FORGIVENESS IN THE WRITINGS OF ST PAUL
Paul rarely employs the term forgiveness in his writings. He uses the verb charizomai which is connected to charis "grace," and means to "give freely or graciously as a favour" or "remit, forgive, pardon". Its personal reference is to people rather than to specific sins. Forgiveness for Paul is relational and he sees it as paramount for Christians striving to live a good life. Christ has forgiven us therefore, we should be forgiving also."Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive" (Col 3.13); "This punishment by the majority is enough for such a person; so now instead you should forgive and console him, so that he may not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. . . Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ" (2Co 2. 6-7,10); ". . . and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you" Ep 4.32).
It is the work of Christ to bring about forgiveness "And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses" (Col 2.13). Paul gives a good example as one who seeks forgiveness. "How have you been worse off than the other churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong" (2Co 12.13).
Forgiveness as remission is seen by Paul as arising from the atoning death of the Saviour. "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace" (Ep 1.7); " . . . in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Col 1.14). Forgiveness for Paul is important because of what Christ has done. Believers’ sins are not counted against them and it is important that they translate it into their manner of life. ". . . they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus"(Rm 3.24-26); "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God" (Ep 2.8). Being a forgiving people is what Paul teaches.
For Paul forgiveness reveals something about the character of God. God is a God of mercy, who pardons, not some grim tyrant. God sent Jesus, the only Son to die on a cross to effect forgiveness. This surely means more than the remitting of penalty, it points to the establishment of a warm personal relationship with the forgiving God.
Forgiveness is important for Paul though he does not often refer to it in set terms. He portrays a forgiving life as worthy of the believer who has been forgiven.
