John Calvin Commentary Matthew 6:12

"And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." — Matthew 6:12 (ASV)

And forgive us our debts. Here it may be proper for us to be reminded of what I said a little earlier: that Christ, in arranging the prayers of His people, did not consider which was first or second in order. It is written that our prayers are like a wall which hinders our approach to God (Isaiah 59:2), or a cloud which prevents Him from seeing us (Isaiah 44:22), and that He has covered Himself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through (Lamentations 3:44).

We should always, therefore, begin with the forgiveness of sins, for the first hope of being heard by God dawns upon us when we obtain His favor. There is no way in which He is pacified toward us (Ezekiel 16:63) but by freely pardoning our sins.

Christ has included in two petitions all that relates to the eternal salvation of the soul and to the spiritual life, for these are the two leading points of the divine covenant in which all our salvation consists. He offers us a free reconciliation by not imputing our sins (2 Corinthians 5:19) and promises the Spirit to engrave the righteousness of the law on our hearts. We are commanded to ask for both, and the prayer for obtaining the forgiveness of sins is placed first.

In Matthew, sins are called debts because they expose us to condemnation at the tribunal of God and make us debtors; indeed, they alienate us entirely from God, so that there is no hope of obtaining peace and favor except by pardon. And so is fulfilled what Paul tells us, that all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God (Romans 3:19).

For, though the righteousness of God shines to some extent in the saints, yet as long as they are surrounded by the flesh, they lie under the burden of sins. None will be found so pure as not to need the mercy of God; and if we wish to partake of it, we must feel our wretchedness.

Those who dream of attaining such perfection in this world as to be free from every spot and blemish not only renounce their sins but renounce Christ Himself, from whose Church they banish themselves. For when He commands all His disciples to go to Him daily for the forgiveness of sins, everyone who thinks he has no need of such a remedy is removed from the number of the disciples.

Now, the forgiveness which we here ask to be given to us is inconsistent with satisfaction, by which the world tries to purchase its own deliverance. For that creditor is not said to forgive who has received payment and asks nothing more—but he who willingly and generously departs from his just claim and frees the debtor.

The ordinary distinction between crime and punishment has no place here, for debts unquestionably mean liability to punishment. If they are freely forgiven us, all compensations must disappear. And there is no other meaning than this in the passage of Luke, though he calls them sins; for in no other way does God grant pardon for them than by removing the condemnation they deserve.

As we forgive our debtors. This condition is added so that no one may presume to approach God and ask for forgiveness who is not pure and free from all resentment.

And yet, the forgiveness we ask God to give us does not depend on the forgiveness we grant to others. Instead, Christ's design was to exhort us in this manner to forgive the offenses committed against us and, at the same time, to give, as if it were the impression of His seal, to confirm the confidence in our own forgiveness.

Nor is anything inconsistent with this in the phrase used by Luke, καὶ γὰρ, for we also. Christ did not intend to point out the cause, but only to remind us of the feelings we should cherish towards our brothers when we desire to be reconciled to God.

And certainly, if the Spirit of God reigns in our hearts, every kind of ill-will and revenge should be banished. The Spirit is the witness of our adoption (Romans 8:16), and therefore this is set down simply as a mark to distinguish the children of God from strangers.

The name debtors is here given not to those who owe us money or any other service, but to those who are indebted to us on account of offenses they have committed.