Offense and Forgiveness
The Biblical principles regarding offense and forgiveness described here are essential to community life.
The discussion that prompted this article was a study on Colossians 3, verses 1-17 but a great deal of time was spent discussing verses 12-14:
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. "
(Colossians 3:12-14)
We also talked about Matthew chapter 18 which details, in part, about how to approach a situation where someone offends you (see Matthew 18:15-20).
As a community, we should commit to follow a Biblical pattern every time even a minor offense pops up.
Here are some principles that Scripture outlines regarding what to do when someone offends you: