4

For when he heard the Lord saying, Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven; he works out the promise of the Lord, wishing at the same time to learn also how great is such philanthropic grace of the Lord. You said to us, "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound also in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed also in heaven." How many times, then, if my brother sins against me, shall I forgive him? Up to seven times? But the Lord, observing his poverty of philanthropy towards his neighbor, said to him: I do not only say to you, "Up to seven times," but up to seventy times seven. For you, as a poor man, asked for a poor amount; but I, as a magnanimous God, have richly bestowed grace. Not only up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. But the saying has a hidden mystery. Unless the farmer sinks the mattock deep into the earth, he does not find suitable fruits in the future season; so also we, unless we deepen our mind into the letter, do not find the hidden treasure of the Spirit. How many times, if my brother sins against me, shall I forgive him? Up to seven times? And why did he not say, "Up to eight times," or "six times," or "ten times," but "Up to seven times"? Because God made all things in six days, and on the seventh day he rested from his works.

Peter asks the Lord a mystery, wishing to learn ecclesiastical canons; for example, "If my brother sins against me all the days of his life, but on the last day of his life, for example, if on the seventh he repents, shall I forgive him?" But the Lord replied, saying: Not only in this age will you forgive him his sins, but also in the age to come you will forgive him, which is longer than this age by seventy times seven. For he who said to you is true, that "Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." But let us work out the meaning even more deeply. How many times, if my brother sins against me—not against you, God, but against me—shall I forgive him? But the Lord said to him, "Not only will you forgive the sins against me up to seven times, but indeed also seventy times seven." For what he said is true, that "Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, neither in this present age, nor in the one to come." But thanks be to God, that we do not fear this sin; for we do not blaspheme the Holy Spirit, but we worship and glorify. But let us plane down the saying further. For as gold, when melted, becomes more gleaming, so also Scripture, when planed down, is found to be clearer. How many times, if my brother sins against me, shall I forgive him? Up to seven times?

Since he knew that the law forgives men their trespasses in the week of this age; for it did not have the eighth day of the resurrection; for Christ had not yet come, who has the day of resurrection; whence also David, since he was under the law, praises God seven times in the day; for he says, "Seven times a day I have praised you"; not eight times; for Christ has not yet come to me, the eighth day of the resurrection; I am still under the law, under the law I will serve you; I am still the son of the handmaid, of the synagogue; for I have not yet been born of the free woman; wherefore he says, "I am your servant, and the son of your handmaid." For the mother of Christians who have been reborn in grace is free, as the Apostle says: "But the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all." How many times, then, will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times? As if he were saying, "Do you command to forgive the offenses of my brothers, as the law does—for this is 'up to seven times'—or something more?" But the Lord makes grace superabound, saying: Not only up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

4

Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἤκουσε τοῦ Κυρίου εἰρηκότος, Ὅσα ἐὰν δήσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἔσται δεδεμένα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ· καὶ ὅσα ἐὰν λύσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἔσται λελυμένα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ· ἐπεργάσεται τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ Κυρίου, βουλόμενος ἅμα μαθεῖν, καὶ πόση ἐστὶν ἡ τοιαύτη τοῦ Κυρίου φιλάνθρωπος χάρις. Εἶπες ἡμῖν, Ὅσα ἐὰν δήσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἔσται δεδεμένα καὶ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, καὶ ὅσα ἐὰν λύσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἔσται λελυμένα καὶ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ. Ποσάκις οὖν ἐὰν ἁμαρτήσῃ εἰς ἐμὲ ὁ ἀδελφός μου, ἀφήσω αὐτῷ; ἕως ἑπτάκις; Ὁ δὲ Κύριος σκοπήσας τὸ πτωχὸν αὐτοῦ τῆς περὶ τὸν πλησίον φιλανθρωπίας, εἶπε πρὸς αὐτόν· Οὐ μόνον λέγω σοι, Ἕως ἑπτάκις, ἀλλ' ἕως ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά. Σὺ μὲν γὰρ ὡς ἄνθρωπος πένης πενίαν ᾔτησας· ἐγὼ δὲ ὡς Θεὸς μεγαλόδωρος πλουσίως τὴν χάριν δεδώρημαι. Οὐ μόνον ἕως ἑπτάκις, ἀλλ' ἕως ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά. Ἀλλὰ μυστήριον ἔχει ὁ λόγος ἀπόκρυφον. Ἐὰν μὴ ὁ γεωργὸς τὴν δίκελλαν εἰς τὴν γῆν βαθύνῃ, τοὺς καρποὺς ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι καιρῷ οὐχ εὑρίσκει ἐπιτηδείους· οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἐὰν μὴ τὸν νοῦν ἡμῶν βαθύνωμεν εἰς τὸ γράμμα, τὸν κεκρυμμένον τοῦ Πνεύματος θησαυρὸν οὐχ εὑρίσκομεν. Ποσάκις ἐὰν ἁμαρτήσῃ εἰς ἐμὲ ὁ ἀδελφός μου, ἀφήσω αὐτῷ; ἕως ἑπτάκις; Καὶ τί γὰρ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἕως ὀκτάκις, ἢ ἑξάκις, ἢ δεκάκις, ἀλλ' Ἕως ἑπτάκις; Ἐπειδὴ ὁ Θεὸς ἐποίησε τὰ σύμπαντα ἐν ἓξ ἡμέραις, καὶ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ κατέπαυσεν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ.

Μυστήριον ἐπερωτᾷ ὁ Πέτρος τὸν Κύριον, βουλόμενος μαθεῖν ἐκκλησιαστικοὺς κανόνας· οἷον, Ἐὰν ἁμαρτήσῃ εἰς ἐμὲ ὁ ἀδελφός μου ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἡμέραις τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ, ἐν δὲ τῇ τελευταίᾳ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ, οἷον, εἰ ἐν τῇ ἑβδόμῃ μετανοήσῃ ἀφήσω αὐτῷ; Ὁ δὲ Κύριος ἐπέστρεψε λέγων· Οὐ μόνον ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ ἀφήσεις αὐτῷ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι συγχωρήσεις αὐτῷ, μακροτέρῳ ὑπάρχοντι παρὰ τοῦτον τὸν αἰῶνα ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά. Ἀληθὴς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ εἰπών σοι, ὅτι Ὅσα ἐὰν λύσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἔσται λελυμένα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ. Ἀλλ' ἔτι βαθύτερον ἐπεργασώμεθα τὸ νόημα. Ποσάκις, ἐὰν ἁμάρτῃ εἰς ἐμὲ ὁ ἀδελφός μου, οὐκ εἰς σὲ τὸν Θεὸν, ἀλλ' εἰς ἐμὲ, ἀφήσω αὐτῷ; Ὁ δὲ Κύριος πρὸς αὐτὸν, Οὐ μόνον τὰ εἰς ἐμὲ ἕως ἑπτάκις ἁμαρτήματα συγχωρήσεις, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά. Ἀληθὲς γάρ ἐστιν ὃ εἶπεν, ὅτι Πᾶσα ἁμαρτία καὶ βλασφημία ἀφεθήσεται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ἡ δὲ κατὰ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος βλασφημία οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται οὐδὲ ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι τούτῳ, οὐδὲ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι. Χάρις δὲ τῷ Θεῷ, ὅτι ἡμεῖς ταύτην τὴν ἁμαρτίαν οὐ φοβούμεθα· οὐ γὰρ βλασφημοῦμεν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ἀλλὰ προσκυνοῦμεν καὶ δοξολογοῦμεν. Ἀλλ' ἔτι ξέσωμεν τὸν λόγον. Καὶ γὰρ χρυσὸς χωνευόμενος στιλβότερος γίνεται· οὕτω καὶ Γραφὴ ξεομένη τρανοτέρα εὑρίσκεται. Ποσάκις, ἐὰν ἁμαρτήσῃ εἰς ἐμὲ ὁ ἀδελφός μου, ἀφήσω αὐτῷ; ἕως ἑπτάκις;

Ἐπειδὴ ᾔδει, ὅτι ὁ νόμος συγχωρεῖ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὰ παραπτώματα ἐν τῇ ἑβδομάδι τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου· οὐ γὰρ εἶχε τὴν ὀγδόην ἡμέραν τῆς ἀναστάσεως· οὔπω γὰρ ἦν παραγενόμενος ὁ Χριστὸς, ὁ ἔχων τὴν ἀναστάσιμον ἡμέραν· ὅθεν καὶ ∆αυῒδ, ἐπειδὴ ὑπὸ νόμον ὑπῆρχεν, ἑπτάκις αἰνεῖ τὸν Θεὸν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ· λέγει γὰρ, Ἑπτάκις τῆς ἡμέρας ᾔνεσά σοι· οὐκ ὀκτάκις· οὔπω γὰρ ἦλθέ μοι Χριστὸς, ἡ ὀγδόη τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἡμέρα· ἔτι εἰμὶ ὑπὸ νόμον, ὑπὸ νόμον δουλεύσω σοι· ἔτι τῆς παιδίσκης εἰμὶ υἱὸς, τῆς συναγωγῆς· οὔπω γὰρ ἐκ τῆς ἐλευθέρας γεγέννημαι· διὸ λέγει, Ἐγὼ δοῦλος σὸς, καὶ υἱὸς τῆς παιδίσκης σου. Τῶν γὰρ ἐν τῇ χάριτι ἀναγεννηθέντων Χριστιανῶν ἡ μήτηρ ἐλευθέρα ἐστὶ, καθὰ λέγει ὁ Ἀπόστολος· Ἡ δὲ ἄνω Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐλευθέρα ἐστὶν ἥτις ἐστὶ μήτηρ πάντων ἡμῶν. Ποσάκις οὖν ἁμαρτήσει εἰς ἐμὲ ὁ ἀδελφός μου, καὶ ἀφήσω αὐτῷ; ἕως ἑπτάκις; Οἱονεὶ ἔλεγε, Κελεύεις συγχωρῆσαι τὰ πλημμελήματα τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς μου, ὡς ὁ νόμος τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν, Ἕως ἑπτάκις, ἢ πλεῖόν τι; Ὁ δὲ Κύριος ὑπερπλεονάζει τὴν χάριν λέγων· Οὐ μόνον ἕως ἑπτάκις, ἀλλ' ἕως ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά.