What is the Lord’s Prayer? Conclusion

This entry is part 50 of 50 in the series What are Catechisms?

Although I’ve been working on a series about catechisms, The best-known version of the Lord’s Prayer is found in Matthew 6:9b-13 in the King James Version, but a slightly shorter version occurs in Luke 11:2b-4 KJV.

The Lord's Prayer, Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4 (KJV)

Petition	Matthew 6:9-13 KJV	Luke 11:2-4
Preface	...Our Father which art in heaven,	...Our Father which art in heaven,
First	Hallowed be thy name.	Hallowed be thy name.
Second	Thy kingdom come.	Thy kingdom come.
Third	Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.	Thy will be done, as in heaven,so in earth.
Fourth	Give us this day our daily bread.	Give us day by day our daily bread.
Fifth	And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.	And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.
Sixth	And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:	And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
Conclusion	For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

The conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew is missing in Luke, and may not have originally been in the Gospel of Matthew. Many of the earliest Greek manuscripts don’t have the conclusion; however, the long ending is ancient, known from a first-century work called the Didache, or The Teachings of the Twelve Apostles.¹ A plausible theory is the early church used this prayer in public meetings and added the conclusion to Matthew. Early scribes may have known the conclusion wasn’t part of the Gospels, but it became so common that later scribes thought it was part of Matthew.

“For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen” is evidently a later scribal addition, since the most reliable and oldest Greek manuscripts all lack these words, which is the reason why these words are omitted from most modern translations. However, there is nothing theologically incorrect about the wording (cf. 1 Chronicles 29:11–13), nor is it inappropriate to include these words in public prayers.²

What does the conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer teach us?³

The conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer (which is, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.), teaches us to enforce our petitions with arguments, which are to be taken, not from any worthiness in ourselves, or in any other creature, but from God; and with our prayers to join praises, ascribing to God alone eternal sovereignty, omnipotency, and glorious excellency; in regard whereof, as he is able and willing to help us, so we by faith are emboldened to plead with him that he would, and quietly to rely upon him, that he will fulfil our requests. And, to testify this our desire and assurance, we say, Amen.

How do I know God is able to answer the prayers of His people in Christ Jesus?⁴

He alone is the King who has all good gifts in His control (James 1:17; Psalm 103:2-3).
He alone has the power to grant our petitions (Psalm 33:6; Ephesians 3:20-21).
He has all glory and is worthy of our praise (Psalm 113:4-5; 1 Timothy 1:17).

What does the word Amen mean?⁵

Amen means: It is true and certain. For God has much more certainly heard my prayer than I feel in my heart that I desire this of him (Isaiah 65:24; 2 Corinthians 1:20; 2 Timothy 2:13).

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