Matthew 6:12 The Lord's Prayer Continued

καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν,

ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφήκαμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν· 

And forgive us our debts, 

as we also have forgiven our debtors

Matthew 6:12

ἀφήκαμεν (we have forgiven).  This is in the perfect tense that describes an action that was completed in the past, but is still having impacts at the time that the prayer is being uttered.  It’s interesting that only after we have forgiven the one’s who owe us, then we can ask for forgiveness of our debt from God.

RB