02.16. REPENTANCE - 01 - What is Repentance?

REPENTANCE – 01 – What is Repentance?

Reading. Luke 15:11-24; Romans 10:5-10.

REPENTANCE.

      WE here, again, deal with a vital theme. It is truly a "first principle." There is no salvation without repentance. "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:5). It will be an easy matter for the interested reader to use a Concordance and refer to every New Testament passage dealing with repentance. He will then have all the data before him.

What is Repentance?

It is a little unfortunate that two different Greek words, metamelomai and metanoeo, are both translated by "repent." We have the former in Matthew 21:29; Matthew 21:32; Matthew 27:3 (re Judas); and Hebrews 7:21 (the Lord "will not repent"). The Common Version renders it "repent" also in 2 Corinthians 7:8-10, while the R.V. in this passage with much more clearness translates it "regret," leaving metaoneo to be represented by "repent," thus: "For though I made you sorry with my epistle, I do not regret it, though I did regret; for I see that that epistle made you sorry, though but for a season. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye were made sorry unto repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly sort, that ye might suffer loss by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation, a repentance which bringeth no regret: but the sorrow of the world worketh death." The word "repentance" is always the translation of metanoia. One exception is found in Romans 11:29, where we have an adjective ametameleta used of God’s gifts which are unrepented of or unregretted; it is the same word which is translated in 2 Corinthians 7:10 by "which bringeth no regret." We have, then, only one word, metanoeo, used in connection with faith and the gospel facts, indicating change of mind issuing in, change of life, used in the imperative mood to sinners who would be saved. Judas’s case fairly clearly indicates the meaning of the other word: he had regret or remorse, but his mind and will were unchanged, and did not lead him to turn again to serve Christ. The foregoing passages teach the important lesson that repentance is not merely sorrow. Judas sorrowed, but did not repent. Paul discriminated even between godly sorrow for sin and the repentance which was its result (2 Corinthians 7:1-16). Nor is repentance actually the turning to God, if Peter is to he freed from the charge of tautology; for he said, "Repent and turn" (Acts 3:19). Repentance is not to be confused with reformation of life. Godly living, changed habits and actions, are the fruits worthy of repentance (Matthew 3:8), and not really the repentance itself. This latter distinction may perhaps be illustrated by a reference to Luke 17:3-4, one does not reform seven times a day. The meaning of the Greek verb is "to change one’s mind or purpose." Professor McGarvey, with due regard to this meaning and New Testament usage, says: "Repentance, then, fully defined, is a change of will caused by sorrow for sin, and leading to a reformation of life." Since this is primarily a Bible study, the foregoing remarks have been deemed necessary. The writer, however, candidly expresses the opinion, that it is very easy to so dwell on the fixing of the exact moment when a person may truly be said to repent as to miss the more important matters. Few people are perplexed on the practical side of repentance. They may not repent, but they know what it means. We could criticize such a definition as the following, "Repentance is true sorrow for sin, with sincere effort to forsake it," or the more homely phrase, "being sorry enough to quit," but surely these have the essential idea. He who has turned to God and who manifests the fruits of the Spirit, has repented, whether he can give a precise definition or not. The Lord wants the actual thing itself; he did not say, "Except ye can write out a definition of repentance exact to the dot of an ’i’ or the stroke of a ’t,’ ye shall all likewise perish." We of course in no wise belittle the advisability of precision in the use of Scriptural language. Only, teachers are urged not to lose sight of the purpose of Bible School work. Get scholars to practice repentance as well as to define it. Our reading from Luke 15:1-32 beautifully illustrates repentance. Read the story of the prodigal. Just after he "came to himself" (Luke 15:17), and when he determined to arise and go to the father (Luke 15:18), he repented. Let us strive to bring men to this point.