). The chapter emphasizes the importance of unity (Ephesians 4:3-16), putting off falsehood and speaking truth (Ephesians 4:25), and not letting anger lead to sin (Ephesians 4:26-27). The instruction to forgive one another is thus situated within a broader discussion of how believers should conduct themselves in relation to one another.
The phrase "even as God in Christ had forgiveness for you" is crucial for understanding the nature of the forgiveness believers are called to extend to one another. The Greek text reads "καθὼς καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἐν Χριστῷ ἐχαρίσατο ὑμῖν" [2], emphasizing that God's forgiveness is the model for believers' forgiveness. According to Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, this forgiveness is rooted in God's character and is made possible through Christ [2].
The call to forgive "even as God in Christ forgave you" implies that believers' forgiveness should mirror God's forgiveness in some way. One tradition interprets this as meaning that just as God has forgiven believers for their significant offenses against Him, believers should forgive others for their offenses, which are lesser in comparison [2]. This understanding is supported by the parallel passage in Colossians 3:13, which also exhorts believers to forgive one another as the Lord has forgiven them.
The concept of forgiveness in Ephesians 4:32 is closely tied to the idea of imitating God's character. As John Gill notes, believers are to be "kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another" because God has shown them kindness and forgiveness [3]. This reflects a broader theme in the New Testament, where believers are called to imitate God's love and forgiveness (e.g., Matthew 18:21-35; Luke 6:36).
The understanding of forgiveness in Ephesians 4:32 has been influential in Christian theology and practice. Charles Hodge's discussion of forgiveness in his Systematic Theology highlights the importance of understanding forgiveness as an exemption from the penalty of sin, made possible through Christ's expiatory work [4].
Sources
- Ephesians “Ephesians 4:32 (BBE) — And be kind to one another, full of pity, having forgiveness for one another, even as God in Christ had forgiveness for you.”
- Ephesians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ephesians 4:32: (Luk 7:42; Col 3:12). even as--God hath shown Himself "kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving to you"; it is but just that you in turn shall be so to your fellow men, who have not erred against you in the degree that you have erred against God (Mat 18:33). God for Christ's sake--rather as Greek, "God in Christ" (Co2 5:19). It is in Christ that God vouchsafes forgiveness to us. It cost God the death of His Son, as man, to forgive us. It costs us nothing to forgive our fellow man. hath forgiven--rather as Greek, "forgave you." God has, once for all”
- Ephesians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ephesians 4:29: And be ye kind one to another,.... Good, affable, courteous; which appears in looks, words, and actions; by looking pleasantly on each other, speaking kindly to one another, and mutually doing every good office that lies in their way, and in their power: tender hearted: which is opposed to a being hard hearted to them that are in distress, and close at hand to the needy; to cruelty and severity to such who are subject to them, or have injured them; and to a rigid and censorious spirit to them that are fallen: forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 24: of the sinner, to allow the conscience to be satisfied with any scheme of salvation which does not provide for the expiation of the guilt of sin by what really satisfies the justice of God. In the Bible, therefore, as well as in common life, pardon is not a mere consequence of sanctification. It is exemption from the infliction of the deserved penalty of the law. Whether this exemption is a mere matter of caprice, or unworthy partiality for the offender, or for considerations of expediency, or at the promptings of compassion, or upon the ”