What is the meaning of "repent"?

By Harold Kemp, Compass Distributors

The idea for this article came from an e-mail that we received stating that, since "repent", in the New Testament, is a translation of the Greek word "metanoeo" which means "change your mind", the command to "repent" means to "change your mind about not believing in Christ to save you from your sins, to believing in Him".

This idea struck us as being quite strange because the main message of the Holy Bible is "repent", meaning "turn away from sin and turn to God".

From Genesis 4:7 where God said to Cain, "...If you do well, will you not be accepted?" through passages like Ezekiel 18:30 to Revelation 22:14, the emphasis in God's Word is to turn from sin and turn to Him.

Ezekiel 18:30 reads "Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin." (Repent is a translation of the Hebrew word "shuwb" which means "to turn back", a similar concept to "change your mind")

Revelation 22:14 reads "Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life..."

So it doesn't make sense that the word "repent", in the New Testament, does not mean to "turn from sin and turn to God". And we will now proceed to show that it does.

Consider the following examples:

1. When John the Baptist preached "repent" (Mathew 3:2), the response of the people was to "confess their sins" (verse 6).
2. In Matthew 4:17, we read that "...Jesus began to preach and to say, 'Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" and, in chapters 5, 6 and 7, He explains in detail what He is saying. He points out that He is reemphasizing the high standards of righteousness that God requires.
3. In Matthew 11:21, Jesus refers to the act of "repenting in sackcloth and ashes". Sackcloth and ashes are symbols of being sorry for sin, not believing.
4. In Luke 17:3,4 we read that Jesus said "Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him." -- "Repent" obviously means that the person has changed his mind about "sinning".
5. The message that the apostle Paul preached was "...repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance." (Acts 26:20)
6. In Acts 8:22, it is clear that repent means to "turn from wickedness". It reads "Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you."
7. In 2 Corinthians 7:9, it is clear that Paul is not talking about "starting to believe". It reads "...your sorrow led to repentance". He is talking to believers who had sinned.
8. Also in 2 Corinthians 12:21 we read "...have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication and licentiousness which they have practiced."
9. Also read Hebrews 6:1 "...not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God..."
10. See Revelation 9:20 "But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons..."

In each of these examples, "repent" is a translation of the Greek word "metanoeo" which means "change your mind". Using a concordance, you can find many more examples where it is clear from the context that it means "change your mind about sinning".

Of course, the Holy Bible makes it clear that salvation is based on a person believing in Jesus Christ. But, in John 3:18-21, Jesus clearly states that it is not possible to believe in Him unless you first of all repent.

He says "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

And THIS IS THE CONDEMNATION, that the light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

What is the meaning of "repent"? Copyright © 2006 by Compass Distributors.

All Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.