Rising with Jesus Christ: Forgiveness

In Colossians 3:12 ff., Paul counsels believers to “put on” a number of virtues such as kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. These virtues fit people who have been raised with Christ. In fact they are themselves instances of “keeping the rhythm going” when it comes to dying and rising with Christ. Forgiveness of those who hurt us is a spectacular example. But what does this Christian practice actually consist in? Why is it so hard? How do we practice the craft of forgiveness? And won’t wily offenders figure out how to exploit us when we forgive them?

Biography

Cornelius Plantinga, Jr. (Princeton Theological Seminary) is Senior Research Fellow at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and president emeritus of Calvin Theological Seminary. Cornelius Plantinga Jr. (aka Neal Plantinga) teaches a course annually in Calvin College (he was Dean of the Chapel from 1996 to 2001) and in Calvin Theological Seminary (he was a professor there from 1979 to 1996 and President from 2001 to 2011). Dr. Plantinga has written many books and articles, including most famously his work on sin, Not the Way it’s Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin (Eerdmans, 1995).