Matthew 6 · a question people ask
Does God's forgiving me depend on my forgiving others?
Here are the words, in their order. The prayer asks, "Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors" (6:12) (tap forgive). When the prayer ends, Jesus's next words are about forgiving: "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (6:14-15). Mark gives words close to these: "Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your transgressions" (Mark 11:25). Later in Matthew, Jesus ends a parable of "a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants" (Matthew 18:23) with "So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don’t each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds" (Matthew 18:35). The chapter says no more about 6:14-15 than these verses, and these notes neither add to it nor take from it.
The verses
“Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.”
““For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your transgressions.”
“Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.”