Context and Forgiveness

Forgiveness and forgiving seem a popular topic among preachers today. Everybody is an expert, since relationships among people are constantly being challenged. Humans are vulnerable to error, no one disagrees with that, but our sympathy for our natural man natures has boundaries in God’s Word.

Probably the most often quoted verses of scripture on forgiveness lies in Matthew 18: 21-22:

Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive (link) him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

I’m sure Peter thought he was being generous with seven times, but it really isn’t about the number of times one forgives, it is about the heart of forgiveness. It is about God's desire to help people. The heart of this is expressed a few verses earlier:

Matthew 18:11-14 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

In sharing God’s word it is easy to isolate scriptures and teach something that isn’t really the truth. Matthew 18 has beautiful context to draw from:

Matthew 18:15-17Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church (link): but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. (The church are those who love and are humble to God's Word. When something is not right, people who love God want His Word to thrive. There's a great example in chapters 37-50 in Genesis regarding Joseph)

It is very easy to gossip about someone rather than being upfront and loving, but God is after hearts and if we are in fellowship with him we know whether we’ve done enough. Forgiveness may or may not result in reconciliation.We keep trusting God on what to do and expect Him to help us forget and move on when we need to.


Ananias was forgiving when he listened to God and went and ministered to the murderer, Saul/Paul in Damascus. God said he was a chosen vessel to Him, so Ananias believed and obeyed. Paul believed Ananias. Paul eventually was given the responsibility by God to reveal the mystery!

Many of the prophets of old had to pull away at times from the situations they faced. Each one of us today in the grace administration period, can have the spirit of God to tell us what to do in any individual situation. It will always flow with the guidelines of the church epistles.


In Acts 20ff, Paul wanted to go to Jerusalem to help his countrymen. God didn’t want him to and for a very good reason. Things did not turn out well. God didn't punish him or thunder indignantly when Paul decided to go. God did the best to warn him. Paul eventually figured it out and got out of there for his spiritual, mental and physical health. He got backed into a corner and had to let it go. Letting go is forgiveness too. It might hurt a little, but maybe that's all that can be humanly done in a situation. Sometimes in life, we too must come to the realization that there is nothing else to be done, so it is best to move out of the situation and in moving on, we leave it all in the hands of God.