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Praying for Others' Forgiveness Without Presumption Theologically

Praying for the forgiveness of others is a practice rooted in Christian teaching, yet it requires careful theological consideration to avoid presuming upon God's prerogative or the individual's need for repentance. The Bible encourages believers to pray for one another [1], and this extends to praying for their spiritual well-being, which includes forgiveness.

Forgiveness of sins is ultimately a divine act, granted by God alone [4, 8]. Mark 2:7 states that only God can forgive sins, a point reiterated in Daniel 9:9 [4]. This forgiveness is made possible through Christ's work, specifically through his blood [4]. Justification, which includes the pardon of sin, is God's judicial act where he absolves the sinner from condemnation due to Christ's work [6, 8]. This means that God removes the guilt of sin and the sinner's liability to eternal wrath [8].

While God alone grants forgiveness, believers are commanded to forgive one another for offenses committed against them [2, 5]. Colossians 3:13 instructs believers to be "forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye" [2]. John Gill interprets this as not only bearing with one another's weaknesses but also refraining from seeking revenge and praying to God for their forgiveness of sins against Him [12]. Augustine similarly emphasizes the importance of forgiving others, noting that those who do not forgive from the heart cannot expect their own sins to be forgiven by God [17]. He also connects the daily prayer "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive" to the purification from concupiscence and daily sins [13, 15].

Praying for others' forgiveness, therefore, is not an attempt to bypass their personal need for repentance or God's sovereign act. Instead, it aligns with the broader biblical command to pray for all people [3] and to intercede for their salvation and spiritual growth. Such prayers acknowledge God's power to grant pardon and express a desire for the individual to experience God's grace. John Calvin notes that prayer should be offered with confidence and "full assurance of hope," distinguishing believers from unbelievers [16]. This confidence is rooted in God's promise to assist his people [10].

The Eastern Orthodox tradition, through figures like John Chrysostom, also emphasizes praying for others, including enemies, and cautions against praying against brethren [14]. Chrysostom suggests that when one is anxious about their own sins, they would shudder at mentioning others' faults in a condemnatory way [9]. This perspective underscores that prayers for others' forgiveness should be offered with humility and a focus on God's mercy, rather than with a judgmental spirit.

In essence, praying for others' forgiveness is an act of intercession, asking God to extend His grace and pardon to them, and to lead them to repentance, which is a necessary component for the forgiveness of mortal sin [11]. It is a recognition that access to God is through Christ and by the Holy Spirit, obtained through faith [7].

Sources

  1. James “Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective. -- James 5:16”
  2. Colossians “Colossians 3:13 (ASV) — forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye:”
  3. I Timothy “I Timothy 2:8 (Geneva1599) — I will therefore that the men pray, euery where lifting vp pure hands without wrath, or douting.”
  4. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Pardon — Promised -- Isa 1:18; Jer 31:34; Heb 8:12; Jer 50:20. None without shedding of blood -- Le 17:11; Heb 9:22. Legal sacrifices, ineffectual for -- Heb 10:4. Outward purifications, ineffectual for -- Job 9:30,31; Jer 2:22. The blood of Christ, alone, is efficacious for -- Zec 13:1; 1Jo 1:7. Is granted By God alone. -- Da 9:9; Mr 2:7. By Christ. -- Mr 2:5; Lu 7:48. Through Christ. -- Lu 1:69,77; Ac 5:31; 13:38. Through the blood of Christ. -- Mt 26:28; Ro 3:25; Col 1:14. For the name's sake of Christ. -- 1Jo 2:12. According to the riches of grace. -- Eph 1:7. On”
  5. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Forgiveness of Injuries — Christ set an example of -- Lu 23:34. Commanded -- Mr 11:25; Ro 12:19. To be unlimited -- Mt 18:22; Lu 17:4. A characteristic of saints -- Ps 7:4. Motives to The mercy of God. -- Lu 6:36. Our need of forgiveness. -- Mr 11:25. God's forgiveness of us. -- Eph 4:32. Christ's forgiveness of us. -- Col 3:13. A glory to saints -- Pr 19:11. Should be accompanied by Forbearance. -- Col 3:13. Kindness. -- Ge 45:5-11; Ro 12:20. Blessing and prayer. -- Mt 5:44. Promises to -- Mt 6:14; Lu 6:37. No forgiveness without -- Mt 6:15; Jas 2:13. Illustrated --”
  6. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Justification — A forensic term, opposed to condemnation. As regards its nature, it is the judicial act of God, by which he pardons all the sins of those who believe in Christ, and accounts, accepts, and treats them as righteous in the eye of the law, i.e., as conformed to all its demands. In addition to the pardon (q.v.) of sin, justification declares that all the claims of the law are satisfied in respect of the justified. It is the act of a judge and not of a sovereign. The law is not relaxed or set aside, but is declared to be fulfilled in the strictest sense; an”
  7. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Access to God — Is of God -- Ps 65:4. Is by Christ -- Joh 10:7, 9; 14:6; Ro 5:2; Eph 2:13; 3:12; Heb 7:9, 25; 10:19; 1Pe 3:18. Is by the Holy Spirit -- Eph 2:18. Obtained through faith -- Ac 14:27; Ro 5:2; Eph 3:12; Heb 11:6. Follows upon reconciliation to God -- Col 1:21,22. In Prayer -- See Prayer. De 4:7; Mt 6:6; 1Pe 1:17. In his temple -- Ps 15:1; 27:4; 43:3; 65:4. To obtain mercy and grace -- Heb 4:16. A privilege of saints -- De 4:7; Ps 15:1; 23:6; 24:3,4. Saints have, with confidence -- Eph 3:12; Heb 4:16; 10:19,20. Vouchsafed to repenting sinners -- See Repen”
  8. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Forgiveness of sin — One of the constituent parts of justification. In pardoning sin, God absolves the sinner from the condemnation of the law, and that on account of the work of Christ, i.e., he removes the guilt of sin, or the sinner's actual liability to eternal wrath on account of it. All sins are forgiven freely (Acts 5:31; 13:38; 1 John 1:6-9). The sinner is by this act of grace for ever freed from the guilt and penalty of his sins. This is the peculiar prerogative of God (Ps. 130:4; Mark 2:5). It is offered to all in the gospel. (See [219]JUSTIFICATION.)”
  9. CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on Galatians–Colossians–Thessalonians: them, and that severely, they cannot have while to be angry, nor complain to their master; so is their soul possessed with fear. They only look to one thing, that they may go in and come out without stripes, and their thoughts are on that time. And when they come out, whether beaten or not, the blows they have received from their play-fellows never enter their minds for the delight. And you, when you stand anxiously concerned for your own sins, how can you but shudder at making mention of others’ faults? 1163 1163 In the Apostoli”
  10. CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 75: the same time have greater pleasure in welcoming the blessings which we perceive to have been obtained by our prayers. Lastly, use and experience confirm the thought of his providence in our minds in a manner adapted to our weakness, when we understand that he not only promises that he will never fail us, and spontaneously gives us access to approach him in every time of need, 2148 but has his hand always stretched out to assist his people, not amusing them with words, but proving himself to be a present aid. For these reasons, tho”
  11. theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part (Tertia Pars), Of the Effect of Penance, As Regards the Pardon of Mortal Sin, Art. 2: Article: Whether sin can be pardoned without Penance? I answer that, It is impossible for a mortal actual sin to be pardoned without penance, if we speak of penance as a virtue. For, as sin is an offense against God, He pardons sin in the same way as he pardons an offense committed against Him. Now an offense is directly opposed to grace, since one man is said to be offended with another, because he excludes him from his grace. Now, as stated in the FS, Question [110], Ar”
  12. Colossians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Colossians 3:13: Forbearing one another,.... Not only bearing one another's burdens, and with one another's weaknesses, but forbearing to render evil for evil, or railing for railing, or to seek revenge for affronts given, in whatsoever way, whether by words or deeds: and forgiving one another; all trespasses and offences, so far as committed against themselves, and praying to God to forgive them, as committed against him: if any man have a quarrel against any; let him be who he will, high or low, rich or poor, of whatsoever age, state, or condition, and let his quarrel or com”
  13. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 5: Augustine — Anti-Pelagian — CHAP. 28 [XIV.]--MANY WITHOUT CRIME, NONE: WITHOUT SIN. All these products of concupiscence, and the old guilt of concupiscence itself, are put away by the washing of baptism. And whatever that concupiscence now brings forth, if they are not those products which are called not only sins, but even crimes, are purified by that method of daily prayer when we say, "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive," and by the sincerity of alms-giving. For no one is so foolish as to say that that precept of our Lord does not refer to baptized people: "Forgive and it shal”
  14. CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on Galatians–Colossians–Thessalonians: good. Moral . Let every prayer of ours, then, be accompanied with thanksgiving. And if we are commanded to pray for our neighbors, not only for the faithful, but for the unbelieving also, consider how wrong it is to pray against your brethren. What? Has He commanded you to pray for your enemies, and do you pray against your brother? But your prayer is not against him, but against yourself. For you provoke God by uttering those impious words, “Show him the same!” “So do to him!” “Smite him!” “Recompense him!” Far be such words fro”
  15. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 6: Augustine — Homilies on the Gospels — CHAP. VIII.--28. The fifth petition follows: "And forgive us our debts, as we also forgives our debtors." It is manifest that by debts are meant sins, either from that statement which the Lord Himself (part 2): as we also forgive;" but if you pardon it, you see how he who is enjoined to offer such a prayer is admonished also with respect to forgiving a money debt. 29. That may indeed be construed in this way, that when we say, "Forgive us our debts, as s we also forgive," then only are we convicted of having acted contrary to this rule, if we ”
  16. CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 75: what we ask, a confidence which the Lord commands, and all the saints teach by their example, we must therefore hold fast with both hands, if we would pray to any advantage. The only prayer acceptable to God is that which springs (if I may so express it) from this presumption of faith, and is founded on the full assurance of hope. He might have been contented to use the simple name of faith, but he adds not only confidence, but liberty or boldness, that by this mark he might distinguish us from unbelievers, who indeed like us pray ”
  17. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 3: Augustine — On the Holy Trinity — CHAP. 74.--GOD DOES NOT PARDON THE SINS OF THOSE WHO DO NOT FROM THE HEART FORGIVE OTHERS.: Now, he who asks forgiveness of the man against whom he has sinned, being moved by his sin to ask forgiveness, cannot be counted an enemy in such a sense that it should be as difficult to love him now as it was when he was engaged in active hostility. And the man who does not from his heart forgive him who repents of his sin, and asks forgiveness, need not suppose that his own sins are forgiven of God. For the Truth cannot lie. And what reader or hearer of ”
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