Lexical Summary opheiletés: Debtor, one who owes Original Word: ὀφειλέτης Strong's Exhaustive Concordance debtor, which owed, sinner. From opheilo; an ower, i.e. Person indebted; figuratively, a delinquent; morally, a transgressor (against God) -- debtor, which owed, sinner. see GREEK opheilo HELPS Word-studies 3781 opheilétēs (a masculine noun) – a debtor; someone under obligation to pay back (discharge) a debt. For the believer, 3781 /opheilétēs ("being a debtor") ends at Calvary where Christ paid all our debt in His blood. He extends total release to us, forgiving the penalty for each time we spent His gift of life rather than invested it. Indeed, the blood of Jesus removes all the penalty (condemnation) of sin (Jn 19:30). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom opheiló Definition a debtor NASB Translation culprits (1), debtors (1), indebted (1), owed (1), under obligation (3). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3781: ὀφειλέτηςὀφειλέτης, ὀφειλετου, ὁ (ὀφείλω), one who owes another, a debtor: properly, of one who owes another money (Plato, legg. 5, 736 d.; Plutarch; others); with a genitive of the sum due, Matthew 18:24. Metaphorically, a. one held by some obligation, bound to some duty: ὀφειλέτης εἰμί, equivalent to ὀφείλω, followed by an infinitive, Galatians 5:3 (Sophocles Aj. 590); ὀφειλέτης εἰμί τίνος, to be one's debtor i. e. under obligations of gratitude to him for favors received, Romans 15:27; τίνι (dative commodi), to be under obligation to do something for someone, Romans 1:14; Romans 8:12. b. one who has not yet made amends to one whom he has injured: Matthew 6:12; in imitation of the Chaldean חַיָב, one who owes God penalty or of whom God can demand punishment as something due, i. e. a sinner, Luke 13:4. Topical Lexicon Concept of Debt in Scripture The noun translated “debtor” speaks not simply of financial liability but of any binding obligation—legal, moral, or spiritual. Scripture consistently treats such indebtedness as a matter of accountability before both God and neighbor, and the term therefore carries profound theological weight. Old Testament Foundations of Obligation The Law’s provisions for the Year of Jubilee and the cancellation of debts (Leviticus 25; Deuteronomy 15) reveal a God who guards equity and mercy. This background supplies the ethical framework within which New Testament writers employ the idea of a “debtor.” What the Torah promised in type—release and restoration—finds ultimate fulfillment in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ Use of the Term • The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:12) “ ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.’ ” Here “debts” encompasses every failure to meet God’s righteous claims. By coupling forgiveness received with forgiveness extended, the prayer unites vertical reconciliation with horizontal relationships. • Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:24) “As he began the settlements, a debtor was brought to him owing ten thousand talents.” The astronomical sum underscores human incapacity to repay the offense of sin apart from the king’s mercy. • Tower of Siloam (Luke 13:4) “Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were worse sinners than all the others living in Jerusalem?” Although renders the word “sinners,” the underlying term is the same. Jesus rejects the assumption that exceptional calamity implies greater indebtedness; all are liable unless they repent (Luke 13:5). Pauline Theology of Indebtedness • Missional Debt (Romans 1:14) “I am obligated both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and the foolish.” Having received the gospel, Paul sees himself under divine obligation to proclaim it universally. Grace received creates a debt of love to others. • Ethical Debt to the Spirit (Romans 8:12) “Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation, but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.” Believers no longer owe allegiance to fallen desires; their new debt is to live in step with the Spirit who secured their adoption. • Solidarity with the Jewish Believers (Romans 15:27) “They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual blessings, they are obligated to minister to them with material blessings.” Material support for the Jerusalem saints expresses gratitude for the spiritual heritage Israel supplied. • Warning to Legalists (Galatians 5:3) “Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole Law.” Voluntary return to Mosaic boundary-markers incurs an unpayable legal debt, severing the believer from Christ’s sufficiency (Galatians 5:4). Indebtedness and Forgiveness In Christ, God cancels the record of debt that stood against us (Colossians 2:14). Forgiveness, then, is not denial of obligation but gracious satisfaction of it through the cross. Christians are called to model that same release toward others, reflecting the gospel’s logic of mercy triumphing over judgment. Communal and Missional Implications 1. Worship: Gratitude for canceled debt fuels praise and obedience. Historical Reception in the Early Church Patristic writers frequently cited Matthew 6:12 in baptismal liturgies, reminding new converts that Christ’s atonement had erased their ledger of guilt. Medieval theology expanded the metaphor into the satisfaction theory of the atonement, while the Reformation recovered the Pauline emphasis that Christ alone pays the debt. Throughout, the term has anchored doctrines of justification, sanctification, and Christian duty. Application for Ministry Today • Preaching should present sin as real indebtedness and the cross as full payment, safeguarding both the gravity of sin and the sufficiency of grace. The seven New Testament occurrences of Strong’s 3781 thus weave a coherent biblical theology: humanity owes God perfect obedience, fails to render it, and therefore incurs liability; in Christ, that liability is canceled, creating a liberated people who joyfully embrace new obligations—love, holiness, and the spread of the gospel. Forms and Transliterations οφειλεται οφειλέται ὀφειλέται οφειλεταις οφειλέταις ὀφειλέταις οφειλετης οφειλέτης ὀφειλέτης opheiletai opheilétai opheiletais opheilétais opheiletes opheiletēs opheilétes opheilétēsLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 6:12 N-DMPGRK: ἀφήκαμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν NAS: as we also have forgiven our debtors. KJV: forgive our debtors. INT: forgive the debtors of us Matthew 18:24 N-NMS Luke 13:4 N-NMP Romans 1:14 N-NMS Romans 8:12 N-NMP Romans 15:27 N-NMP Galatians 5:3 N-NMS Strong's Greek 3781 |
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