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Translation
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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
What then means the parable? "So likewise shall my Father do also unto you," He saith, "if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." He saith not "your Father," but "my Father." For it is not meet for God to be called the Father of such a one, who is so wicked and malicious. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. He did not say "your Father," but "My Father." For such as these are unworthy to have God as their Father. He wants us to forgive from our hearts and not only from our lips. Understand, then, what a great evil is remembrance of wrongs, since it revokes the gift of God; though God does not repent of His gifts, nevertheless they are revoked.
Western Saints
Augustine of Hippo
Or God says, Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven; (Luke 6:37.) I have first forgiven, forgive you then after Me; for if you forgive not, I will call you back, and will require again all that I had remitted to you. For Christ neither deceives nor is deceived; and He adds here, Thus will my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. …
Jerome
In this way, my heavenly Father will also do to you, unless each one of you forgives his brother from your heart. This is a frightening statement, if the divine judgment is turned and changed according to our own judgment. If we do not forgive our brothers for small offenses, God will not forgive us for great offenses. …
Thomas Aquinas
So also shall my heavenly Father do to you. Here he applies the similitude. The Father is God, as above, 6:9: Our Father, who art in heaven. He will do to you, i.e., he will not forgive your sins, if you forgive not everyone his brother from your hearts. Here he seems to suggest that sins once forgiven return, as Origen holds, that forgiven sins return in some cases, such as in apostasy. Likewise, if one is sorry for having repented. …
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