putting up with each other and forgiving each other, when someone has a complaint about the other. As the Lord forgave you, so do you also.
3:13 bearing with one another, — “Bearing with patience…Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God also forgave you in Christ” (Eph 4:2; Eph 4:32); The Christian must put up with “the hard to put up with” (1Pe 2:18) but, at the same time, it must be added that each member must examine his life and if any one is one of the “hard to bear”, he must repent. Biblical love is described in 1Co 13:4-7 : he is long-suffering, he is benign, he does not envy, he is not boastful, he is not puffed up, he does nothing wrong, he does not seek his own, he does not get irritated, he does not hold a grudge, he does not rejoice in injustice, but he rejoices in the truth , suffers everything, believes everything, expects everything, supports everything. Love “does not fret,” but bears patiently. Differences and disagreements of some kind will never be lacking between brothers. There is great diversity of personal preferences and opinions among brothers that should not interrupt communion. If there is humility instead of pride, and if there is meekness instead of high-handedness, such differences will not be the cause of trouble. We will bear with patience if there is biblical love. Unfortunately some brothers can’t stand each other, but complain against each other: “Brothers, don’t complain against each other, lest you be condemned; behold, the judge stands before the door” (Jas 5:9). — and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. — Putting up with the brothers does not mean putting up with sins and neglecting discipline (Matt 18:15-17; Romans 16:17; 1Co 5:1-13; 2Thess 3:6; 2Thess 3:14), but the repentant brother must be forgiven (2Co 2:6). But “you were called in one body” (3:15) and, therefore, what affects our brother also affects us. “Therefore, putting aside falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor; because we are members one of the other” (Eph 4:25); that is, if we are members of each other, what we do to each other, we do to ourselves. In a sense, then, if we forgive other members of the body, we forgive ourselves. Unfortunately, some saints are not convinced of the importance of forgiveness. — As Christ forgave you, so do you also. — Let us remember that the greatest need of each of us is God’s forgiveness. He promises to forgive us if we repent and are baptized (Ac 2:38), but another requirement is that we forgive others. “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 your trespasses” (Matt 6:14-15; Matt 18:23-35; Jas 2:13). Reconcile with your brother before worshiping God. “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go, first reconcile with your brother, and then come and present your gift” (Matt 5:23-24). “If your brother sins against you, go and correct him between you and him alone” (Matt 18:15); that is, if someone offends his brother or if his brother offends him, Jesus says to each one of them: you go, you go. Both the offended and the offender must seek reconciliation. “If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him” (Luke 17:3). Without a doubt this is one of the biggest flaws of the saints! When a brother is offended, he tells everyone except the person who offended him. Many are very rebellious against this commandment. They are very willing to be baptized and attend meetings, etc., but they lack the humility and courage to obey Christ’s command to go with their brother to seek reconciliation. Each one says, “he or she knows where I live”, but Jesus says, “go” and “go” you. If there is a wall of separation between two brothers, the two of them must do their best to break it down, because a wall of separation between two brothers may well be a wall of separation between them and God. To receive forgiveness, it is necessary for the guilty person to humble himself (overcoming pride) and to recognize his lack, following the example of the prodigal son: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you” (Luke 15:21). Regarding his sin David said, “While I kept silent, my bones grew old in my groaning all day long… My sin have I declared to you, and my iniquity has not been covered. I said: I will confess my transgressions to Jehovah; and you forgave the wickedness of my sin” (Ps 32:3-5; See also Ps 51:1-19). “He who covers his sins will not prosper; but he who confesses them and turns away from him will obtain mercy ”(Pro 28:13). We cannot forgive the guilty until he repents, but we must be very willing to forgive. God’s kindness “leads us to repentance” (Romans 2:8; 2Pe 3:9; Isaiah 1:18), and the same quality in us may well produce repentance in others, but if we hold a grudge and look for a way to “settle accounts”, how long will he repent? Some say, I forgive you but I don’t forget. Do we want God to say the same about us? Is this God’s attitude when he He He forgives us? “As far as the east is from the west, he has removed our transgressions from us” (Ps 103:12); “You cast all my sins behind your back” (Isaiah 38:17); “He will bury our iniquities, and cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (Mic 7:19); “Never again will I remember their sins and their iniquities” (Hebrews 8:12). Those who do not want to forgive continue to feed and satisfy their carnal feelings (Gal 5:16). Repeatedly the saints (whole congregations) have shown that they are not guided by the New Testament, but by carnal feelings. The pagans despised the humble and meek and those who forgave, thinking that only the weak were humble and meek and forgave others. It seems that some saints agree with them. It will be easy to put up with the brother — however unpleasant he may be — if we always remember what Jesus has had and what he has to put up with from us. “Christ…had infinitely greater cause for complaint against us” (JFB). When the brother repents of his sin, we should forgive him (2Co 2:6). How often? Matt 18:22. How many times do we ask God for forgiveness? How many times has he forgiven us? Christ has left us the example of showing compassion towards all (Matt 9:36; Matt 14:14; Matt 15:32; Mat 20:34);
Source: Commentary on the New Testament by Partain
Bearing each other. Romans 15:1, Romans 15:2; 2Co 6:6; Gal 6:2; Eph 4:2, Eph 4:32.
and forgiving you. Matt 5:44; Matt 6:12, Matt 6:14, Matt 6:15; Matt 18:21-35; Tue 11:25; Luke 6:35-37; Luke 11:4; Luke 17:3, Luke 17:4; Luke 23:34; Jas 2:13.
if anyone has a complaint against another. Matt 18:15-17; 1Co 6:7, 1Co 6:8.
as Christ forgave you. Luke 5:20-24; Luke 7:48-50; 2Co 2:10; Eph 4:32; Eph 5:2; 1Pe 2:21.
Source: The Treasury of Biblical Knowledge
A forgiving spirit is an essential characteristic for someone Christ forgave.
Source: New Illustrated Caribbean Bible Commentary
In the way that Christ forgave you. See notes on Matt 18:23-34; Eph 4:32. Because Christ as our perfect example of forgiveness has forgiven all our sins without further reproach (Col 1:14; Col 2:13-14), believers must be willing to forgive others.
Source: MacArthur Study Bible
3:13 bearing with one another, — “Bearing with patience…Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ” (Eph 4:2; Eph 4:32); The Christian must bear “those hard to bear” (1Pe 2:18) but, at the same time, it must be added that each member must examine his life and if someone is one of the “hard to bear”, he must repent . Biblical love is described in 1Co 13:4-7: it is long-suffering, it is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not puffed up, it does nothing improper, it does not seek its own, it is not irritated, it does not bear a grudge, it does not he rejoices in injustice, but he rejoices in the truth, he suffers everything, believes everything, expects everything, supports everything. Love “does not fret,” but bears patiently.
Differences and disagreements of some kind will never be lacking between brothers. There is great diversity of personal preferences and opinions among brothers that should not interrupt communion. If there is humility instead of pride, and if there is meekness instead of high-handedness, such differences will not be the cause of trouble. We will bear with patience if there is biblical love.
Unfortunately some brothers can’t stand each other, but complain against each other: “Brothers, don’t complain against each other, lest you be condemned; behold, the judge stands before the door” (James 5:9).
— and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. — Enduring the brothers does not mean enduring sins and neglecting discipline (Mat 18:15-17; Rom 16:17; 1Co 5:1-13; 2Thes 3:6; 2Thes 3:14), but the repentant brother must be forgiven (2Co 2:6).
But “you were called in one body” (3:15), and so what affects our brother also affects us. “Therefore, putting aside falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor; for we are members one of another” (Eph 4:25); that is, if we are members of each other, what we do to each other, we do to ourselves. In a sense, then, if we forgive other members of the body, we forgive ourselves. Unfortunately, some saints are not convinced of the importance of forgiveness.
— As Christ forgave you, so do you also. — Let us remember that the greatest need of each of us is God’s forgiveness. He promises to forgive us if we repent and are baptized (Acts 2:38), but another requirement is that we forgive others. “For if you forgive men their trespasses, he will also forgive you your heavenly Father; but if you do not forgive men his trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Mat 6:14-15; Mat 18:23-35; Jas 2:13).
Reconcile with your brother before worshiping God. “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go, first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your gift” (Matt 5: 23-24). “If your brother sins against you, go and correct him between you and him alone” (Mat 18:15); that is, if someone offends his brother or if his brother offends him, Jesus says to each one of them: you go, you go. Both the offended and the offender must seek reconciliation. “If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him” (Luke 17:3). Without a doubt this is one of the biggest flaws of the saints! When a brother is offended, he tells everyone except the person who…