This question is sometimes asked. If someone wrongs me and refuses to repent, am I required to forgive them? The passage below is referenced.
Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. Luke 17:3
So is forgiveness conditional? The phrase, “if he repents, forgive him” seems to be the focal point. For some, the implication seems to be to place a condition on the forgiveness. That condition is the offender must repent.
Let me first state the faulty logic involved here. In mathematics, it is referred to as denying the antecedent or the faulty logic of the inverse. Give me a chance to explain. It really is simple. It goes something like this.
If P, then Q. Therefore, if not P, then not Q. Now again, let me stress, this is not sound reasoning.
If P, then Q, stated in other words is, P implies Q. But it is a false assumption to conclude that means not P is not Q. Again, “if P, then Q,” does not necessarily mean, “not P implies not Q.”
Replacing the letters with phrases helps to simplify it and would look like this. If John is a bachelor (P) then he is a male (Q). The faulty logic is clear with, if John is not a bachelor (not P) then he is not a male (not Q). Again, faulty logic. John could be married, hence not a bachelor, and yet he is still a male.
For our discussion, the reasoning would go like this. “If he repents, then I will forgive.” But that doesn’t equate to “If he doesn’t repent, then I won’t forgive.” This is using faulty logic.
Now let’s turn our attention to the passage in Luke for a closer examination.
When discussing any topic of the Scriptures, there are basic interpretation principles to follow. One should always consider the context. It has been said, a text taken out of context is a pretext.
This is one of those passages wherein we might make an erroneous judgement by lifting it out of context. The context in discussion is the sin of causing one to stumble (vv 1, 2). In the context it appears that my brother has sinned against me and asked for forgiveness. For me to withhold that forgiveness under those circumstances would be sinful and would make me guilty of verse 1.
The text in v3 simply says if your brother sins against you, i.e. stumbles, and repents you should forgive him.
We make an error (apply faulty logic) by making his repentance a condition of my forgiveness. If he repents, we forgive but that doesn’t make my forgiveness conditional on his penitence.
A second principle to use in interpretation is this. One should never interpret a passage so that it is in conflict with the rest of the Scriptures. In this case, it is not necessarily in conflict but it surely doesn’t fit well with the rest of Scripture’s discussion of forgiveness from the heart of a Christian.
To say one must repent in order to obtain the offended’s forgiveness flies in opposition to everything else Jesus had to say about the subject of forgiveness. Matthew 18 notes our forgiveness should be limitless. To withhold our forgiveness is not Christ like.
Jesus on the cross forgave those who did not repent (Luke 23:34). Granted this comes from Deity and as we later learn it did require repentance. (Acts 2:38) However, Stephen followed the same example in Acts 7:60. At issue is the heart of the offended. Stephen’s heart was a forgiving spirit.
Of course, with GOD, forgiveness is conditional. It requires penitence. (Acts 2:23, 38) But the matter under discussion is not forgiveness from GOD. It is forgiveness from man. Am I to forgive an impenitent brother?
The answer is yes. With man’s forgiveness, there are no conditions. Now let me stress we are not discussing the need for congregational withdrawal and the withdrawal of fellowship. We are talking about the heart of the individual Christian.
The crux of the issue is the heart of the forgiver. Verse 3 even begins with “take heed to yourselves…”
We must ever guard our hearts from becoming hardened. Hebrews 12 warns us against allowing an evil root of bitterness to take over our hearts.
I agree with one writer who says, “It is foreign to the intent of Jesus to ask, ‘But what if he does not repent?’ The follower of Jesus is not justified in holding a spirit of unforgiveness just because no apology is offered. That would put the responsibility for the Christian’s attitude upon the offender; and that Jesus would never do.”
The question is sometimes asked, “What would Jesus do?” I think He showed us that on the cross.