Colossians 3:13

forbearing one another "in love," adds Ephesians 4:2. The life of Christian patience has beneath it the living secret of love, the effect and reflection of the love of Christ.

forgiving one another Lit., "forgiving yourselves," as in Ephesians 4:32, where see note in this Series. The A.V. is obviously true to grammatical usage. It is implied that there would be occasions for forbearance and forgiveness, even in this happy and holy community.

a quarrel "a querel," Wyclif; querelam, Latin Versions. "A quarrel," derived through French from Latin, means properly (as here) a complaint(so R.V. here), a charge. Our modern use of the word would imply a wrangle("it takes two to make a quarrel"). But the case supposed is where A has not done right by B, and B responds by forgiving A, in Christ, and thus avoiding a wrangle. For a practical illustration of the precept, see e.g. 1 Corinthians 6:7.

against any We say, "a quarrel withany," because we now use the word "quarrel" in the lowered sense of a wrangle.

even as Christ forgave R.V. "even asthe Lord forgave." The reading thus rendered has important but not (as it seems to us) decisive support from mss. &c. Its reference meanwhile is probably still to Christ;but under the special character of the heavenly Master. (Cp. Matthew 18:27, quoted by Lightfoot, who reads "the Lord" here.) See the parallel, Ephesians 4:32. There the Fatheris the Divine Forgiver; here probably the Son. The Two are One; and the Son, while the Father's Channel of forgiveness, is also the infinitely free and gracious Giver of it. Cp. Acts 5:31. Observe the deeply practical use of the assurance of pardon.