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Explanation for:
Matthew
18
:
21
Then came Peter unto him and said: Lord, how often shall my brother offend against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
11
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Peter believed he was expressing an important insight, and in his eagerness to highlight his love for his neighbor, he ended his inquiry with the phrase, “Seven times? You instructed,” he asked Jesus, “that we should forgive offenses toward my neighbor; how many times ought I to do so? For instance, if a neighbor repeatedly transgresses and, upon being admonished, genuinely repents, how often are we instructed to extend forgiveness? In cases where an individual does not repent or acknowledge his wrongdoing, You taught us, after a threefold admonition, to part ways with him, saying, ‘Let him be unto you as a heathen and a tax collector,’ yet for one who truly repents, there appears to be no limit to forgiveness, as You commanded that he should be embraced. Therefore, how many times should we forgive him when he seeks repentance after being corrected? Is seven times sufficient?"},{"author-name":"Basil the Great","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c889927158e4af30595484_Basil%20the%20Great.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"What do the words mean, \\"How many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me\\" (Matthew 18:21)? And which transgressions am I permitted to forgive? The answer is that the ability to forgive is not given in an abstract manner but is contingent upon the repentance and willingness of the person who seeks forgiveness. It is written, \\"If two of you agree on earth to ask anything, whatsoever they ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven\\" (Matthew 18:19). Regarding which sins to forgive, it is unnecessary to inquire further, as the New Testament does not outline any distinctions. Instead, it assures the absolution of all sins for those who genuinely repent, particularly since the Lord Himself has promised to fulfill the requests made by His followers."},{"author-name":"Caesarius of Nazianzus","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88a176e0f4c3aeca7aee3_Caesarius%20of%20Nazianzus.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Question. Should we interpret solely what is explicitly stated, or is there a deeper significance? Consider Peter’s inquiry and the Lord's response: “How often must I forgive my brother who sins against me? As many as seven times?” The Lord warmly replies, “Amen, I say to you, not seven times, but seventy times seven.” Reply. This instruction is indeed both wise and beneficial for those involved—the sinner seeking pardon and the one offering forgiveness. For the former, the request indicates a sincere desire to amend his wrongs; and for the latter, it reminds us that we are all flawed and bear the weight of sin, save for the one, supreme, and incomparable Holy Trinity. The Scripture illustrates, “Who can claim to have a pure heart? Who can say he is sinless?” Even Job, the righteous man, despite enduring trials from the devil without losing heart, acknowledged: “No one is clean from sin.” Even if one only exists on this earth for a single day, he is partaking in life, which cannot be separated from existence.\\n\\nAs our physical existence increases and our intellect matures, we begin to comprehend the divine Providence of life. Peter aimed to grasp the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and the structure of the Church. These keys symbolize the authority to forgive sins. Instead of physical keys, we possess our speech, which has the power to open or close the doors to heaven. It is up to us to declare righteousness or fall into unworthiness; the former occurs when we align with God's words, the latter when we stray from His directives. The one seeking the authority to forgive sins poses the question, “How many times must I forgive my brother? Up to seven times?” Why not inquire about an even or complete number, asking instead about “seven”? It seems he sought to uncover wisdom regarding one who has committed significant transgressions: would one who has sinned seven times be eligible for pardon through Baptism and repentance? \\n\\nCain, as the first murderer, faces immense suffering due to his sins tied to the act of murder. He was the pioneer of wrongdoing—the first to take a life, the first to lie to God about his brother’s fate, and the one who brought pain to his parents through his brother’s death. Cain sowed seeds of hatred and jealousy and corrupted the earth with his brother’s blood, inciting its curse. His act of murder epitomized his torment as the divine decree echoed: barren shall the ground become for him and devoid of sustenance, afflicted he shall be throughout his being. It follows that this suffering is fittingly understood in its entirety.\\n\\n“Cursed be the ground because of you”—this is the initial suffering. “You shall toil the land”—this signifies a second trial. He was burdened by an ineffable compulsion to labor on the earth, without reprieve. Thus, he faced a third torment—laboring without reaping rewards. The grumbling and trembling of the earth brings God's providence to bear in the form of two additional torments: unending lament and restlessness that deters sustenance, preventing even the faintest relief from the toil that killed his brother.\\n\\nThe sixth agony arises from a loss of boldness before God—an exceedingly heavy burden to endure, being turned away by the Divine. In such despair, he yearns for death, believing it to be a release from misery, deeming it preferable to existence devoid of God. He laments, “If You cast me from this earth, preventing me from enjoying its fruits, I will be hidden from Your face; even should I encounter someone who seeks to kill me, it would be better to die than to continue suffering such torments.” In response, the Lord reassured him: “No, I have placed a sign upon you to prevent any harm from befalling you.” This became his seventh anguish—denied the peace of death that would reduce his shame to dust, compelled to live perpetually in torment, marked as the progenitor of evil among humanity. This is undoubtedly the heaviest suffering—shame in the eyes of those endowed with reason.\\n\\nGod's judgment brings forth a sentence, declaring: “These shall rise to everlasting life, and these to disgrace and eternal contempt.” Cain, having introduced seven evils, incurred a fittingly severe penalty. Peter likely understood that the seventh day is designated as the Lord’s day—a day of rest after His creative labors. The significance of the seventh is further acknowledged by the Jewish tradition, where it encompasses rituals of purification and the observance of forgiveness. After six years of cultivation and harvesting, the seventh year is established as a time of restoration, filled with self-sown abundance. \\n\\nIn the same regard, after serving seven years, a slave attains liberty. The Jewish people endured seventy years of captivity in Babylon. The sacredness of the number seven extends to our holy Church. David, the psalmist, proclaimed, “Seven times a day I will praise You.” By speaking of “day,” he refers to the essence of this life, honoring the seven days of creation. Isaiah enumerates seven gifts of the Spirit, while Solomon spoke of “the seven eyes of the Lord,” asserting that in divine Wisdom, a temple stands strong upon seven pillars. Wisdom is identified as Christ in the teachings of Paul, with the house symbolizing both heaven and the Church, and the pillars representing celestial hierarchies. The Apostolic Church includes those such as Stephen and Philip, recognized as the seven deacons.\\n\\nAnother saint articulated, “The righteous man may fall seven times but will rise again,” underscoring the necessity of repentance. Enoch, seventh in the lineage from Adam, did not die but was taken, a sign that we too may transcend death for the immortal life of the Church, shielded from the flood of darkness, akin to Noah, who had Christ steering the vessel. Following Noah, Abraham emerged as the seventh, receiving circumcision as a means to renounce a life of fleshly excess. The seventh from Abraham is Moses, the divine lawgiver: he brings forth a transformation and rejuvenation, instituting a sacred observance of the Sabbath in the seventh year, where land is freed from toil, debts are canceled, and captives are released.\\n\\nChrist arose as the seventy-seventh from Adam, as affirmed by Luke in his genealogical record. Thus, it is evident that Holy Scriptures ascribe the measure of forgiveness of sins to the sevens, ensuring the continuity of life. The seventh day is a perfected creation. The Seven Weeks cyclically grant remission of sins to those who strive for restoration and divine guidance. While we may grow complacent, let us soon turn from our prideful ways and recommit to virtuous living. Let us cleanse ourselves spiritually and depart from all that sullies us, rising to a life of higher calling. We must incline our ears to God’s edicts, releasing our attachments to worldly matters. May we earn the highest fruits of virtue through love, inscribing God's Law upon our hearts, becoming vessels in the hands of the Divine."},{"author-name":"Hilarius of Poitiers","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88cb92f12b3278598f946_Hilarius%20of%20Poitiers.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"When Peter inquired whether he should forgive his brother who wronged him up to seven times, the Lord replied, “I do not say to you, ‘Up to seven times,’ but up to seventy times.” In every instance, He teaches us to emulate Him in humility and compassion. By diminishing and vanquishing the urges of our violent inclinations, He empowers us through His example of gentleness, forgiving all our transgressions in faith. Our natural flaws do not merit forgiveness; therefore, it is bestowed solely by Him. He pardons even those sins that persist within us after we confess. The retribution due to Cain was sevenfold, but that transgression was against a person, his brother Abel, whom he murdered. In contrast, for Lamech, a different vengeance is decreed, totaling seventy times, and this punishment, as we understand, is reserved for those accountable for the Lord's sufferings. (Lamech proudly claimed to have killed the young man, signaling a need for correction of his arrogance. A similar pride was attributed by Hilary of Pictavius to the murderers of the Savior (cf. Gen. 4:18-24). Yet the Lord, through human faith, offers forgiveness for this sin, and through the sacrament of baptism, He imparts the grace of salvation to those who envy and persecute Him. How much more, as He indicates, should we extend this forgiveness without limits or conditions? We ought not to measure how many times we offer forgiveness, but rather, we should quell our anger toward those who wrong us whenever such feelings arise. The frequency with which we forgive indicates there is no opportunity for us to harbor anger at all, for God grants complete forgiveness for all our sins as a gift, independent of our worthiness. We cannot quantify this forgiveness, such as counting up to seventy times, because by the grace of the Gospel, God has lavished upon us mercy beyond measure."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"The Lord instructed on the importance of love and the necessity of forgiving transgressions. In his curiosity, Peter posed a question once more, unaware that forgiveness should be boundless. He offered the number seven as a display of magnanimity, but how did Christ respond?"},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"Peter inquired, \\"If a brother transgresses and later comes to repent and seeks forgiveness, how many times am I required to forgive him?\\" He clarified this by saying, \\"If he has sinned against me.\\" For when someone sins against God, I, as a human being, cannot extend forgiveness unless I hold a sacred office. However, if a brother has wronged me, I am to forgive him, and he shall be absolved, even if I am merely an ordinary man and not a priest. He stated, \\"up to seventy times seven,\\" suggesting not a literal count of forgiveness but rather an indication of its boundlessness. It would be odd for anyone to keep track until reaching four hundred and ninety, for the purpose here conveys an infinite capacity for forgiveness. It is as if the Lord is instructing us that regardless of how often a person sins, repents, and seeks forgiveness, we must extend our mercy to them. Furthermore, in the subsequent parable, He emphasizes that we are to show compassion."},{"author-name":"Theophan the Recluse","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8983a6e0f4c3aecaae3fc_Theophan%20the%20Recluse.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Desiring to understand the extent of forgiveness owed to a brother, St. Peter questioned, assuming, ‘Is it enough to forgive seven times?’ In posing this inquiry, he believed he had established a considerable limit. How limited is human patience!"},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Then Peter approached Jesus and asked, “Master, our teachers assert that a man who transgresses against his neighbor is forgiven once, forgiven twice, forgiven three times, but not the fourth. What do You say about this? You have commanded that he who does not repent or condemn himself for sin, after being admonished three times, should be cast out; however, for the one who repents, You have imposed no limit, but instructed him to be welcomed back. How many times must I extend forgiveness to my brother who wrongs me, if he repents after being corrected? Is it up to seven times?” In saying this, Peter intended to exceed the standard set by the scribes, seeking to demonstrate his love for others and show generosity. Yet instead of receiving commendation, he was met with the Lord's loving correction."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"“Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother?” In His teaching on reconciliation with a brother who has sinned (Matthew 18:15-17), the Lord emphasizes the necessity of forgiving the one who truly repents and seeks restoration. If a brother repeatedly sins and expresses remorse, are we to extend forgiveness each time, and if so, how often? Jewish scholars taught that forgiveness should be offered three times, but after that, no further clemency was warranted: “a man who sins against his neighbor is forgiven once, forgiven twice, forgiven three times; but the fourth time, he is not forgiven.” Peter, intending to demonstrate greater generosity, proposes the idea of forgiving “seven” times, more than doubling the Rabbinic stance. To forgive someone signifies treating them as though they have not harmed or offended the wronged party, relinquishing any desire for revenge or legal reprisal, erasing the past entirely from memory, and nurturing sincere, Christian, fraternal affection towards the repentant individual."},{"author-name":"Kochomski S.W.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Apostle Peter's inquiry in this passage likely stems from the Lord's own teaching, as recorded by Luke (Luke 17:4): If a person sins against you seven times in a day and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him. Thus, Peter's question could be rephrased as: ‘Is it sufficient to forgive my brother who trespasses against me up to seven times?’ However, when Jesus referred to the number seven, He intended to convey an infinite amount of forgiveness. To eliminate any uncertainty about the extent of forgiveness, the Lord emphasized this idea by multiplying seven by ten, and then multiplying that result by seven again, which totals 490. This clearly illustrates not a limit but the boundless nature of forgiveness. Furthermore, this concept is paralleled in Luke 17:3-4, where it relates to our interactions with others, indicating that we should not hold their offenses against them as significant. Such forgiveness is unconditionally expected if the neighbor recognizes his wrongdoing; however, when an individual does not see themselves as guilty, offering forgiveness may inadvertently reinforce their misguided beliefs. Consequently, love and forgiveness may sometimes need to be held quietly within our hearts for the sake of our neighbor's well-being."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"After concluding His dialogue with the apostles, Jesus’ disciple Peter sought to understand the extent of forgiveness required: How many times must I forgive my brother who wrongs me, is it up to seven times? The religious teachers suggested that forgiveness was to be extended only three times; however, Christ called for a higher standard of righteousness among His disciples. Thus, Peter, aiming to exceed the teachings of the scribes while still not fully comprehending the essence of Christ's message, posed the question: is forgiving seven times sufficient?"}]}
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