Luke 17:4
Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, 'I repent,' you must forgive him."
Even if he sins against you seven times in a day
This phrase emphasizes the frequency and persistence of sin. The number "seven" in biblical terms often symbolizes completeness or perfection. In this context, it suggests that no matter how complete or frequent the offense, forgiveness should still be extended. The Greek word for "sins" (ἁμαρτάνω, hamartanō) implies missing the mark or falling short of God's standards. Historically, the Jewish tradition emphasized forgiveness, but Jesus expands this teaching to an extraordinary level, challenging His followers to embody divine grace.

and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’
The repetition of "seven times" underscores the sincerity and persistence of the offender's repentance. The Greek word for "repent" (μετανοέω, metanoeō) means to change one's mind or purpose, indicating a genuine transformation of heart. In the historical context of Jesus' ministry, repentance was a central theme, calling individuals to turn away from sin and towards God. This phrase highlights the importance of recognizing and accepting genuine repentance, even if it occurs repeatedly.

you must forgive him
The command to "forgive" (ἀφίημι, aphiēmi) in Greek means to let go, release, or send away. This reflects the Christian duty to release others from the debt of their offenses, mirroring God's forgiveness towards humanity. In the scriptural context, forgiveness is not optional but a mandate for believers, reflecting the grace and mercy that God extends to all. This teaching aligns with the broader biblical narrative of reconciliation and restoration, encouraging believers to foster relationships grounded in love and forgiveness.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus Christ
The speaker of this passage, providing teaching to His disciples on forgiveness.

2. Disciples
The immediate audience of Jesus' teaching, representing all followers of Christ who are called to live out His teachings.

3. The Offender
A hypothetical person who sins repeatedly but seeks forgiveness, illustrating the need for continual forgiveness.

4. The Act of Repentance
The offender's acknowledgment of wrongdoing and request for forgiveness, a key element in the process of reconciliation.

5. Forgiveness
The central theme of the passage, highlighting the Christian duty to forgive as an expression of God's grace.
Teaching Points
The Call to Forgive
As followers of Christ, we are called to forgive others repeatedly, reflecting the boundless forgiveness we receive from God.

The Role of Repentance
Genuine repentance is crucial in the process of forgiveness. It involves acknowledging wrongdoing and a commitment to change.

The Challenge of Forgiveness
Forgiving someone multiple times in a day can be challenging, but it is a testament to our faith and obedience to Christ's teachings.

Reflecting God's Grace
Our willingness to forgive mirrors the grace and mercy God extends to us, serving as a powerful witness to others.

Forgiveness as Freedom
Holding onto grudges can imprison us in bitterness, but forgiveness liberates us and restores relationships.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Jesus' teaching on forgiveness in Luke 17:4 challenge your current understanding of forgiveness?

2. In what ways can you apply the principle of "seventy times seven" forgiveness in your daily interactions with others?

3. How does the concept of repentance play a role in your willingness to forgive someone who has wronged you?

4. Reflect on a time when you struggled to forgive. How can the teachings in Ephesians 4:32 and Colossians 3:13 guide you in similar situations?

5. How does understanding God's forgiveness of your sins influence your ability to forgive others, as seen in 1 John 1:9?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Matthew 18:21-22
Peter asks Jesus how many times he should forgive someone, and Jesus responds with "seventy times seven," emphasizing limitless forgiveness.

Ephesians 4:32
Paul instructs believers to be kind and compassionate, forgiving each other just as God forgave them in Christ.

Colossians 3:13
Encourages believers to bear with each other and forgive grievances, reflecting the forgiveness they have received from the Lord.

1 John 1:9
Highlights the faithfulness and justice of God to forgive our sins when we confess them, underscoring the importance of repentance.

Proverbs 24:16
Describes the righteous person who falls seven times but rises again, paralleling the perseverance in seeking forgiveness.
Cause of Offence to the YoungChristian AgeLuke 17:1-4
Of the Necessity of Offences Arising Against the GospelS. Clarke.Luke 17:1-4
On the Vitiating Influence of the Higher Upon the Lower Orders of SocietyT. Chalmers, D. D.Luke 17:1-4
Our Liability to Cause Others to OffendArchdeacon Farrar.Luke 17:1-4
The Evil and Danger of OffencesJ. Owen, D. D.Luke 17:1-4
Where Sin Occurs, God Cannot Wisely Prevent ItC. G. Finney, D. D.Luke 17:1-4
Graces Stimulated and StrengthenedR.M. Edgar Luke 17:1-19
Our Duty When WrongedW. Clarkson Luke 17:3, 4
People
Jesus, Noah, Noe
Places
Galilee, Jerusalem, Road to Jerusalem, Samaria, Sodom
Topics
Acts, Forgive, Forgiveness, Reform, Regret, Repent, Return, Returns, Saying, Says, Seven, Sin, Sins, Sorry, Towards, Trespass, Turn, Turns, Wrong, Wrongly
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Luke 17:3-4

     2378   kingdom of God, characteristics
     5856   extravagance
     6655   forgiveness, application
     8452   neighbours, duty to

Library
May 7 Evening
They persecute him whom thou hast smitten.--PSA. 69:26. It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!--Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.--They did spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?--Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

June 5 Morning
When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants.--LUKE 17:10. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.--What hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?--By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

June 18 Evening
Faith as a grain of mustard seed.--MATT. 17:20. Barak said unto [Deborah], if thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go. God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan.--Gideon . . . feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, . . . did it by night. And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand as thou hast said, . . . let me prove, I pray thee. And God did so. Thou hast a little strength,
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

Where are the Nine?
'And it came to pass, as He went to Jerusalem, that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12. And as He entered into a certain village, there met Him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13. And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14. And when He saw them, He said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

God's Slaves
'Doth He thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him! I trow not. 10. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.' --LUKE xvii. 9-10. There are two difficulties about these words. One is their apparent entire want of connection with what precedes--viz., the disciples' prayer, 'Lord, increase our faith,' and the other is the harshness and severity of tone which
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

Thankfulness for Mercies Received, a Necessary Duty
Numberless marks does man bear in his soul, that he is fallen and estranged from God; but nothing gives a greater proof thereof, than that backwardness, which every one finds within himself, to the duty of praise and thanksgiving. When God placed the first man in paradise, his soul no doubt was so filled with a sense of the riches of the divine love, that he was continually employing that breath of life, which the Almighty had not long before breathed into him, in blessing and magnifying that all-bountiful,
George Whitefield—Selected Sermons of George Whitefield

On the Words of the Gospel, Luke xvii. 3, "If Thy Brother Sin, Rebuke Him," Etc. , Touching the Remission of Sins.
Delivered at the Table of St. Cyprian, in the presence of Count Boniface. 1. The Holy Gospel which we heard just now as it was being read, has admonished touching the remission of sins. And on this subject must ye be admonished now by my discourse. For we are ministers of the word, not our own word, but the word of our God and Lord, whom no one serves without glory, whom no one despises without punishment. He then the Lord our God, who abiding with the Father made us, and having been made for us,
Saint Augustine—sermons on selected lessons of the new testament

The Necessity of Increased Faith
It is a matter of dispute as to the occasion when these words were uttered. Some think that we must look at the connection of the chapter for the explanation. Jesus Christ had been teaching his disciples that if their brother should trespass against them seven times a day, and seven times a day turned again to them, saying, I repent, they were to forgive him, and that constrained the apostle to say "increase our faith." They conceived it to be so hard a duty incessantly to pardon and constantly to
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 1: 1855

Li. Gratitude.
14th Sunday after Trinity. S. Luke xvii. 18. "There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger." INTRODUCTION,--There is nothing that the merciful God desires more from man than thanks, and there is nothing of which He receives less. In the Gospel for to-day we have an example. Christ performs a notable miracle. He heals ten lepers, and only one returns to thank Him. The disease from which He delivered them was disgusting, and it was one which cut the sufferers off
S. Baring-Gould—The Village Pulpit, Volume II. Trinity to Advent

The Ten Lepers
(Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity.) Luke xvii. 17, 18. Were there not ten cleansed, but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. No men, one would have thought, had more reason to thank God than those nine lepers. Afflicted with a filthy and tormenting disease, hopelessly incurable, at least in those days, they were cut off from family and friends, cut off from all mankind; forced to leave their homes, and wander away; forbidden to enter the
Charles Kingsley—Town and Country Sermons

The First Degree of Prayer
The First Degree of Prayer Those who have not learnt to read, are not, on that account, excluded from prayer; for the Great Book which teacheth all things, and which is legible as well internally as externally, is Jesus Christ Himself. The method they should practice is this: They should first learn this fundamental truth, that "the kingdom of God is within them" (Luke xvii. 21), and that it is there, only it must be sought. It is as incumbent on the Clergy, to instruct their parishioners in prayer,
Madame Guyon—A Short and Easy Method of Prayer

Answer to Mr. W's Second Objection.
I pass, says Mr. W. p. 15. to a second observation.--What became of these three persons after their resurrection? How long did they live afterwards? And of what use and advantage were their restored lives to the church or to mankind? The evangelical and ecclesiastical history is entirely silent as to these questions, which is enough to make us suspect their stories to be merely romantick or parabolical; and that there were no such persons raised from the dead; or we must have heard somewhat of their
Nathaniel Lardner—A Vindication of Three of Our Blessed Saviour's Miracles

Of the Fewness of those who Love the Cross of Jesus
Jesus hath many lovers of His heavenly kingdom, but few bearers of His Cross. He hath many seekers of comfort, but few of tribulation. He findeth many companions of His table, but few of His fasting. All desire to rejoice with Him, few are willing to undergo anything for His sake. Many follow Jesus that they may eat of His loaves, but few that they may drink of the cup of His passion. Many are astonished at His Miracles, few follow after the shame of His Cross. Many love Jesus so long as no
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

Of the Inward Life
The kingdom of God is within you,(1) saith the Lord. Turn thee with all thine heart to the Lord and forsake this miserable world, and thou shalt find rest unto thy soul. Learn to despise outward things and to give thyself to things inward, and thou shalt see the kingdom of God come within thee. For the kingdom of God is peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, and it is not given to the wicked. Christ will come to thee, and show thee His consolation, if thou prepare a worthy mansion for Him within thee.
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

Are You Willing to be a Servant?
Nothing is clearer from the New Testament than that the Lord Jesus expects us to take the low position of servants. This is not just an extra obligation, which we may or may not assume as we please. It is the very heart of that new relationship which the disciple is to take up to God and to his fellows if he is to know fellowship with Christ and any degree of holiness in his life. When we understand the humbling and self-emptying that is involved in really being a servant, it becomes evident that
Roy Hession and Revel Hession—The Calvary Road

Journey to Jerusalem. Ten Lepers. Concerning the Kingdom.
(Borders of Samaria and Galilee.) ^C Luke XVII. 11-37. ^c 11 And it came to pass, as they were on their way to Jerusalem, that he was passing along the borders of Samaria and Galilee. [If our chronology is correct, Jesus passed northward from Ephraim about forty miles, crossing Samaria (here mentioned first), and coming to the border of Galilee. He then turned eastward along that border down the wady Bethshean which separates the two provinces, and crossed the Jordan into Peræa, where we soon
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Unprofitable Servants.
"Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt
William Arnot—The Parables of Our Lord

His Passion and Crucifixion.
AS all active virtues meet in Jesus, so he unites the active or heroic virtues with the passive and gentle. He is the highest standard of all true martyrdom. No character can become complete without trial and suffering; and a noble death is the crowning act of a noble life. Edmund Burke said to Fox, in the English Parliament, "Obloquy is a necessary ingredient of all true glory, Calumny and abuse are essential parts of triumph." The ancient Greeks and Romans admired a good man struggling with misfortune,
Philip Schaff—The Person of Christ

The Conflict with Evil
The Kingdom of God Will Have to Fight for Its Advance The great objective is the Kingdom of God. In realizing the Reign of God on earth three recalcitrant forces have to be brought into obedience to God's law: the desire for power, the love of property, and unsocial religion. We have studied Christ's thought concerning these in the foregoing chapters. The advance of the Kingdom of God is not simply a process of social education, but a conflict with hostile forces which resist, neutralize, and defy
Walter Rauschenbusch—The Social Principles of Jesus

The Two Classes.
"Two men went up into the temple to pray."--Luke xvii. 10. I now want to speak of two classes: First, those who do not feel their need of a Saviour who have not been convinced of sin by the Spirit; and Second, those who are convinced of sin and cry, "What must I do to be saved?" All inquirers can be ranged under two heads: they have either the spirit of the Pharisee, or the spirit of the publican. If a man having the spirit of the Pharisee comes into an after-meeting, I know of no better portion
Dwight L. Moody—The Way to God and How to Find It

Whether a Man Can Merit Anything from God
Whether a Man can Merit Anything from God We proceed to the first article thus: 1. It seems that a man cannot merit anything from God. No one merits a reward by repaying what he owes to another. But we cannot even fully repay what we owe to God, by all the good that we do. For we always owe him more than this, as the philosopher says in 8 Ethics 14. Hence it is said in Luke 17:10: "when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that
Aquinas—Nature and Grace

Whether Charity is Prior to Hope
Whether Charity is Prior to Hope We proceed to the eighth article thus: 1. It seems that charity is prior to hope. For on Luke 17:6, "If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed . . .," the gloss by Ambrose says: "From faith issues charity, and from charity issues hope." But faith is prior to charity. Hence charity is prior to hope. 2. Again, Augustine says (14 De Civ. Dei. 9): "good movements and affections are derived from love, and from holy charity." Now to hope, as an act of hope, is a good movement
Aquinas—Nature and Grace

The Boasted Merit of Works Subversive Both of the Glory of God, in Bestowing Righteousness, and of the Certainty of Salvation.
1. After a brief recapitulation, the question, Whether or not good works merit favor with God, considered. 2. First answer, fixing the meaning of the term Merit. This term improperly applied to works, but used in a good sense, as by Augustine, Chrysostom, Bernard. 3. A second answer to the question. First by a negative, then by a concession. In the rewarding of works what to be attributed to God, and what to man. Why good works please God, and are advantageous to those who do them. The ingratitude
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

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