Here are some common versions of part of the Lord's Prayer.

Which is most correct?

Which is harder to do?

Discuss: Is this requirement a minimum or a maximum requirement?

• ... and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors ...
• ... and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us ...
• ... and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us ...

How many try to get by with as little as possible, to game the system, to find loopholes, to fulfill the technicality of what is required?

You are told to "not get off that chair". How might you get around that rule?

To "forgive" means to "let go" as in "forget".

Is "reconciliation" needed when someone else wrongs you?

How can you "reconcile" and "forget" or "let go" at the same time?

How many times might you need to "forgive" or "let go"?

What is a trespass?

In Luke, the context is often important to understanding what is being said. In this case, a comparison of the context with Matthew is useful.
Often, Matthew will record exactly what is said. Jesus often carefully words ideas so that they have more than one meaning - all of which can be true. Luke, many years later, carefully interviews people for what they remember. Often, Luke records one of those remembered meanings. Some call this the "direct" meaning, but any other meanings are no longer present, at least in the same clarity.

More: Selective evidence fallacy: Verse context matters

A problem arises when people try to use logic and "Biblical inerrency" to force, say, similar verses in both Matthew and Luke to match more or less exactly. This often requires throwing out part of Matthew. This is not logically sound.

• Luke is true with respect to what it says.
• Matthew is true with respect to what it says.

One can point out and discuss differences but one should not change one to match the other.

Some Lord's Prayer versions use "trespasses", from the two verses in Matthew after the Lord's Prayer.
That Greek word does not appear to mean what is considered a "trespass" which comes, through old French from two Latin words.

• The Latin word "trans" ≈ "across" as in the English word "transport" or "transcontinental". The Latin word "trans" ≈ "across" is related to the German word "durch" ≈ "through" and the English word "through".
• The Latin word "passus" ≈ "step, pace" and is the source of the English sports word "pass" as in a quarterback pass.

Cute and quick prayer: Hail Mary full of grace, help me find a parking space. [a hold on letting go]

Discuss: Does the church ever appear to "lower the bar"? Do translations of the Bible ever appear to "lower the bar"?

Some manuscripts of the GNT use the Greek word for "sins".

The word come to mean "trespass", even as used by Paul, but the meaning of words change if enough people starting using the word in a new or different sense.

The ancient Greek word "παράπτωσις" ≈ "impetuous pursuit, going astray". The parts of the word mean, literally, going "beyond falling".

The "trespasses" in these two verses are often equated with "debts" or "sins". Notice that whatever it means, it is not necessarily against you. Which of the following is harder to do? The "forgive" means to "let go".

• Matthew 6:14: trespasses
• Matthew 18:21: sin against

The "against" is not in Matthew 6:14 (or 15)! That is, you should "let go" of "sins" done by others even if they are not against you.

The KJV (King James Version) uses "trespasses" but the Greek word is more general as in "things" or, to the extreme, "stupid things" (that do not violate God's Laws).

Mark is a variation of Matthew that uses the same word for "things" as in "stupid things" that people do and which you cannot "let go". Mark adds one part about something unspecified that you have against others.

Verse 11:26 is not is some Greek manuscripts.

An example of someone who did not "let go" of a sin that happened to someone else was Ahithophel. What made Ahithophel so bitter against David? David did not sin against him.

It appears, from the references, that Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:23) was the grandfather of Bathsheba. He did not "let go". Ahithophel was the father of Eliam (2 Samuel 23:34). Eliam is the father of Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:3)

Details are left as a future topic.

Matthew makes an allusion when he describes Judas after the betrayal.


Many point out the discrepancy between Matthew and Acts. It appears that Matthew wants to make an analogy to Ahithophel as this word is only used in these two places, the GNT in Matthew and the LXX in 2 Samuel.

People often ascribe translation errors to idioms. This is one place where an idiom makes sense but is often rejected. English has many idioms for killing oneself.

• to "drink the Kool-Aid"
• to "kick the bucket"
• to "go to the happy hunting grounds"
• to "be with one's maker"
• to "go to a better place"
• to be "pushing up daisies"

Consider the parable of the friend at midnight in Luke 11:5-8.

How might what Jesus says in the Lord's Prayer and right afterwards, in Matthew, help understand the parable of the friend at midnight in Luke 11:5-8, right after the Lord's Prayer in Luke?