The February 2025 edition of Watchtower contains a trilogy of articles on the subject of forgiveness. To say that this is a really important subject is something of an understatement. Forgiveness is not optional. Unless we forgive we cannot receive forgiveness. Alas all Watchtower articles are typically shallow, designed as they are to fit into 20 paragraphs or fewer and to be regurgitated by the congregation within one hour. I say regurgitated as opposed to openly discussed or debated, practices strongly discouraged. Introducing additional material and scriptural references is frowned upon! All articles contain disinformation to some extent but if we can spot and then ignore it, they provide a sound basis and a variety of subjects for further scriptural exegesis and personal reflection.
The first article, Jehovah’s Forgiveness – Why We Appreciate It, discusses the subjects of reconciliation (with Jehovah), atonement, the ransom, redemption and being declared righteous. It sets the tone for the remaining articles. Alas it is rather ruined when we arrive at paragraph 18 and the unscriptural teaching that some, the putative ‘anointed’, are declared more righteous than the rest of us. It is an elitist teaching that has no demonstrable basis in scripture yet the majority of JWs are happy to accept it at face value, a practice that Paul warned the Corinthians against (2 Cor 10:7).
The second article, Jehovah’s Forgiveness – What It Means for You, shows how he removes sin, wipes it out, and restores a good relationship. The elephant in the room is the new covenant. This is the arrangement that Jehovah uses to achieve these things and yet it is neither mentioned in the article nor was it mentioned in the congregation. There is also a curious footnote regarding the insertion of the word ‘true’ at Ps 130:4 – ‘With you there is [true] forgiveness’, noting how this makes NWT unique. It is based on the existence at this point of the definite article, lit. ‘the forgiveness’. Firstly I wonder whether there can be gradations of forgiveness. Either we forgive or we do not. This makes it a tautology. Trauma leaves an indelible scar in the human memory which means that, try as we might, it is impossible for us to literally forget. Can Jehovah forget? Can he delete information from his memory as we can data from a hard-drive, whereby it is gone without trace? I am not sure that any human is qualified to decide on that! The fact remains is that WTS and the definite article have an inconsistent relationship. At John 1:1 its absence correctly leads to ‘a god’, fundamental to the rejection of the trinity doctrine. At Revelation 7:9 ‘a great crowd’ in all WTS literature transmutes into ‘the great crowd’, a completely different thing. ‘I have other sheep’ at John 10:16 becomes ‘the other sheep’. And so on.
The third article, Jehovah’s Forgiveness – How Can You Imitate It?, is liberally seasoned with examples of how some managed to forgive in difficult circumstances. The names have been changed, so this is all unverifiable, nevertheless there is much fine advice. So how do we forgive? What does it mean?
At the discussion one brother, an elder, focussed his comment on reconciliation with the offender. If forgiveness leads to reconciliation then that is a bonus and a wonderful outcome. However forgiveness and reconciliation are neither the same nor interdependent. Exploring the difference is, I think, a good start.
Reconciliation is a two-way process. It requires mutual understanding, communication and rebuilt trust. Beautiful! But reconciliation is not always possible, or even desirable. What if the offender does not wish reconciliation? What if he or she is still offending? In the spirit of 1 Cor 15:33, if that person is a bad association reconciliation might be an equally bad idea. Does all this mean, then, that we would be unable to forgive? No. Forgiveness is an internal process over which we have full control. It does not require the participation of the offender, and that is an important factor.
Quite by accident, I discovered that the English word ‘forgiveness’ is actually translated from two entirely different Greek words. As part of my preparation I looked at the Greek word used at Matthew 6:12 ‘forgive us our debts as we have forgiven out debtors’. This word is άφιεμι aphiemi (Strong 863). It means to release, to let go, to send away. There are two sides to this. Firstly we must acknowledge our feelings – what happened and why it happened. Those feelings likely consist of anger, betrayal and resentment. Hanging on to these feelings will prevent healing. So we are encouraged to send them away, release them. This may seem to be weak willed and pathetic, but should we continue to harbour them we allow the offender to victimise us every day. The trauma continues. Sending them away unburdens us and allows us to begin life anew. We also release ourselves from the expectation of apology and restitution. We might find ourselves in a position where we have to face the offender on a regular basis, such as in the congregation, at work or at home. If, on every occasion, we revel in the miscarriage of justice, the hypocrisy, the despicable nature of the deed, then we stab ourselves all over again. By acknowledging that we are not going to receive an apology releases us from that expectation too. The other word, used mostly by Paul and Luke is χαρίζομαι charizomai (Strong 5483). Looking at it we see a similarity to charis (grace) and charisma (gift) and that is because it is closely related. It is forgiveness offered as an act of grace or favour. It is forgiveness given freely and generously, without merit. As an example, it is used at Colossians 3:13, ‘Continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely even if anyone has a cause for complaint against another. Just as Jehovah freely forgave you, you must also do the same.’ This is forgiveness of a higher order, a level that we can aspire to. Indeed on a daily basis we do offer this forgiveness. The vast majority of ‘offences’ against us are ephemeral and inconsequential, or are committed without any malice aforethought. We do not dwell on them – we forgive and forget. We move on with our lives. Charizomai is an ongoing continuous action, a lifestyle choice that characterises followers of Christ. 1 Peter 3:9 tells us to ‘repay with a blessing’. Any retaliation must be to return good for evil (comp Romans 12:17).
The passage at Luke 7:40-50 contains both words. The two debtors are graciously forgiven (charizomai) their debts, emphasising the undeserved nature of their forgiveness. The lender had no legal imperative to cancel the debt, to forgive; he wanted to. Yet when Jesus says to the woman ‘your sins are forgiven’ he uses the word aphiemi highlighting her release from the burden of sin.
Just occasionally, however, something happens that causes trauma that we cannot forget and that creates long-lasting consequences, even life-changing ones. For these the legal form of forgiveness, aphiemi, as used by Jesus in his model prayer, is sufficient. We release ourselves from any bitterness, we let go, we move on. Therefore we can say that aphiemi focuses on the act of release, whereas charizomai emphasises grace and favour.
Of course, Watchtower publications are not the only place where we can find sound advice on how to forgive. If this is something that we are struggling with then widening the scope of our investigation can lead us to some valuable writings that delve into greater depth, in formats that are not constrained by the aforementioned 20 paragraphs, or that provide what is essentially the same information in a way that speaks to us personally. We are, after all, unique.
Article 3 of the above trilogy has a box entitled ‘Three Steps to Forgiveness’. It is helpful. Those steps are 1) Do not ignore your feelings 2) Deal with your feelings and 3) Create positive feelings. Other sources describe forgiveness as a journey. It is not a one-off action that one day we decide to implement. It takes time, a lot of effort and careful planning. It is a journey of faith and obedience. We also learn that forgiveness is not optional, it mirrors God’s forgiveness, leads to healing, peace and unity, and is a step that Jesus took that we must take too if we are to make him our model (1 Peter 2:21). The kind words he spoke to the criminal hanging alongside him, and who had earlier been reproaching him, is an outstanding example on which to meditate. Another piece gave the following eight steps:
1. Acknowledge your feelings regarding what happened and why
2. Commit to healing – make that a conscious decision
3. Adjust your perspective. Recognise that your distress comes from your current emotions, not from past events
4. Manage your stress levels with, for example, relaxation techniques
5. Let go of expectations. Focus on what you can do
6. Seek positive experiences
7. Live well, with joy and purpose
8. Rewrite the experience as a journey of strength and growth
This is all about freeing yourself from the burden of resentment. It has been for me a really positive exercise. Yes, when certain elders stand before the congregation and talk about love and unity I still see Pharisees, hypocrites, splitting hairs over the mint, dill and cumin tithes whilst ignoring justice and mercy, but that is between them and Jehovah. It is not my business. I have let go and moved on.
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