I do agree with all you say except...is not only God able to forgive sin? Because all sin is against Him, ultimately?
A couple of things:
Under OT, men who Trespassed Against men, was called a Sin, and involved the church Appointed Clerics to determine the guilt and consequence, according to the OT Law.
God Established the Law:
Forwarded the Law to Moses:
Moses revealed the Law to the People:
The people Agreed to Obey.
Moses spoke the Law, scribes Wrote, ...Recorders Transcribed the Law to Scrolls.
Men read from the Scrolls, to men gathered
...on the Sabbath.
Men inturn taught their wives at home.
Wives and Husbands taught their children
...at home.
God Appointed Aaron, (brother of Moses), ...Cleric/ Priest ( and Appointed a succession line of
...Clerics to be Aaron's sons ).
It was Aaron's duty to hear disputes between
... men, determine guilt according to the Law,
... observe the settling of the matter (paying
... for the Trespass.)
Aaron did not forgive their Trespass/ called Sin, nor send the culpert off to pray to another human. (and later that succession of Clerics/ Priests was Established with the Tribe of Levi)
There were set times a man could go to the Temple, take their "Sin Offering" to the Temple, (a pure animal), it be slaughtered, its blood (life), on the alter of God, be acceptable for God to Forgive All sins they had or committed that year.
Point being/ the Trespasses (called Sins) , were settled between men.
No man was forgiving men "For" anything, Against God.
Marke 2:
[
7] Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies?
who can forgive sins but God only?
Luke 5:
[
21] And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies?
Who can forgive sins, but God alone?
Enter Jesus on Earth.
He is Teaching Jews (under the law), a new way, for permanent (not yearly) forgiveness From God....For Sin Against God....via Jesus' "offered" pure Blood (of His life).
Concerning men against men...the Hebrews were told according to the Law...and Jews hearing Jesus..asked Jesus, what about man Against man "sin"?
Ex 22:
[
9] For all manner of
trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour.
Jews calling man Against man Trespass "a sin", was How it was Under the Law, taught to Them. Jesus simply said, when a brother has come to you for forgiveness, to forgive the other, for every time a brother comes to you for forgiveness.
Jesus didn't need to explain to a Jew under the Law, that Forgiveness among men were for Trespasses, not for forgiveness of Sin Against God. THEY had 4,000 years of teaching, Forgiveness of Sin Against God, was By God , through "their" Sin Offering of a pure Animals Blood, on the alter of God, in the Temple.
Before Jesus Offered His pure Blood for Forgiveness of Sin Against God...He taught the Jews what that meant for them...and ultimately Gentiles...who Accept His Offering.
It was a complete Flip...
From: a man Offering animal blood, for temporary forgiveness of Sin Against God;
To: God Offering Jesus' blood for a permanent Forgiveness of Sin Against God.
What did not change:
Is Trespasses Between Men, while no longer broadly being "called" Sin; the Forgiveness Between men, was still a prominate issue. And Forgiveness between men FOR Trespasses still necessary.
(Trespasses between men was still going to occur...intentionally and unintentionally)
First, was the highlighted importance of Being forgiven By God of Sin Against God, (by a man accepting GODS OFFER, to settle that matter)
It was the Trespasses of men Against men Jesus focused on thereafter.
It is hard for an individual to Forgive someone who had (wronged them...lied to them, cheated on or toward them, stole from them, hurt them....Trespassed Against Them).
Jesus' teaching is "understanding" that IS hard..."However"...the Good News IS...a Converted man...once and forever HAS the "Power of God WITHIN the man to Overcome," (to Forgive) the the anger, hurt, Feelings of being lied to, cheated, stolen from, hurt etc....Against men.
He replenishes, He provides Comforts, He restores, He takes you down the path that Leads to Absolute glorious perfection.
Because: a Converted man is Standing With God, and God (ultimate Power) is Standing With that man.
So men who Say: ya sure, I believe, I've accepted Gods Offer, to become Born Again from Gods Seed....but oops, I STILL "Sin", (
but, try really hard not to, you know like um, to NOT make a "habit" of Sinning...Against God?)
A man who has been Forgiven of God, for Sin Against God, IS Forgiven of all Sin Against God, and BY the Indwelling Power of God, God within a man cannot Stand "Against" Himself.
Jesus taught: How to become forgiven of Sin Against God...
And How to handle Trespasses men make Against men.
Matt 6:
- [14] For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
- [15] But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matt.18
- [15] Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
NOTICE ^ ...Jesus is not sending them to the Priests? Jesus is Sending a Trespasser TO the man, WHOM the man Trespassed Against.
Matt 18:
[
35] So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their
trespasses.
If you Observe one person claiming another has Sinned against them...say for example; "lying"...
According to "What Law", is it a Sin for one man (knowingly or unknowingly) to Lie to an other man?
And if the accusing man, demands an apology, wouldn't the Apology be FOR "an Accused Sin?
And What? the Accuser is then being asked to Forgive the Accused man of a SIN?
What Law, authorized men to forgive Sin?
OT Law?
NT Law?
Either a man is Under OT Law, or he isn't.
Jesus did not destroy the Law, He Fulfilled it.
The matter turns to men, to choose, to Believe Jesus Fulfilled the Law, or Not.
How does a man Remain Under the Law, if he was never Under the Law to begin with BEING Under the Law?
So Again, what Law Authorizes Anyone to Forgive Sin....but God Himself?
And "IF" God has Forgiven a Man of Sin Against God ... His eternal Light is within the man...that God Himself can See no SiN IN the man. God thus can remember the man's Sin NO MORE. (Heb 10:17) And BY Gods Internal Power, the Man can SIN No More.(1 John 3:9)
How can a man thus Sin Against men?
Again, by what Law can men Forgive men of Sin?
Men, are not all knowing. Men Trespass Against men everyday. Intentional Trespasses, we call Deception. Unintentional Trespasses we call "accidents".
Jesus' teaching was to Forgive a brother who asks for forgiveness of his Trespass Against you, and if he be not a brother, but asks, you should forgive and have gained a brother.
It was the Pharisees that charged Jesus with Blasphemy...saying BECAUSE Jesus FORGAVE men of their Sin Against God...Jesus was Making Himself God....thus they knew Only God can Forgive Sin.
Men can forgive "other men" of Trespasses Against them.
Mark 14:
- [64] Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.
John.10
- [33] The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
Eph 2
[
1] And you hath he quickened, (Born Again of Gods Seed) who were, (past tense) dead in trespasses (Against men)
and sins; (Against God).
Continued:
