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‘Continue Forgiving One Another Freely’The Watchtower—1997 | December 1
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1. (a) When Peter suggested that we forgive others “up to seven times,” why may he have thought that he was being generous? (b) What did Jesus mean when he said that we should forgive “up to seventy-seven times”?
“LORD, how many times is my brother to sin against me and am I to forgive him? Up to seven times?” (Matthew 18:21) Peter may have thought he was being very generous with his suggestion. At the time, rabbinic tradition said that one should not extend forgiveness more than three times for the same offense.a Imagine Peter’s surprise, then, when Jesus replied: “I say to you, not, Up to seven times, but, Up to seventy-seven times”! (Matthew 18:22) The repetition of seven was equivalent to saying “indefinitely.” In Jesus’ view, there is virtually no limit to the number of times a Christian should forgive others.
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