I did not realise that there would be a part two. This is the result of on-going meditation and study of what is proving to be a fascinating subject. There are more Greek words that are used for other aspects of forgiveness.
To recap, the previous article considered the words aphiemi – to release, let go – and charizomai – forgiveness freely given as an act and gift of grace. The former is by far the most often used, appearing as it does 146 times in the New Testament, with the latter having 23 occurrences. With 17 instances is the word aphesis (Strong 859). This is closely related to aphiemi and also means to release and let go, to send away. The difference is that aphesis is applied solely to Jehovah’s forgiveness as extended to us humans. It is the only forgiveness that leads to eternal salvation. It is the legal protocol, the foundational basis, that allows us to receive forgiveness on the basis of the ransom sacrifice, Christ’s blood poured out once for all time. It is never used to describe forgiveness between humans. For some examples, at Matthew 26:28 it is used to describe the blood of the covenant for forgiveness of sins. John the Baptiser’s work was for the forgiveness of sins (Mk 1:3, Lu 3:3). Peter urged his listeners to get baptised for forgiveness of sins (Ac 2:38). At 5:31 he highlighted the role of the archegos in forgiveness of sins. And at Hebrews 9:22 we are told that there can be no forgiveness without blood. The author is contrasting the temporary atonement that came from the blood of bulls and goats with the permanent atonement granted by the blood of Christ, offered once for all time.
The next word is apolutrosis (Strong 629) meaning redemption, lit. buying back what was previously lost. The ransom in full, by extension our salvation. In NWT it is consistently translated as ‘release by ransom’ except at Luke 21:28 where we are told to raise our heads as our ‘deliverance’ is imminent. That is an interesting divergence. Whilst our release by ransom does indeed provide deliverance from sin and death, deliverance does not necessarily mean to release by ransom. It is not a two-way relationship. Whilst we may be eager to be delivered from the suffering and tribulation that is the context of this verse, redemption here refers to the ultimate deliverance and salvation that will come at Christ’s parousia, the final release from sin, suffering and death. Hence most translations go with ‘because your redemption is drawing near’ (NIV et al).
Finally we have kalupto (Strong 2572) meaning to cover. This does not necessarily relate to forgiveness. The first instance is in Matthew 8 and refers to a boat about to sink, literally to be covered by water. Jesus spoke about not covering over a lighted lamp (Lu 8:16) and both James and Peter used the phrase ‘covers a multitude of sins’. But it leads nicely to epikalupto (Strong 1943 – cover over, conceal). The sole instance of this word is found at Romans 4:7 ‘Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered’ (NIV). It is actually a quote from Psalm 32:1, but here Paul pairs aphiemi – forgiveness by release – with epikalupto. Our debts are cancelled and any evidence that might remain is completely and permanently covered over. A comment in Bible Hub contrasts the attempts by humans to cover matters with God’s mercy. ‘What is covered by humans will always be revealed but what is covered by God’s mercy is eternally secure’. We are reminded of the propitiatory cover of the ark of the covenant. It fitted exactly. God’s forgiveness is perfect! Indeed, John tells us that we have a paraclete, Jesus through his ‘propitiatory’ sacrifice (1 Jo 2:2).
The next section is a discussion on a statement made in a recent Watchtower article that raised my eyebrow by several inches. In the January 2025 edition of Watchtower, study article 5 – How We Benefit From Jehovah’s Love, in paragraph 3 it states ‘For example, on the basis of the ransom, Jehovah forgives our sins. He is not obligated to forgive us’ (bold in original). The first part is, arguably, true. The second statement is demonstrably untrue. According to Hebrews 9:26 ‘…[Christ] has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.’ In v22 we are told that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. If we truly believe that Christ, as the Son of God, came to earth to repurchase all mankind, including you and me, and was resurrected, to do away with sin, then not only is God obligated to forgive, but he has already forgiven us. However, nobody is obligated to accept that forgiveness. Unlike the blood of bulls and goats that granted temporary forgiveness under the Mosaic Law, Christ’s blood was shed just once and for everyone. Returning to 1 John 2:2 Christ’s sacrifice was not just for our sins but also for the whole world’s. It is for everyone; there is no requirement for Christ to sacrifice himself repeatedly.
This does not mean that we can put our feet up, relax and consider the job done. This forgiveness that we have received brings responsibilities. Consider the parable of the wicked and unforgiving slave at Matthew 18. If we have been forgiven we are obligated to forgive others. This is stated in the Lord’s Prayer – our being forgiven is dependant on our forgiving. If we are harsh and unforgiving, there is no forgiveness left for us.
Forgiveness is also linked to everlasting life. This means everlasting life that we know you, the only true God, and the one you sent forth, Jesus Christ (Jo 17:3). Note that we have to know God, not simply know about God. There is a world of difference. For those who know God, he has set up a process that leads to everlasting life. If we fully engage with that process, then God is also obligated to grant us everlasting life. What are the steps to life? That we exercise faith in Jesus Christ (Jo 3:16), repent of our sins and get baptised (Ac 2:38). When we do this we receive the gift of holy spirit and are adopted as children of God (Jo 1:12, Ro 8:15, 1 Jo 3:1).
In paragraph 7 of the same article it states ‘Another way we benefit from the ransom right now is that we can have a close, personal relationship with Jehovah’ (bold in original). The read scriptures that are used to prove this are Romans 5:1 and James 2:23. Alas, neither of these verses refer to the ransom. At Romans Paul assures us that we are declared righteous by faith leading to peace with God. It was by Abraham’s faith that he too was declared righteous, yet he had no idea who his seed might be and what the ransom price would be. If Jesus’s propitiatory sacrifice is for the whole world then something more is required for someone to draw close to God. That something is faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God (He 6:6). Faith is built on solid evidence; evidence needs to be collected, collated and arranged such that a coherent case emerges. It takes time and much effort. Building faith is a lifetime’s work. Faith, along with the recognition of our sinful state and a penitent spirit, leads to everlasting life.
What about those who know nothing of this? How will they hear without someone to preach? asked Paul (Ro 10:14). Jehovah is the God of mercy and perfect justice. He knows. Yes, we have the obligation to share our faith, but it is impossible to preach in a meaningful way to everyone on this planet, if for no other reason that the population grows by over 200,000 per day! Then again, there are others who have heard, have responded, but then have turned aside and rejected God’s grace, deliberately and wilfully. How are these treated? This is apostasy and the Bible’s most succinct definition is found at Hebrews 10:26 onwards. It reads:
For if we practice sin wilfully after having received the accurate knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left, but there is a certain fearful expectation of judgement and a burning indignation that is going to consume those in opposition. Anyone who has disregarded the Law of Moses dies without compassion on the testimony of two or three. How much greater punishment do you think a person will deserve who has trampled on the Son of God and who has regarded as of ordinary value the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and who has outraged the spirit of undeserved kindness with contempt? For we know the One who said: “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again: “Jehovah will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
By wilfully practising sin we trample on the Son of God, thereby treating his death as no different to anyone else’s. To be a scripture-defined apostate is a dangerous thing because it rejects everything that Jehovah has done for us. Jesus paid the price for our release while we were yet sinners in the hope that we might gratefully respond (Ro 5:8).
So how do we reconcile these two states – that the ransom sacrifice is for the whole world, with forgiveness available to all, yet only those exercising faith are adopted by God and get to inherit the earth and live forever on it? Christ’s ransom gives everyone the potential to live forever. But in order to convert that potential into reality each individual has to engage in the legal process that Jehovah has set up that leads to that person being adopted as a child of God. To repeat;
1. exercise faith,
2. repent (and remain repentant),
3. get baptised in the name of the Father, Son and holy spirit.
So when the WT article says that God is not obligated to forgive us, it follows that he is not obligated to grant us everlasting life either. Yet if we, in good faith, take the steps that he has specified, if we follow his process fully, then he is absolutely obligated to grant us everlasting life. His denial would make him a corrupt and wicked God, and never may that be said! Ultimately the choice to live or die is our own – ‘he that exercises faith in the Son has everlasting life; he that disobeys the Son will not see life’ (Jo 3:36). If Jehovah can pick and choose who he wants to forgive, this makes him a whimsical and unjust God, and belittles the value of Christ’s sacrifice. To suggest that this is the case is a truly dangerous position to be in. It was a statement that I found disturbing at the time, and with the benefit of study and meditation, I still find disturbing.
In conclusion, forgiveness is vital to salvation. It is both a divine act, a gift freely given, and a human responsibility, a command to obey. Through the ransom sacrifice of his Son, God offers forgiveness (aphesis) to all mankind, for the whole world. It is the superlative act of grace and mercy. In a broad and generic sense everyone has already been forgiven through the once-for-all-time sacrifice of Jesus's human life; they are offered the potential of everlasting life should they choose to accept the responsibility to forgive likewise, to exercise faith, repent, and live their lives in accord with God’s requirements as set out in his word. God’s forgiveness provides release by ransom (apolutrosis), and he covers over our sin such that no trace will ever be seen again (epikalupto).
The responsibility this places upon us is that we must forgive our fellow man; ‘forgive us (release us from) our debts as we have also forgiven (released) our debtors’. The key point of aphiemi is to remember that it means to let go, to release, and on both sides of the offence. We release ourselves from feelings of hurt and resentment, and we release the offender from retribution. It is not weakness. It does not condone. It does not demand apology and restitution. It is not dependant upon reconciliation, but through humility and mercy, we can leave the door to reconciliation well and truly open. It is a process that will take time and that will be facilitated greatly by divine assistance. We can rightly ask Jehovah for his help in the matter. And it is a process that we must expect to repeat without number – up to seven times, seventy seven times or even seventy times seven. We lose count and just carry on forgiving, just as Jehovah does for us.
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