Ephesians Chapter 4, Verse 32
From BibleWiki
32: γινεσθε δε εις αλληλους χρηστοι ευσπλαγχνοι χαριζομενοι εαυτοις καθως και ο θεος εν χριστω εχαρισατο υμιν
32: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
32: And be ye kind one to another: merciful, forgiving one another,
even as God hath forgiven you in Christ.
And be ye kind one to another. Benignant, mild, courteous, polite -- crhstoi. 1 Pet 3:8. Christianity produces true courteousness, or politeness. It does not make one rough, crabbed, sour; nor does it dispose its followers to violate the proper rules of social intercourse. The secret of true politeness is benevolence, or a desire to make others happy; and a Christian should be the most polite of men. There is no religion in a sour, misanthropic temper; none in rudeness, stiffness, and repulsiveness; none in violating the rules of good-breeding. There is a hollow- hearted politeness, indeed, which the Christian is not to aim at or copy. His politeness is to be based on kindness, Col 3:12. His courtesy is to be the result of love, good-will, and a desire of the happiness of all others; and this will prompt to the kind of conduct that will render his intercourse with others agreeable and profitable.
Tenderhearted. Having a heart disposed to pity and compassion, and especially disposed to show kindness to the faults of erring brethren, for so the connexion demands.
Forgiving one another. See "Mt 6:12".
As God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. As God, on account of what Christ has suffered and done, has pardoned you. He has done it
(1.) freely -- without merit on our part -- when we were confessedly in the wrong.
(2.) Fully; he has forgiven every offence.
(3.) Liberally; he has forgiven many offences, for our sins have been innumerable. This is to be the rule which we are to observe in forgiving others. We are to do it freely, fully, liberally. The forgiveness is to be entire, cordial, constant. We are not to rake up old offences, and charge them again upon them; we are to treat them as though they had not offended, for so God treats us.
