Every preacher has done a series on “The Seven Sayings of Jesus on the Cross.” I have – more than once. It is a powerful series during the Easter season. The sayings are:
- Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34)
- Truly I say to you, today you’ll be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43)
- Woman, behold your son; son, behold your mother” (John 19:26-27)
- My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me? (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34)
- I thirst (John 19:28)
- It is finished (John 19:30)
- Father into your hands I commit my spirit (Luke 23:46)
These are powerful words indeed, however, one of the sayings is debated: “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). These words compel preachers to say, “If Jesus can forgive His enemies as He was placed on the cross, how can we deny forgiveness to anyone?” True, IF Jesus said this. If He didn’t, then there is a problem. In this brief article, I’ll look at the evidence both externally and internally followed by some observations.
The UBS4 Greek text has Jesus’ words in double brackets, showing the editors believe the text is a later addition to Luke – but the verse is important and ancient. There are key mss that omit the words – from the Alexandrian and Western traditions (p75 B D* W Θ 579 are key witnesses). Including the words are witnesses such as א* A C L f1 13 33 Byz among many others. Church Fathers including Irenaeus, Origen, Eusebius and Chrysostom believe the words are authentic.
Metzger’s Textual Commentary calls the mss tradition that omits the words of Jesus impressive and early.[1] The fact that p75 (third century) omits the words is a bit harder to overcome, but the important mss א* and B are split. I’m not sure external evidence settles the issue. The papyrus evidence might even lean one toward omission.
Let us turn to internal evidence. First, there is a similar prayer in Acts (written by Luke). As Stephen dies, he cries out, “Lord, do not charge them with their sin” (Acts 7:60).[2] Second, a Lukan theme is forgiveness of one’s enemies (6:27-36). Third, there is no parallel in the other Gospels. Fourth, there is no good reason for a copyist to add the remark. Fifth, each major subunit in Luke’s crucifixion narrative contains a saying. If the prayer is omitted, then a saying is lacking from this subunit.[3]
The key question here is why scribes would have omitted the prayer of Jesus if it were authentic? A scribe might have omitted it if he considered the remarks too forgiving of the Jews, or if he regarded the prayer as unanswered in light of A.D. 70 (the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple).[4]
Internal evidence, I suggest, tilts the issue toward originality. Jesus spoke these words, and the prayer is preserved by Luke.
I always reject the argument that a passage like this might not be from a biblical writer, but it is probably historical. This is a prayer Jesus would pray, given what we know about Him, however, if the words are not from the Gospel writer, then they are inauthentic and should not be included in our Bibles and certainly not preached by pastors. Inspiration demands that. Only words written by Luke (in this case), led by the Spirit, are inspired and thus ‘profitable for doctrine, reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16).
What about this powerful prayer of Jesus on that first Good Friday? While the external evidence is divided, the internal evidence helps us lean toward the originality of this prayer of Jesus. Thus, pastors can call a congregation to look inside themselves and proclaim, “If Jesus can forgive His enemies as they nailed Him to the cross, surely we can forgive ours!”
[1]Bruce Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (New York: American Bible Society, 1998), 154.
[2] Some have argued that scribes could have included the words here because of Acts 7:60, but that seems unlikely. One would think Stephen patterned himself after Jesus rather than the other way around.
[3] I.H. Marshall, The Gospel of Luke, NIGNT (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978), 868. The sayings are 23:28-31, 43, 46
[4] Darrell Bock, Luke 9:51-24:53, BECNT (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996), 1868.
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