Question: "What did Jesus mean when He said that we should
forgive others seventy times seven?" Answer: Jesus said we are
to forgive others “seventy times seven” in response to Peter’s
question, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when
he sins against me? Up to seven times?" (Matthew 18:21-22). To
fully understand what Jesus was saying, we must look at the
context of the whole chapter, for Jesus was speaking not only
about forgiving one another, but about Christian character, both
in and out of the church. The admonition to forgive our brother
seventy times seven follows Jesus discourse on discipline in the
church (Matthew 18:15-20), in which He lays down the rules for
restoring a sinning brother. Peter, wishing to appear especially
forgiving and benevolent, asked Jesus if forgiveness was to be
offered seven times. The Jewish rabbis at the time taught that
forgiving someone more than three times was unnecessary, citing
Amos 1:3-13 where God forgave Israel’s enemies three times, then
punished them