Welcome to:Rivers of Living Water:

Great Biblical Themes and the Shaping of Lives of Faith

In Preparation for Class Consider the Following Quote:

“One of the greatest challenges of the spiritual life is to receive God’s forgiveness. There is something in us

humans that keeps us clinging to our sins and prevents us from letting God erase our past and offer us a completely

new beginning.”

Henri Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal Son

Opening Discussion

Based upon the opening quote, what do you find harder to do:

Accept God’s forgiveness or extend forgiveness to others?

Old Testament Sin Three Hebrew Words for “Sin”

Iniquity (awon): being “crooked”, deviating from the straight path or way of relationship

Transgression (pesa): rebellion and break in trust; a rejection of God’s authority

Sin (het): wrongdoing; missing the mark; failure to keep God’s law and of person to person relationship

Old Testament Forgiveness Three Hebrew Roots for “Forgiveness”

Atonement (kpr): used in connection with sacrifice to imply that atonement is made

Lift (ns): the image of sin being lifted and carried away from the sinner

Forgive (ns): connected with bearing the penalty of sin

Early Forgiveness: Genesis 50

15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: 17 ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.

Joseph’s perspective aids forgiveness

18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.

19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

Numbers 14: Forgiving but not Forgetting

17 “Now may the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as you have declared: 18 ‘The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’ 19 In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.”

Forgiveness but still Punishment?

20 The LORD replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked.21 Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth, 22 not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times—23 not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it.

1 Kings 8: Repentance and Forgiveness

46 “When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far away or near; 47 and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’;48 and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; 49 then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. 50 And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their captors to show them mercy; 51 for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace.

OT Sacrificial System:Receiving Forgiveness

Leviticus 17:11: For the life of a creatures is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. Forgiveness for the moment and for specific sins

only

Group Discussion

What strikes you about what we’ve seen about forgiveness in the Old

Testament?

New Testament Sin Numerous Words for “Sin”

Hamartia: Taking a wrong road; concretewrongdoing; violating God’s law Paraptoma: Misdeed or trespass; blunder Parabasis: Transgression; going beyond the norm Asebeia: Active ungodliness or impiety Anomia: Contempt for God’s law Adikia: Unrighteousness Enochos: guilty Kakia and Poneria: Moral and spiritualdepravity

New Testament Forgiveness Four Greek words for “Forgiveness”

Charizomai: To deal graciously with Aphiemi: To send away; to loose Apolyo: To release Paresis: Passing by Aphesis: Remission

Forgiveness in Matthew Matthew 6:12  “And forgive us our debts,

    as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Human forgiveness to mirror divine

Matthew 18:21-22 “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me?Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. (70X7) Forgiveness without limits

The Unmerciful Servant:Need to forgive to be forgiven

32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Forgiveness is Central to Community Life

Colossians 3: 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Forgiveness as understoodby the Early Church

Acts 5:31: God exalted Him at His right hand as leader and savior that He might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

Acts 13:38-39: Let it be known to you, therefore, my brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you; by this Jesus everyone who believes is set free from all those sins from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

NT Receiving of Forgiveness:Sacrifice of Christ

Hebrews 9:12: He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once and for all by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. In contrast to the OT sacrificial system:

Forgiveness for all sins for eternity

Closing Discussion:Personal Application

As we look at forgiveness in the Bible, what strikes you about God’s forgiveness? About how forgiveness is given? About our own calling to forgive?

How do we learn to receive and accept God’s forgiveness for ourselves and extend forgiveness to others?