Quote:
Originally Posted by MysticCat
In this sense, it doesn't mean financial at all. (Although I've always joked that the reason Presbyterians say "debts" while everyone else says "trespasses" is that Scots are more worried about who owes who money.)
FWIW, the original Greek uses a word (ὀφειλήματα) that translates into English as "debt." Apparently, in Aramaic, the word for debt and the word for sin are the same thing. In this context, "debts" means "sins" -- shortcomings for which reparation is due. Perhaps it's just my upbringing, always having said "debts/debtors," but it has always seemed closer to the mark for me than "trespasses/those who trespass against us." "Trespass" has it's own connotation in English -- going onto someone else's property without permission.
If connotations are the worry, then the appropriate translation, it seems to me, is "forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us," as that is clearly the meaning.
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Oh I agree that trespass has the same difficulties as debt. I question whether your preferred translation would work as I suspect it would raise objections toward mankind forgiving sins when that belongs to God.
That said, as with trespasses, I suspect any translation can be taught and explained. I know they didn't leave us with the misconception that the Our Father was about forgiving people who come onto our property.