The Lord’s Prayer – Our Father, (Latin Oratio Dominica or Pater Noster), is a Christian prayer that, according to tradition, was taught by Jesus the Christ to his disciples.
It appears in two forms in the New Testament:
- the shorter version in the Gospel According to Luke (11:2–4) and
- the longer version in the Gospel According to Matthew (6:9–13) is part of the Sermon on the Mount.
Where Are The Versions Used?
Virtually all Christian traditions use Matthew’s version liturgically. Luke’s version is not used as a set prayer in any major tradition, though it’s studied alongside Matthew’s.
Matthew 6:9–13 — the Universal Liturgical Standard
All three of the best-known translations currently in liturgical use — the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, the “traditional ecumenical” form used in Catholic and many Protestant churches, and the 1988 ELLC translation — are based on the text in Matthew, not Luke.
The main variation between traditions isn’t Matthew vs. Luke; it’s three other fault lines within Matthew’s version:
1. The doxology (“For thine is the kingdom…”)
Most Protestant churches include the doxology, while Catholic and Orthodox churches do not recite it. Scholars note that neither the Matthew nor Luke manuscripts contain it — it appears to have been added later by scribes, probably based on David’s prayer in 1 Chronicles 29:10–11.
2. “Trespasses,” “debts,” or “sins”
Most English-speaking Christians use “trespasses,” a word traceable to Tyndale’s 1526 translation and the 1549 Book of Common Prayer. Scottish Presbyterians, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Reformed Church in America, and some United Church of Christ congregations follow the KJV wording — “debts” and “debtors.” The word “sins” comes from Luke 11:4 and appears in some ecumenical versions.
3. “Which art” vs. “who art”
Traditional translations (Anglican BCP, Catholic pre-1970s) use “which art in heaven”; modern ecumenical versions use “who art” or drop the archaic forms entirely.
Luke 11:2–4 — not used liturgically, but theologically significant
Luke’s version omits “your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” and the final “but deliver us from evil.”
It also opens simply with “Father” rather than “Our Father in heaven,” highlighting a more intimate, personal register.
One scholarly proposal is that Luke recorded the prayer roughly as Jesus originally taught it, while Matthew recorded the expanded version already in use in early Christian worship communities.
Luke’s Version is, I feel, more intimate and personal.
Learn More
Learn more about the history of the Lord’s Prayer at britannica.com.
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