Forbearing one another - Notes, Ephesians 4:2.

And forgiving one another - Notes, Matthew 6:12, Matthew 6:14.

If any man have a quarrel against any - Margin, "or complaint." The word used here - μομφή momphē - occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It means, "fault found, blame, censure;" and here denotes occasion of complaint. The idea is, that if another one has given us just occasion of complaint, we are to forgive him; that is, we are:

(1) to harbor no malice against him;

(2) we are to be ready to do him good as if he had not given us occasion of complaint;

(3) we are to be willing to declare that we forgive him when be asks it; and,

(4) we are always afterward to treat him as kindly as if he had not injured us - as God treats us when he forgives us; see the notes at Matthew 18:21.

Even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye - Learn here that Christ has power to forgive sin; compare the Matthew 9:6 note; Acts 5:31 note. Christ forgave us:

(1) freely - he did not hesitate or delay when we asked him;

(2) entirely - he pardoned all our offences;

(3) forever - he did it so as to remember our sins no more, and to treat us ever onward as if we had not sinned.

So we should forgive an offending brother.

Forbearing one another - Avoid all occasions of irritating or provoking each other.

Forgiving one another - If ye receive offense, be instantly ready to forgive on the first acknowledgment of the fault.

Even as Christ forgave you - Who required no satisfaction, and sought for nothing in you but the broken, contrite heart, and freely forgave you as soon as you returned to Him. No man should for a moment harbour ill will in his heart to any; but the offended party is not called actually to forgive, till the offender, with sorrow, acknowledges his fault. He should be ready to forgive, and while he is so, he can neither feel hatred nor malice towards the offender; but, as Christ does not forgive us till with penitent hearts we return unto him, acknowledging our offenses, so those who have trespassed against their neighbor are not to expect any act of forgiveness from the person they have injured, till they acknowledge the offense. Forgive, says the apostle, καθως και ὁ Χριστος even as Christ forgave you - show the same disposition and the same readiness to forgive your offending brethren, as Christ showed towards you.

Forbearing one another,.... Not only bearing one another's burdens, and with one another's weaknesses, but forbearing to render evil for evil, or railing for railing, or to seek revenge for affronts given, in whatsoever way, whether by words or deeds:

and forgiving one another; all trespasses and offences, so far as committed against themselves, and praying to God to forgive them, as committed against him:

if any man have a quarrel against any; let him be who he will, high or low, rich or poor, of whatsoever age, state, or condition, and let his quarrel or complaint be what it will, ever so great, or ever so just and well founded, yet let him put up with it, and forgive it:

even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye; what God is said to do for Christ's sake; see Gill on Ephesians 4:32, what here Christ is said to do: as Mediator, he has procured the remission of sins by the shedding of his blood; and as God he forgives sins freely, fully, forgetting the injuries done, not upbraiding with former offences, and that too without asking, and before there is any appearance of repentance; and so should the saints forgive one another, as they expect to have an application and manifestation of forgiveness to themselves.

One another - one another (ἀλλήλων - ἑαυτοῖς)

Lit., one another - yourselves. For a similar variation of the pronoun see Ephesians 4:32; 1 Peter 4:8-10. The latter pronoun emphasizes the fact that they are all members of Christ's body - everyone members one of another - so that, in forgiving each other they forgive themselves.

Quarrel (μομφήν)

Only here in the New Testament. Cause of blame. Rev., complaint. The A.V. uses quarrel in its earlier sense of cause of complaint. So Shakespeare:

"The lady Beatrice hath a quarrel to you."

"Much Ado," ii., 1.

"Against whom comest thou, and what's thy quarrel?"

"Richard II.," i., 3, 33.

Holinshed: "He thought he had a good quarrel to attack him." It was used of a plaintiff's action at law, like the Latin querela.

Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another. How often and earnestly long-suffering and forbearance are enjoined! Nor have we grounds for expecting that God will forgive us unless we also forgive (Mt 6:12). Christ is our example.

3:13 Forbearing one another - If anything is now wrong. And forgiving one another - What is past.

quarrel: or, complaint

13. Forbearing-as to present offenses.

forgiving-as to past offenses.

quarrel-rather as Greek, "cause of blame," "cause of complaint."

Christ-who had so infinitely greater cause of complaint against us. The oldest manuscripts and Vulgate read "the Lord." English Version is supported by one very old manuscript and old versions. It seems to have crept in from Eph 4:32.

3:12-17 We must not only do no hurt to any, but do what good we can to all. Those who are the elect of God, holy and beloved, ought to be lowly and compassionate towards all. While in this world, where there is so much corruption in our hearts, quarrels will sometimes arise. But it is our duty to forgive one another, imitating the forgiveness through which we are saved. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts; it is of his working in all who are his. Thanksgiving to God, helps to make us agreeable to all men. The gospel is the word of Christ. Many have the word, but it dwells in them poorly; it has no power over them. The soul prospers, when we are full of the Scriptures and of the grace of Christ. But when we sing psalms, we must be affected with what we sing. Whatever we are employed about, let us do every thing in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in believing dependence on him. Those who do all in Christ's name, will never want matter of thanksgiving to God, even the Father.