Forgiveness Part Four
Charizomai
Sunday, Marach 30, 2025
Pastor Joanna Walker
The English word “forgive” is translated by multiple Greek words, each with different renderings: Apoluo, Aphesis, Aphiemi, and Charizmai.
Apoluo-A Poe Lu Ow
Aphesis- A fee sees
Aphiemi- A fee eh mi
Charizmai- Kar eez my
Charizomai appears twenty-three times and is rendered in the English Bible by the words “give,” “freely give,” “deliver, and “grant.” In twelve passages it is found that charizomai is translated “forgive,” and in each one it is possible to read the basic idea assigned to charizomai, namely “to show grace,” or “grant a favor.”
Forgiveness expressed by charizomai is “pardon” as read in Luke 7 “And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave [charizomai] them both.
By using the Greek word charizomai to express the idea “to forgive,” the writers of the New Testament emphasize that forgiveness is a gift freely given and a favor or grace bounteously granted. This idea inherited in charizomai points to the fact that “the ground of all forgiveness is found in the unmerited love of God.
An Alabaster Flask
Luke 7:36-38(NKJV)
36 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. 37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.
The Sinful Woman
Luke 7:39-40(NKJV)
39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”
40 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
So he said, “Teacher, say it.”
Two Debtors
Luke 7:41-43(NKJV)
41 “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”
And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.”
Her Sins are Forgive Here
Luke 7:44-48(NKJV)
44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
48 Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Faith Saved You
Luke 7:44-48(NKJV)
49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
“Acting in grace” is an acceptable translation of the Greek word, charizomai, rendered “forgiving” in Ephesians 4.
Ephesians 4:32(NKJV)
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Acting in grace catches the essence of how God has acted toward us and our sin against Him. And because He has forgiven us, we are commanded to forgive each other Colossians.
Colossians 3:13(NKJV)
13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
Apoluo
Means to release, set free, or dismiss, forgiving debts, granting clemency, or even divorce, send away, let go, put away, to liberate,
Separated From Your Sins
Psalm 103:1-18(KJV)
Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 6 The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. 7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.
14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children; 18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
Separated from your sins
Divorces from your sins
Released from the bondage of sin
Free from sin
No longer condemned for your sin
Dismissed from sin*
Aphesis
Means remission, deliverance, and liberty, forgiveness, and release.
When Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper
Matthew 26:28(KJV)
This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission [aphesis: “release”] of sins
Remission of Sins
Hebrews 9:22(KJV)
And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
*Colossians 1:14(KJV) *
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness[aphesis] of sins:
Literally translated, this verse would read: “In whom we have redemption through his blood, that will say, release (liberty, freedom, or deliverance) from sins.”
Aphiemi
translated by the verbs leave suffer, forsake, let alone, taken, sent away and forgive.
1 John 1:9(NKJV) “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive [Aphiemi: “take away from”] us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
The related noun aphesis almost always refers to God’s forgiveness of human sins. Jesus told the disciples that this forgiveness would be preached in his name .
The Spirit of the Lord
Luke 4:17-19(NKJV)
17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Freed from Lawlessness
Romans 4:7(NKJV)
7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered;
Freed from the Power of Darkness
Colossians 1:13-14(NKJV)
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
Freed from Trespasses
Matthew 6:14-15(NKJV)
14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Freed from Iniquities
Romans 4:8(NKJV) 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”
We Have Redemption and Righteousness
Ephesians 1:7(NKJV)
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
2 Corinthians 5:21(NKJV)
21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.