John Chrysostom, On the Forgiveness of Sins

For as much as the Word excels the law, so much also does grace excel the law; for God the Word is not from the law, but the law is from the Word. And it is possible to learn, beloved, 60.763 the benefit from the word; that you may learn how much greater the Word is than the law. The law gives ten words to the Jews, and did not even benefit them; but to us God, having given one Word, has saved all through him. But we still delve into the letter with the Spirit. For he who has opened a treasure does not depart having taken only gold and silver, but he also seeks precious and various stones. How many times, if he should sin against me, my brother, shall I forgive him? up to seven times? It is a mystery, beloved, hidden in the letter, and it has escaped the notice of many. But you, pay close attention to the meaning for me; for it is very subtle, swifter than a bird, able to easily pass by the eye of the mind, even those who are very sharp-sighted. How many times, if my brother sins against me, shall I forgive him? seven times? For it is worthy of investigation, why Peter said, Up to seven times, and our Lord answered, Up to seventy times seven. But Peter was considering the crime of murder, because it is most grievous and terrible, and he wants 60.764 to learn in a mystery the ecclesiastical canons, if indeed the Lord commands him to forgive in baptism the crime of murder.

For having considered that Cain murdered his brother by deceit, and fell under seven crimes; for he was the first among men to murder, the first to act hypocritically, the first to lie, the first to defile the earth with blood, the first to open the gates of death; for death had not yet tasted of man, until Cain gave birth to it through envy; Peter therefore, having considered that the murder of Cain is subject to seven crimes, approaches the Lord, mysteriously inquiring, How many times, if my brother sins, shall I forgive him? up to seven times? That is, Do you command that in baptism I shall forgive him the crimes of the fratricide Cain? But what does the Lord say to him? Not only shall you forgive the sevenfold of Cain in baptism, but also that of Lamech, which is up to seventy times seven; in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Ὅσον γὰρ ὁ Λόγος τοῦ νόμου ὑπερέχει, τοσοῦτον καὶ ἡ χάρις τοῦ νόμου· οὐ γὰρ ὁ Λόγος Θεὸς ἐκ τοῦ νόμου, ἀλλ' ὁ νόμος ἐκ τοῦ Λόγου. Καὶ ἔστι μαθεῖν, ἀγαπητοὶ, 60.763 τὴν ὠφέλειαν ἐκ τοῦ λόγου· ἵνα μάθῃς πόσῳ μείζων ὁ Λόγος τοῦ νόμου. Ὁ νόμος δέκα λόγους δίδωσι τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, καὶ οὐδὲ ὠφέλησεν· ἡμῖν δὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἕνα Λόγον δεδωκὼς, τοὺς πάντας δι' αὐτοῦ ἀνέσωσεν. Ἀλλ' ἔτι σκάλλομεν τὸ γράμμα τῷ Πνεύματι. Ὁ γὰρ θησαυρὸν ἀνοίξας οὐ μόνον χρυσὸν καὶ ἄργυρον λαβὼν ἀπέρχεται, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ λίθους τιμίους καὶ τοὺς διαφόρους ἐπιζητεῖ. Ποσάκις, ἐὰν ἁμαρτήσῃ, εἰς ἐμὲ ὁ ἀδελφός μου, ἀφήσω αὐτῷ; ἕως ἑπτάκις; Μυστήριόν ἐστιν, ἀγαπητοὶ, ἀποκεκρυμμένον ἐν τῷ γράμματι, καὶ πολλοὺς λέληθε. Σὺ δέ μοι ἀκριβῶς πρόσεχε τῷ νοήματι· λεπτὸν γάρ ἐστι σφόδρα, πετεινοῦ ὀξύτερον, ῥᾳδίως δυνάμενον τὸ ὄμμα τῆς διανοίας παραδραμεῖν, καὶ τοὺς σφόδρα ὀξυδορκοῦντας. Ποσάκις ἐὰν εἰς ἐμὲ ἁμαρτήσῃ ὁ ἀδελφός μου, ἀφήσω αὐτῷ; ἑπτάκις; Ζητήσεως γὰρ ἄξιον, διὰ τί εἶπεν Ἕως ἑπτάκις ὁ Πέτρος, καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν ἀπεκρίνατο, Ἕως ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά. Ἀλλ' ὁ Πέτρος προσέσχε τὸ τοῦ φόνου ἔγκλημα, ὅτι βαρύτατον καὶ δεινόν ἐστι, καὶ βού 60.764 λεται μαθεῖν ἐν μυστηρίῳ κανόνας ἐκκλησιαστικοὺς, εἰ ἄρα κελεύει αὐτῷ ὁ Κύριος συγχωρεῖν ἐν τῷ βαπτίσματι τὸ τοῦ φόνου ἔγκλημα.

Προσεσχηκὼς γὰρ, ὅτι ὁ Κάϊν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ δόλῳ ἐφόνευσε, καὶ ἑπτὰ ἐγκλήμασιν ὑπέπεσε· πρῶτος γὰρ ἐφόνευσεν ἐν ἀνθρώποις, πρῶτος ὑπεκρίνατο, πρῶτος ἐψεύσατο, πρῶτος αἵματι τὴν γῆν ἐμίανε, πρῶτος πύλας θανάτου ἠνέῳξεν· οὔπω γὰρ ἦν θάνατος γευσάμενος ἀνθρώπου, εἰ μὴ Κάϊν διὰ φθόνου ἐκύησε· προσεσχηκὼς οὖν Πέτρος, ὅτι τοῦ Κάϊν ὁ φόνος ἑπτὰ ἐγκλήμασιν ὑπόκειται, προσέρχεται τῷ Κυρίῳ μυστηριωδῶς ἐπερωτῶν, Ποσάκις, ἐὰν ἁμαρτήσῃ ὁ ἀδελφός μου, ἀφήσω αὐτῷ; ἕως ἑπτάκις; Τουτέστι, Κελεύεις ἐν τῷ βαπτίσματι τὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοκτόνου Κάϊν ἐγκλήματα ἀφήσω αὐτῷ; Ὁ δὲ Κύριος τί φησι πρὸς αὐτόν; Οὐ μόνον τὸ τοῦ Κάϊν ἑπτάκις ἐν τῷ βαπτίσματι ἀφήσεις, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τοῦ Λάμεχ τὸ ἕως ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά· ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.