"Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us…." These words from the Lord's Prayer are familiar to Christians around the world. They are a reminder that everyone needs God's forgiveness for their trespasses, just as they need to forgive other people who have acted improperly in some way. But what is a trespass in the Bible?
The Word Trespass is Important From a Biblical Perspective
When Christians pray the words that Christ taught them to pray, they are asking God to grant them mercy according to the mercy they showed others.
In general, to trespass in the Bible means to disobey God's law. Although people often use the words trespass and sin interchangeably, there is a slight difference between the two. Numerous scholars argue that trespass suggests a person has violated a rule, and the word debt, often used in place or with trespass, suggests a person owes God something they cannot pay.
Some Bible scholars explain that the word trespass indicates intentional actions, while sin may refer to an unknowing thought or behavior.
Trespass May mean:
- Committing an offense by violating a known rule
- Doing something that God warns against
- Doing something that inconveniences someone else
- Injuring someone
- Being out of step or taking false steps in relationship to God
Examples of trespassing include:
- Treating another person harshly
- Betraying a person's confidence
- Disobeying God's moral law
Regardless of the definitions, trespass and debt refer to conduct that separates a person from God or other people. "We take action against the will of God. We rebel. Sin creates a barrier between us and God," explains Bible Study Tools.
Asking Forgiveness
It is easy to focus on the sins of other people rather than our own. However, it is important that people look at ways they have gone against God's will and ask for his forgiveness.
The Bible reminds us that everyone has a sinful heart. As Matthew 6:14-15 says, For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours.
A Trespass Or a Debt?
So, why do some Christians, churches, and other Christian organizations use the word trespass in certain biblical passages, such as the Lord's prayer, while others use debt? One reason may be that their Bible and church consistently use one word rather than the other.
Members of the Church of England and denominations that trace their roots to the Anglican church—e.g., Episcopalians, Methodists and Wesleyans—use the word trespass in the Lord's prayer because that is the word used in the denomination's Book of Common Prayer. However, the King James Version and the Geneva Bible, which is the first English translation of the Bible, use the word debt.
Debt reminds us that humanity owes a great debt to God that we cannot pay. Nevertheless, God forgives our disobedience and our debt. Christ came to earth to suffer the punishment humans deserve because of our sins, and God forgives our sins. And he expects us to forgive others.
Repeatedly Praying For Forgiveness
"So why does Jesus teach us to pray, Forgive us our debts, and not just once but frequently, if not daily?" the Clearly Reformed ministry asks. The Clearly Reformed ministry explains that repeated requests for forgiveness are necessary because humans repeatedly sin and become indebted to God again and again.
But more than that, it's because Jesus wants us to relate to God not just as a judge but as a father. The organization explains that many sincere Christians entirely miss this point.
"If you think of God only as a judge, then you are either innocent or guilty. You are justified or not justified. You don't think in terms of pleasing or displeasing God. You think only in terms of the legal declaration of righteous or not righteous," Clearly Reformed explains.
But people need more than a purely legalistic relationship with God, as the Lord's prayer demonstrates with these two words: Our Father.
Trespass in the Bible reminds us of the importance of recognizing our own failings and seeking God's forgiveness, just as we extend forgiveness to others. By praying as Jesus taught, we embrace a relationship with God not just as a Judge but as a loving Father, renewing our hearts and aligning our lives with His will daily.
