The Erinyes in the Gospels? Jesus on the Inevitable Consequences of Lack of Forgiveness (Matt 6:14–15; 18:35; Mark 11:25)
Abstract
This article addresses the novelty of the Gospel message of God’s forgiveness of sins and mutual forgiveness against the backdrop of the ancient Greco-Roman world and the first part of the Bible. In contrast to the ethos of retribution and lack of reconciliation present in both Homeric epics and Greek tragedy, as well as to the rarity of stories about mutual forgiveness in the Old Testament, the Gospels present forgiveness as a central theme of Jesus’ ministry. The Gospel of Mark, in particular, presents the forgiveness of sins as the work of God, accomplished by Jesus in the Holy Spirit and dependent on the attitude of the recipients of his mission. Accepting God’s forgiveness requires a willingness to forgive others, and refusing to do so leads to the loss of God’s forgiveness. This state of affairs represents a return to the logic of the Erinyes – the forces of vengeance that dominate human fate in the non-biblical world.
Keywords:
ethos of vengeance, forgiveness, Erinyes, Gospel of Matthew, Gospel of MarkReferences
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