What Does The Bible Say About Apologizing
Apologizing is the right thing to do when we’ve offended someone. It’s good for our relationships and it’s what God wants us to do. So we shouldn’t be afraid of apologizing, even when it’s hard or we think we’re going to get in trouble for it. The Bible says that if we offend someone, then we should go and apologize as soon as possible—and mean it!
Matthew 5:23-24
If you are angry with someone, the Bible says that you must first be reconciled with that person before you can pray. Similarly, if we are not reconciled with God and ourselves, we cannot expect to be heard by him. Matthew 5:23-24 says:
“Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”
The Bible also tells us that if we do wrong against another person or cause them harm in some way (whether it’s intentional or not), then we need to apologize. We can’t just ignore what happened or pretend nothing ever happened—an apology is necessary when a relationship has been damaged or broken down due to our actions.
Matthew 6:14-15
When you forgive someone, it can be a difficult decision. But what does it mean to forgive someone? It means that you no longer hold the person accountable for their actions and choose not to allow anger or hatred towards them affect your relationship with them. You may have been hurt by something they said or did but through forgiving them, you will experience peace in your heart which is necessary for healthy relationships with others.
If your child comes home after curfew without calling ahead and asks for forgiveness, would you refuse this request? The answer should be no! Forgiving people who do wrong does not make us weak but strong because we are able to let go of negative feelings towards those who have hurt us instead of allowing those emotions build up inside of us until they cause damage in our own lives. Forgiveness allows us to move forward with life and focus on more important things than holding grudges over past wrongs done against us by others (or even ourselves).
Luke 17:3-4
- Jesus says that we should forgive others as we want God to forgive us.
- Jesus says that we should forgive others before they ask for forgiveness.
- Jesus says that we should forgive others if they have repented.
- Jesus says that we should forgive others if they have not repented.
Ecclesiastes 7:20
“Repentance of sin brings forgiveness, but it does not erase the memory of what happened. When you apologize for your sins, God will help you to forgive yourself and others.” -Ecclesiastes 7:20 (NLT)
Acts 19:18-19
The book of Acts describes Paul’s missionary work among the Gentiles and his encounters with the Jewish leaders. In this passage, Paul is teaching to a group of people in Ephesus. The Jewish leaders are not happy with him because he is teaching that Jesus is the Messiah. They start to persecute him and try to get him out of town by chasing after him and throwing things at him (Acts 19:19).
- Why did these men follow Paul around? What did they want? What did they believe about Jesus? How do you think this relates to what we’ve read so far in Acts 19:9-12?
1 Samuel 15:24
1 Samuel 15:24 (NIV) “David said to God, ‘I have sinned against you,’ and he did not ask for forgiveness because of the blood of the men who had been slaughtered by Saul.”
In this verse, David is sorry that he has offended God, and repents of his sin. He admits that what he did was wrong and asks God to forgive him. Because David repented of his sins and asked God to forgive him, we know that he received forgiveness from God—and was restored back into a right relationship with Him (1 Samuel 16:13).
This verse teaches us an important lesson about repentance: When we repent of our sins, we must also ask for forgiveness from God!
2 Samuel 12:13
David’s regret for what he had done is evident in his words. He was sorry for the pain he caused and the consequences of his actions.
He said, “My own conduct has brought me low, and all my wickedness is always before me” (2 Samuel 12:13). David’s actions resulted in much hurt for Bathsheba and Uriah. His wrongdoing brought shame to him and his family, as well as to all of Israel because David was king over them at this time.
The Bible says that we should apologize when we have offended someone.
- Apologize when you have offended someone.
- Apologize to God.
- Apologize to others.
- Apologize to yourself.
- Apologize to the offended party.
- Apologize for your own sake, and not just theirs (because they will likely be more concerned about how things affect them than what’s going on in your head).
- If you’re apologizing because someone is angry with you and/or upset with what happened between the two of you—whether or not it was actually a big deal—you should also apologize for their sake, so that they don’t harbor resentment towards you that could negatively affect their life in any way (such as making them feel like they can’t trust people anymore).
Apologizing is an important part of living for Christians. We should always be willing to apologize when we have offended someone and ask them for forgiveness. This helps us stay humble and avoid falling into prideful thinking that says we are perfect with no need for repentance or improvement.