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?" 22Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Jesus says we should forgive someone seventy times seven in response to a question from Peter about how many times to forgive a brother who sins against him. Peter asks if forgiving seven times is appropriate, and Jesus responds “not seven times, but seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22).
For Jesus to say “77,” then, would be to exaggerate this standard of perfection – a metaphorical way of saying “forgive until you reach perfect perfection.” In essence, Jesus was saying “forgive to infinity.” Jesus' reference to 77 also brings to mind the words of Lamech in Genesis 4:23-24 – a ruthless man who lived ...
Matthew 18:21-22 KJV. Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). There is no limit to how many times we are willing to forgive someone who seeks forgiveness, just as there is no limit to how many times God will forgive us.
Many commentaries understand this to mean that Jesus was telling Peter that he should forgive his brother a limitless number of times.
Later, Matthew 18:21-22 says that we are to forgive someone “seventy-seven times” (or, in many translations, “seventy times seven,” which is 490 times). In Luke 17:4, Jesus says that you should forgive someone seven times in one day; that would work out to more than 2,500 acts of forgiveness each year, every year.
What is the Meaning of the Number 7 in the Bible? The number 7 is quite significant in the Bible, appearing over 700 times throughout both the Old and New Testaments. In biblical numerology, 7 symbolizes completion or perfection. It is said that God created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th.
With this declaration, Alma identified for Corianton the three most abominable sins in the sight of God: (1) denying the Holy Ghost, (2) shedding innocent blood, and (3) committing sexual sin. Adultery was third to murder and the sin against the Holy Ghost as abominable sins.
Matthew 6:14 (NIV)
"For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." It's important to remember that forgiveness scriptures like Matthew 6:14 remind us that, since God forgives us, we, too, must offer forgiveness to those who have wronged us.
In Matthew 5:44 Jesus says, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”
490 is the numerical value of the biblical Hebrew word “tamim” which means to “complete,” “perfect,” or “finished.” A person who can't forgive will always live an imperfect, and incomplete life that lacks a true understanding of the “finished” gracious work of the cross.
Gospel of Matthew
"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. ' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The name 70×7 is synonymous with God's eternal forgiveness. Matthew 18:21-22. I have frequently used the old adage “God forgives, people forgive, but nature never forgives!” I came to understand that forgiveness does not obliterate the consequences of the situation that caused the need for forgiveness.
Matthew 18:21-35 King James Version (KJV)
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
This means that the person who abides in Christ cannot abide in sin. He may fall into sin seven times . . . but each time gets up again.
“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.”
In His strength, we can forgive those who seem undeserving; we can forgive again; we can forgive that which feels unforgivable; and we can finally trade our festering burs of hurt for the vine of His grace-filled redeeming fruit. The choice to forgive is ours today. Even when it still hurts.
Matthew 12:30–32: "Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
Responsibility: Accept what has happened and show yourself compassion. Remorse: Use guilt and remorse as a gateway to positive behaviour change. Restoration: Make amends with whomever you're forgiving, even if it's yourself.
Matthew 18: 21-22 21 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.
“Fear not!” is the most repeated command in the Bible. In fact, it's been said that there are 365 “Fear nots” in the Bible — one “Fear not” for every day of the year! Lloyd Ogilvie in Facing the Future without Fear even said there are 366 “Fear nots” in the Bible, one for every day of the year, including Leap Year!
Peter has asked Jesus a question about forgiving someone who sins against you. Apparently, Judaism required you to forgive the same person three times for the same offense. Peter, perhaps thinking he is being generous, asks Jesus if he should forgive someone who sins against him up to seven times.