The first thing I did was make a list of all the occurrences of repentance in the New Testament, including every form: repent, repentance, repented, and repenteth. (Yes, I use the King James.) As you will quickly notice, they all boil down to two words: repent and repentance.
Repent is μετανοέω (metanoeō). This is the verb.
Repentance is μετάνοια (metanoia).
This is the noun.
The simplest way to explain this is repentance is the thing; to repent is to do that thing. Now isn’t that clear? Haha! Just to make it even clearer, the purpose of my study was to determine what that thing was (repentance) so I would know how to do it (repent).
Right away I noticed there was another word used sometimes, a synonym of sorts, μεταμέλομαι (metamelomai). I say a synonym of sorts because while it is very close in meaning, they are not exactly the same. I will explain that a little later in a separate post.
Now definitions
Repentance (metanoia) the thing, means a change of mind, a change in your thinking. At one time you thought one way, then something happened, you received new information, and you repent (metanoeo), you change your mind and begin to think a different way.
Early in my Christian life I was taught that repentance was nothing more than simply changing your mind. A good example of this is Luke 17:3-4:
Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
Repent here seems to be simply, “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have done or said that.” (At least the brother confesses he was wrong.)
Another example of this bare-bones definition is from Luke 13:1-5
1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
It seems the Jews thought if something bad happened to someone, they must have sinned. Jesus said, “Quit thinking like this. Change the way you think about these things.” This reflects the essential meaning of repent.
However, he went on in v 6-9 to speak a parable about a fig tree that was not bearing fruit and in danger of being cut down. He was challenging them to change the way they think about sin and suffering and to bring forth the fruit of living for the Lord.
And that’s what I learned about repentance: it is more than simply changing your mind. It is changing your mind for the better; a new way of thinking which results in a new way of living.
NEXT: Repentance: What is it really?
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