forgiveness in marriage
What does the Bible say about forgiveness in marriage? These are the passages readers found most helpful — tap any citation to read it in context.
14 passages · most helpful first
32And be kind and merciful to one another, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you in Christ.
7Similarly, you husbands should live with them in accord with knowledge, bestowing honor on the female as the weaker vessel and as co-heirs of the life of grace, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
14For if you will forgive men their sins, your heavenly Father also will forgive you your offenses. 15But if you will not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive you your sins.
10But to those who have been joined in matrimony, it is not I who commands you, but the Lord: a wife is not to separate from her husband. 11But if she has separated from him, she must remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband should not divorce his wife.
13Support one another, and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive one another. For just as the Lord has forgiven you, so also must you do.
19Do not defend yourselves, dearest ones. Instead, step aside from wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is mine. I shall give retribution, says the Lord.” 20So if an enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in doing so, you will heap burning coals upon his head. 21Do not allow evil to prevail, instead prevail over evil by means of goodness.
25And when you stand to pray, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your sins.
1But you are to speak the things that befit sound doctrine. 2Old men should be sober, chaste, prudent, sound in faith, in love, in patience. 3Old women, similarly, should be in holy attire, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teaching well, 4so that they may teach prudence to the young women, so that they may love their husbands, love their children, 5be sensible, chaste, restrained, have concern for the household, be kind, be subordinate to their husbands: so that the Word of God may be not blasphemed. 6Exhort young men similarly, so that they may show self-restraint.
23Those whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them, and those whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.”
24For this reason, a man shall leave behind his father and mother, and he shall cling to his wife; and the two shall be as one flesh.
3Now the scribes and Pharisees brought forward a woman caught in adultery, and they stood her in front of them. 4And they said to him: “Teacher, this woman was just now caught in adultery. 5And in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such a one. Therefore, what do you say?” 6But they were saying this to test him, so that they might be able to accuse him. Then Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the earth. 7And then, when they persevered in questioning him, he stood upright and said to them, “Let whoever is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her.” 8And bending down again, he wrote on the earth.
32But I say to you, that anyone who will have dismissed his wife, except in the case of fornication, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever will have married her who has been dismissed commits adultery.
8But, before all things, have a constant mutual charity among yourselves. For love covers a multitude of sins.
5Have confidence in the Lord with all your heart, and do not depend upon your own prudence.