In the last two sermons, we reviewed seven important spiritual lessons Jesus provides in the Lord\u2019s Prayer.\u00a0 This morning, we\u2019ll move on to Lesson No. 8.\u00a0 This lesson is found in Matthew 6:12 in which Jesus teaches us to pray: \u00a0\u201cForgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.\u201d (KJV)\u00a0 Luke\u2019s Gospel puts it this way:\u00a0 \u201cForgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.\u201d Luke 11:4a (NKJV)\u00a0 Both Matthew and Luke record Jesus mentioning \u201cindebtedness\u201d in this portion of His Model Prayer. \u00a0There is another version of this verse, but it isn\u2019t found in any of the original Greek texts.\u00a0 Actually, it is the version I was taught as a child in Sunday School.\u00a0 Maybe it was the one you were taught as well. It goes like this:\u00a0 \u201cForgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.\u201d\u00a0 You won\u2019t find that translation in the King James Version that was published back in 1611, nor is it in any of the more modern translations of Matthew\u2019s or Luke\u2019s Gospels.\u00a0 So, where in the world did this third version come from?\u00a0 We\u2019ll get to that in a few minutes.<\/p>\n
In any event, Presbyterians generally offer the prayer using the words \u201cdebts\u201d and \u201cdebtors\u201d whereas Anglicans, Episcopalians, Methodists and Roman Catholics will usually say \u201ctrespasses\u201d and \u201ctrespassers.\u201d\u00a0 Baptists sometimes go either way.\u00a0 Many non-denominational churches, that are more ecumenical in nature, lean toward referring to the forgiveness of \u201csins,\u201d rather than \u201cdebts\u201d or \u201ctrespasses.\u201d[1]\u00a0 Is this just a matter of semantics?\u00a0 Or, does it matter which of these versions we accept in order to get the true lesson Jesus is teaching us here?\u00a0 The short answer is: Yes, it matters very much.\u00a0 And, the reality is that we should consider each of these variations together to have a clearer picture of what is being taught.\u00a0 This means we should consider the words \u201cdebts,\u201d \u201ctrespasses\u201d and \u201csins\u201d collectively in order to better understand the overall meaning of the prayer.<\/p>\n
In Matthew\u2019s Gospel, the Greek word used for \u201cdebts\u201d is opheil\u0113ma (\u1f40\u03c6\u03b5\u1f77\u03bb\u03b7\u03bc\u03b1\u2014pronounced \u201cof-i\u2019-lay-mah\u201d).[2]\u00a0 The Greek word for \u201cdebtor\u201d is opheilet\u0113s (\u1f40\u03c6\u03b5\u03b9\u03bb\u1f73\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2\u2014pronounced \u201cof-i-let\u2019-ace\u201d).\u00a0 This latter word can also be translated as \u201coffender\u201d\u2014and is derived from a root word meaning \u201csinner\u201d or \u201ctransgressor.\u201d[3]\u00a0 \u00a0As you might imagine, these words typically deal with financial obligations.\u00a0 But, Jesus used them in His prayer to refer to moral or spiritual obligations.[4]<\/p>\n
Luke\u2019s Gospel expands this by adding the Greek word \u201chamartia\u201d which means \u201csin\u201d\u2014(\u1f01\u03bc\u03b1\u03c1\u03c4\u1f77\u03b1, pronounced \u201cham-ar-tee\u2019-ah\u201d).[5]\u00a0 Thus, Luke quotes\u00a0 Jesus as teaching us to pray: \u201cForgive us our sins\u201d as we forgive our debtors.\u00a0 Luke really gets down to the root of the matter because he is pointing to what Jesus did for us on the Cross\u2014He paid our debt of sin.\u00a0 This Greek word for \u201csin\u201d means \u201cmissing the mark\u201d\u2014as, for example, an archer might do when his arrow fails to hit the target.\u201d[6]\u00a0 That is what we do when we sin against God\u2014we miss the spiritual \u201cmark\u201d or standard that He has set for us.\u00a0 It is a standard that everyone has failed to meet.\u00a0 For as Paul stated, \u201cAll have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.\u201d Romans 3:23 (NIV)\u00a0 When you \u201cmiss the mark\u201d by sinning, you create a moral and spiritual debt to God.\u00a0 It is a debt that you, acting on your own, can never repay. \u00a0It is a stain that you, scrubbing by yourself, can never wash away.<\/p>\n
Now, that is not to say that some people don\u2019t try to pay the debt or wash away the stain solely through their own efforts.\u00a0 Many try to do this.\u00a0 They think they can take care of the debt of their sin and the sin-stained marks on their souls by performing \u201cgood deeds.\u201d\u00a0 They reason that, if they do enough \u201cgood deeds,\u201d it will be sufficient to counteract all those times they sinned against God.\u00a0 The problem is the Bible clearly teaches that it doesn\u2019t work that way.\u00a0 In Ephesian 2:8, Paul tells us the only thing that can save you.\u00a0 He states: 8 \u00a0\u201cFor it is by grace you have been saved, through faith\u2014and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 \u00a0not by works, so that no one can boast.\u201d Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV) \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0If even a slight stain of sin remains on your soul when you pass from this earth, then you are doomed and you will never enter God\u2019s Heavenly Kingdom.\u00a0 So, what can you do?<\/p>\n
You have only one option\u2014only one way.\u00a0 Jesus was clear about this when He said:\u00a0 \u201cI am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.\u201d John 14:6 (NIV) \u00a0So, if you want to pursue His Way and accept the Truth about having Eternal Life, then you must repent and have faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.\u00a0 In a nutshell, you need to hit the spiritual re-set button; you need to start over in complete submission to Christ; you need to be \u201cborn again.\u201d[7]\u00a0 And, having been born again, you must earnestly pray to the LORD with a heart that cries out: \u201cPlease forgive me of my debts; \u201cForgive me of my sins; \u201cForgive me of my trespasses!\u201d\u00a0 Until you do that in a genuine manner, you will always be burdened by your sins that will continue to separate you from God.\u00a0 And, if you die without having attended to your sin-debt, then you will be separated from God for all eternity in a place called Hell.\u00a0 Why does it have to be that way?\u00a0 Why doesn\u2019t God just wave His Hand and your sins are magically erased?\u00a0 The reason is that God is HOLY and JUST.\u00a0 Justice demands that all debts be paid in full. \u00a0If God didn\u2019t demand that your sins be paid for in full, then He would no longer be a HOLY and JUST God.\u00a0 And, since He is holy, God cannot be in the presence of sin. \u00a0So, as we can see from the Lord\u2019s Prayer, you must be fully forgiven of your sin-debts in order to enter into Heaven.\u00a0 You cannot owe one cent of sin and expect to enter the pearly gates.<\/p>\n
Now, let\u2019s get back to what Paul said about being saved by having faith in Jesus.\u00a0 If you trust in Jesus by having complete faith in Him\u2014in other words, the kind of faith that comes from our love of Christ and a true desire to do His will\u2014then Jesus\u2019 sacrifice on the Cross pays for your debt completely.\u00a0 His blood washes the stains of sin from your soul.\u00a0 Jesus will cancel your spiritual debts, for as the Prophet Isaiah proclaimed giving us the promise of Jesus: \u00a0\u201cI\u2019ve blotted out your sins; they are gone like morning mist at noon! Oh, return to Me, for I have paid the price to set you free.\u201d Isaiah 44:22 (TLB) \u00a0\u00a0That is why we pray, \u201cForgive us of our debts,\u201d or \u201cForgive us of our sins.\u201d\u00a0 But, why would anyone pray: \u201cForgive us our trespasses\u201d?<\/p>\n
Before answering that question, we should first identify the origin of the phrase: \u201cForgive us our trespasses.\u201d\u00a0 As I mentioned earlier, this does not appear in the original Greek versions of Matthew or Luke.\u00a0 So, from where does it originate? \u00a0Well, the answer goes all the way back to England in 1526.\u00a0 It was then that the great Reformation leader, William Tyndale, published his English version of the Greek texts of the New Testament.\u00a0 Rather than translating the Greek into English by using the word \u201cdebt,\u201d he opted to use \u201ctrespasses.\u201d\u00a0 Bear in mind that Tyndale was not some \u201cfly by night\u201d translator.\u00a0 He diligently went through the ancient Greek Scriptures and translated them into English as well as anyone could. \u00a0So, his choice of the word \u201ctrespass\u201d appears to be quite deliberate. \u00a0And, we should also note that Tyndale was a courageous Christian.\u00a0 Until then, no one had dared to translate the Bible into the English language in order to make it available to ordinary people. It was a very dangerous thing to do. \u00a0In fact, Tyndale would eventually be executed for producing his English translation.\u00a0 You see, King Henry VIII had passed a law forbidding such a thing for fear that a readily available English Bible would rob his elitist clergy men of their power.\u00a0 If these religious leaders could keep the Bible restricted to ancient Greek or Latin, then they could be the sole interpreters of God\u2019s will as expressed in the Bible.\u00a0 Whatever they said the Bible meant in these ancient tongues, no one could challenge because the people had no means of actually reading the Scriptures for themselves. \u00a0Tyndale\u2019s English version of the New Testament changed all that.\u00a0 His translation of the Lord\u2019s Prayer \u00a0that used the word \u201ctrespasses\u201d instead of \u201cdebts\u201d eventually worked its way into the Anglican\u00a0Book of Common Prayer where it remains to this very day.\u00a0 And, from that point on, many Christians over the centuries were taught to pray, \u201cForgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.\u201d [8]<\/p>\n
Although Tyndale\u2019s word choice was not technically accurate, the meaning of \u201ctrespasses\u201d actually follows Jesus\u2019 teaching very closely.\u00a0 So, what is a \u201ctrespass\u201d as used here in the Lord\u2019s Prayer?\u00a0 \u00a0Well, I have come across this concept when hunting.\u00a0 Sometimes hunters stray across someone\u2019s property line.\u00a0 They cross over into territory where they are not supposed to be.\u00a0 In other words, they are trespassing.\u00a0 So, Tyndale took this concept of trespassing and used it in his translation of the Lord\u2019s Prayer.\u00a0 \u00a0In the prayer, a trespass involves some personal act of misconduct whereby a person wrongfully enters a realm that\u2019s forbidden. \u00a0Adam and Eve were \u201ctrespassers\u201d when they approached the tree on which the forbidden fruit hung.\u00a0 They committed a trespass against God when they disobeyed His commandment and ate of that fruit.\u00a0\u00a0 The reality is, like Adam and Eve, we are all trespassers.\u00a0 When we trespass, we have wronged God. \u00a0\u00a0It is an act of spiritual treason for which we deserve the death penalty.\u00a0 For as Paul said in Romans 6:23, \u201cThe wages of sin is death.\u201d (NKJV)[9]\u00a0 The same holds true for spiritual trespassing.\u00a0 Just like Adam and Eve had to leave the Garden of Eden, when you trespass against God, you leave His land of promise and hope for the future.\u00a0 You then enter into Satan\u2019s domain of doom and destruction.\u00a0 The Prodigal Son did this in one of Jesus\u2019 parables.[10]\u00a0 Things didn\u2019t work out too well for him until he acknowledged that he\u2019d trespassed into that worldly land of sin.\u00a0 And so, he turned around (in other words, \u201crepented\u201d) and came back home to the land of his father where his only hope resided.\u00a0 The same holds true for you.<\/p>\n
So, whether you pray, \u201cforgive us our debts,\u201d \u201cforgive us our sins\u201d or \u201cforgive us our trespasses,\u201d each one works together to shed light upon the lesson Jesus is teaching us here.\u00a0 Our sins against God create a debt that only Jesus can pay\u2014as He did for us on the Cross.\u00a0 Our sins also amount to trespasses in the sense that they cause us to stray off the path God intends for us to follow.\u00a0 We end up in forbidden lands filled with all kinds of pitfalls and snares.\u00a0 Thus, we need God\u2019s forgiveness offered through His love and mercy toward us and made available only through the Cross.<\/p>\n
Now, you may have noticed that I have not explained why William Tyndale decided to use the word \u201ctrespass\u201d instead of \u201cdebt.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0Well, he never said why.\u00a0 But, if I had to guess, it appears that Tyndale\u2019s use of the word \u201ctrespass\u201d was intended to point us to something Jesus told His disciples immediately after giving them His Model Prayer. Jesus told them: 14 \u00a0\u201cFor if you forgive men their TRESPASSES, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 \u00a0But if you do not forgive men their TRESPASSES, neither will your Father forgive your TRESPASSES.\u201d Matthew 6:14-15 (NKJV)\u00a0\u00a0 Here, Jesus emphasized the importance of forgiving others of the wrongs they have done to us.\u00a0 Tyndale apparently thought this was so important that he incorporated \u201ctrespasses\u201d into the Lord\u2019s Prayer in the place of the word \u201cdebts.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0We get angry when people don\u2019t pay their debts owed to us.\u00a0 We get even more angry when they trespass across our property.\u00a0 We perceive it as a violation of our private space and take it as a personal affront.\u00a0 Forgiving a debtor is hard.\u00a0 Forgiving a trespasser seems even harder.\u00a0 \u00a0But, it is crucial for us to call upon the Holy Spirit to help us forgive others\u2014both debtors and trespassers alike.\u00a0 It is not optional.\u00a0 Jesus is very clear about this.\u00a0 If you can\u2019t forgive others, He won\u2019t forgive you.\u00a0 It\u2019s just that simple.\u00a0 And this makes sense, for as Paul explains:\u00a0 12 \u00a0\u201cSince God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 \u00a0Make allowance for each other\u2019s faults, and FORGIVE ANYONE WHO OFFENDS YOU. \u00a0REMEMBER, THE LORD FORGAVE YOU, SO YOU MUST FORGIVE OTHERS.\u201d Colossians 3:12-13 (NLT2)\u00a0 We all commit \u201ctrespasses\u201d against others from time to time.\u00a0 And, when others do the same to us, we need to put away grudges and immediately try to reconcile. We all need forgiveness, and we all must offer mercy and forgiveness to others.\u00a0 Otherwise, as Jesus told His disciples, when we fail to forgive, we condemn ourselves.\u00a0 To avoid that, we must imitate Jesus, who while suffering on the Cross, looked up to Heaven and prayed, \u201cFather, FORGIVE THEM; for they know not what they do.\u201d Luke 23:34a (KJV)\u00a0 Imitating Christ is a hard thing to do\u2014and yet, that is exactly what we are called to do.<\/p>\n
For example, you may recall the brutal murders of four college students at the University of Idaho back in 2022.\u00a0 Last month, convicted murderer, Bryan Kohberger, was sentenced for those killings.\u00a0 He was given four consecutive life sentences without parole.\u00a0 Xana Kernodle, age 20, was one of the four students who was stabbed to death.\u00a0 Her mother, Cara Northington, spoke at the sentencing hearing.\u00a0 She told how she missed her daughter dearly.\u00a0 She described her as someone who was a vibrant and beautiful person both outwardly and inwardly.\u00a0 Kohberger\u2019s murderous acts amounted to the most savage and evil trespass one could ever imagine.\u00a0 And yet, there in the courtroom, Mrs. Northington turned to this murder and said:\u00a0 \u201cJesus\u00a0has allowed me to forgive you for murdering my daughter without you even being sorry or asking for [forgiveness].\u00a0 I\u00a0do not fear you or even let you rent space in my head anymore. This forgiveness has released me from any and all evil you have inflicted on me and my family. I pray that, before this life is over, that you ask our Lord and Savior in your heart to forgive you.\u201d [11]\u00a0 You see, that\u2019s what it looks like when you imitate Jesus by extending mercy and forgiveness even for the most heinous of trespasses.<\/p>\n
This morning, are you in need of forgiveness?\u00a0 Have you sinned against God and it\u2019s weighing heavily upon your mind?\u00a0 Pray to the Lord: \u201cForgive me my debts. . . my sins. . . my trespasses.\u201d\u00a0 But, before you pray, reflect on the wrongs you\u2019ve experienced from others.\u00a0 Maybe someone has trespassed against you.\u00a0 And, as a result, you are harboring a grudge that\u2019s fueled by angry feelings and hatred that have simmered for way too long in your heart.\u00a0 Don\u2019t hold on to that bitterness.\u00a0 It\u2019s separating you from God.\u00a0 And, if you hold on to it too long, you\u2019ll jeopardize your opportunity to have the Lord forgive you.\u00a0 What a terrible thing that would be!\u00a0 Martin Luther King, Jr. said that, \u201cForgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a permanent attitude.\u201d[12]\u00a0 Indeed, it is\u2014for if you are a true follower of Jesus Christ, it is the attitude you must adopt.\u00a0 \u00a0And, writer William Arthur Ward once stated: \u201cLife lived without forgiveness becomes a prison.\u201d [13]\u00a0\u00a0 Yes, it does become a prison.\u00a0 But, Jesus came to set the captives free.[14]\u00a0 Let Him set you free this morning if you need to forgive someone.\u00a0 Let Him release you from the bitterness of unforgiveness.\u00a0 \u00a0Jesus wants to forgive all your debts, trespasses and sins. \u00a0He opens the door to Heaven when you seek forgiveness in prayer.\u00a0 Don\u2019t close that door by refusing to forgive others.<\/p>\n
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Darvin Satterwhite, Pastor<\/p>\n
Forest Hill Baptist Church<\/p>\n
August 17, 2025<\/p>\n
\u00a92025 All Rights Reserved as follows:<\/p>\n
Anyone is at liberty to use this sermon or any portions thereof for educational or religious purposes, with or without credit. The pastor believes the material presented herein to be true to the teaching of Scripture, and desires to further, not restrict, its potential use as an aid in the study of God\u2019s Word. The publication of this material is a grace ministry of Forest Hill Baptist Church in Louisa, Virginia.<\/p>\n
Visit us on our Face Book page at https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/4409sspotswoodrdgordonsvilleva.<\/p>\n
[1] Jon Bloom, \u201cForgive Us Our\u00a0What?\u2014Three Ways We Say the Lord\u2019s Prayer,\u201d Desiring God, https:\/\/www.desiringgod.org\/articles\/forgive-us-our-what (January 19, 2018).<\/p>\n
[2] James Strong, Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary, (Austin, TX: WORDsearch Corp., 2007), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: \"3783\".<\/p>\n
[3] James Strong, Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary, (Austin, TX: WORDsearch Corp., 2007), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: \"3781\".<\/p>\n
[4] Jon Bloom, \u201cForgive Us Our\u00a0What?\u2014Three Ways We Say the Lord\u2019s Prayer,\u201d Desiring God, https:\/\/www.desiringgod.org\/articles\/forgive-us-our-what (January 19, 2018).<\/p>\n
[5] James Strong, Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary, (Austin, TX: WORDsearch Corp., 2007), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: \"266\".<\/p>\n
[6] John W. Ritenbaugh, \u201cWhat the Bible says about Sin as Missing the Mark,\u201d Biblestudytools.org, https:\/\/www.bibletools.org\/index.cfm\/fuseaction\/Topical.show\/RTD\/CGG\/ID\/6773\/Sin-as-Missing-Mark.htm#:~:text=The%20word%20translated%20as%20\"sin\"%20literally%20means%20\"to,strength%3B%20and%20imperfectly%20loving%20our%20neighbor%20as%20ourselves (accessed August 9, 2025).<\/p>\n
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[7] John 3:3 \u00a0[Jesus said:] \u201cI tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.\u201d (NLT2)<\/p>\n
[8] Jon Bloom, \u201cForgive Us Our\u00a0What?\u2014Three Ways We Say the Lord\u2019s Prayer,\u201d Desiring God, https:\/\/www.desiringgod.org\/articles\/forgive-us-our-what (January 19, 2018).<\/p>\n
[9] Ibid.<\/p>\n
[10] Luke 15:11\u201332 (The Prodigal Son Parable.)<\/p>\n
[11] Milton Quintanilla, \u201cIdaho Victim\u2019s Mother Extends Forgiveness to Bryan Kohberger and Declares Her Faith in Courtroom,\u201d Crosswalk.com, https:\/\/www.crosswalk.com\/headlines\/contributors\/milton-quintanilla\/idaho-victims-mother-extends-forgiveness-to-bryan-kohberger-and-declares-her-faith-in-courtroom.html (July 29, 2025).<\/p>\n
[12] Edythe Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World, \u201cForgiveness\u201d\u2014Martin Luther King, Jr. (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 219.<\/p>\n
[13] Edythe Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World, \u201cForgiveness\u2014William Arthur Ward (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 220.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
[14] Isaiah 61:1 \u00a0\u201cThe Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon Me, for the LORD has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.\u201d (NLT2) <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In the last two sermons, we reviewed seven important spiritual lessons Jesus provides in the Lord\u2019s Prayer.\u00a0 This morning, we\u2019ll move on to Lesson No. 8.\u00a0 This lesson is found in Matthew 6:12 in which Jesus teaches us to pray: \u00a0\u201cForgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.\u201d (KJV)\u00a0 … Continue reading