Debts, Trespasses, or Sins?

So Many Churches, So Many Opinions

There are lots of different kinds of churches out there. We all know that.

Catholic churches, Orthodox churches, and about 20,000 different Protestant denominations. Yes, really: twenty thousand!

Some are conservative, some are progressive. Some are quiet and meditative, others are loud and charismatic. Some meet in grand cathedrals, others in storefronts with folding chairs. There are black churches and white churches, city churches and small-town churches, churches with fog machines and churches where even a guitar is pushing it.

And yet, in the English-speaking world, there are really only three kinds of churches:

There are churches that sin.
There are churches that debt.
And there are churches that trespass.

Those are the battle lines when it comes to the fourth line of the Lord’s Prayer. And just because you’d have to pry a particular translation from a congregation’s cold, dead hands doesn’t mean all these versions are created equal.

Some are, in fact, better than others.

So today, we’re going to do what no one asked for: rank them.

🥇 First Place: Debts and Debtors

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

This is it—the gold standard. The most accurate translation. The one that best captures what Jesus actually said.

Why? Because this is what the Gospel of Matthew literally says. In the Greek text of the Lord’s Prayer, the words for “debts” and “debtors” are right there, plain as day. There is no scholarly debate. No mystery. This is what Jesus taught.

But here’s what makes it even better: in both Greek and in the Aramaic Jesus spoke, the word “debt” has a beautiful double meaning.

It refers to sin – our spiritual debt to God – but it also refers to actual, literal financial debt. And in Jesus’ time, debt was a crushing reality.

Under Roman rule, small farmers were taxed into the ground. If they couldn’t pay, they took out loans. When they couldn’t pay those back, they lost their land, got thrown into debtor’s prison, or – worst case scenario – were sold into slavery.

So when Jesus taught this prayer, he absolutely had financial debt in view. He was speaking to real people who had lost everything. People who knew that debt wasn’t just numbers on a page – it was a system that stole their dignity and crushed their lives.

And honestly? It still resonates today. Whether it’s credit cards, student loans, or a $1.5 million mortgage for a rundown 600-square-foot condo in a HCOL city, we get it. Debt is a burden.

So when we pray, “forgive us our debts,” we are praying for both spiritual forgiveness and for freedom from the systems that keep people trapped.

It’s a big, bold, radical prayer. And that’s why this version wins.

🥈 Second Place: Sins

“Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.”

Coming in at a respectable second place is the “sins” version. And look, it’s not bad. It’s got some actual biblical basis! In Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer, he actually uses the word “sins.”

So if you say “sins,” you’re at least in the right ballpark.

The problem? You lose that beautiful double meaning. You lose the connection to financial debt and economic justice. You risk turning the Lord’s Prayer into something that’s only about inner spiritual life, instead of something that speaks to real, lived struggles.

And as we see throughout the Lord’s Prayer (you know, the part where we literally ask God for bread), this is a prayer deeply rooted in the practical realities of life.

So while “sins” is a decent effort, it just doesn’t capture the full weight of what Jesus meant. And for that reason, it only gets silver.

🥉 Last Place: Trespasses

“And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Alright, folks, we’ve arrived at the worst translation. The one that a lot of folks say together every Sunday.

Here’s the deal: this is not actually a translation of the Lord’s Prayer. Not even close.

Where did it come from? Glad you asked!

Back in the 1520s, a guy named William Tyndale was working on one of the first English translations of the Bible. And for reasons he never explained, he decided to swap out “debts” for “trespasses.” Why? Who knows! Maybe he thought it sounded fancier. Maybe he was just having a bad week.

Either way, his choice stuck. It got used in Church of England services, and when the Puritans broke away and came to America, they brought it with them. And here we are, 400 years later, still saying “trespasses” for no good reason.

And honestly? It’s just a bad translation.

It completely loses the financial meaning of Jesus’ words. It misses the connection between spiritual and economic freedom. And to top it all off, it’s not even in the actual text of the Lord’s Prayer.

For those reasons, “trespasses” lands firmly in last place.

No matter which translation of the Lord’s Prayer you use, what matters is that you are committing to forgive as much you’ve been forgiven.

Final Thoughts: What Really Matters

No matter how you say this line – debts, sins, or trespasses – the core message is the same.

We are not just asking God to forgive us. We are committing to pass that forgiveness on.

And that’s what makes this prayer so radical. It’s not just about what we receive – it’s about what we give. We are called to forgive as we have been forgiven.

So friends, may we dare to live this prayer – not just say it.

And if you’re a trespasses person, maybe consider making the switch.