Does it merely mean “changed mind,” or does it go deeper?

Its basic meaning is a radical and profound change of course and direction away from sin and self-rule and towards God. You were going in one direction, but now you are going in the opposite direction. The whole person, body (behavior), soul and spirit, must go through this change that only God initiates and can work in you.

In this post, I use the NIV. Other translations can be seen at biblegateway.com.

I. Old Testament Hebrew Words

The Old Testament was written in Hebrew, and here are three verbs indicating repenting or turning.

A. One verb is naḥam

1.. It is pronounced nah-khahm (the ḥ is pronounced like -ch- in Bach). It is used 108 times.

2.. It has two distinct meanings:

a. “to comfort, console” and

b. “to relent, repent, change one’s mind, be grieved.”

3.. These latter definitions can sometimes apply to God’s seeming change of mind. However, this change is never a surprise or unanticipated.

4.. Rather, it means that he has conditions attached to his promises or decrees, whether stated or implied.

5.. For example, he promises something positive, and people obey, and the promise of blessing to them is fulfilled. That is his attribute of goodness.

6.. However, if they do not obey, then his attribute of justice-judgment comes forth, and he sends a prophet to warn them.

7.. Therefore, God is not fickle, as humans are. He simply gauges how people behave, and then he acts to support (reward) or counter (judge) their behavior.

But let’s return to the topic of repentance.

B. Another verb is ‘anah

1.. It is used 79 times.

2.. In some contexts it denotes humbling in a positive sense (repentance or contrition).

3.. Some contexts of ‘anah pleases God (Lev. 16:31; 23:27; Ps. 35:51).

C. Another verb shub

1.. It is pronounced shoob and is used 1075 times, which is a huge number. God must think it is important, when it is in the context of returning to God or turning back to him.

2.. Basically it means “to turn, return, repent, go or come back.”

3.. It mostly has a physical meaning, like turning back to a point of departure.

4.. But theologically it means the act of repentance, for example, turning from idolatry to the living God. “Return to me” (Is. 44:22).

II. New Testament Greek Words

A.. The noun metanoia

1.. It is pronounced meh-tah-noi-ah and is used 34 times.

2. It is derived from meta– (after) and nous (mind); when the prefix meta is attached to the verb as here.

3.. It means a “change of place or condition.”

4. In this case it denotes a radical and profound moral turn of the whole person from sin to God.

5.. Repentance goes together with the forgiveness of sins (Luke 3:3; 24:7). Sins are blotted out in repentance (Acts 3:19; 5:31; 11:18; 21:21).

B. The verb metanoeō

1.. It is pronounced meh-tah-noh-eh-oh and appears 34 times.

2.. it usually means “change one’s mind..”

3.. When metanoeō is used, it means a radical turn from sin to a new way of life. “Repent of your wickedness!” says Peter to Simon the sorcerer (Acts 8:22).

4.. True repentance brings forth fruit or visible evidence showing repentance (Matt. 3:8 Acts 26:20).

5.. Then one has to believe as one changes course. He has to believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15) or the atoning death resurrection (Acts 2:38).

6. In fact, it his faith in Christ that enables him to repent or change course.

C. Another verb is epistrephō.

1.. It is pronounced eh-pea-streh-foh and is used 36 times.

2. It’s basic meaning is to turn physically, (e.g. turning around and going or looking the other way).

a. Peter turned and saw the disciple Jesus loved (John 21:20).

3.. Theologically it can be translated as “turn” (e.g. turn to God).

a. Theologically, it can “indicate a spiritual and moral turn from sinfulness to the true God. In other words, it indicates a spiritual conversion” (Mounce, p. 750). Some references for further study: 1 Thess. 1:9; Acts 14:15; see 3:19; 9:35; 11:21; 15:19; 26:18, 20, 27; 1 Peter 2:25; 2 Cor. 3:16.

b. This turning is called “conversion,” from the Latin noun conversio. Literally it mean “turning around,” which is related to the verb converto, “to turn around, to whirl around,” especially “to turn in the opposite direction” or “to turn back” or “to direct towards.”

D. William Mounce summarizes metanoia and metanoeō:

1.. it is “essentially to grasp the gospel message, because it does not allow for someone to obtain salvation simply by intellectually believing that Jesus is the Son of God without repenting of sins and turning to live for him” (p. 581).

2.. So intellectual assent or agreement or changing one’s mind is insufficient. It must be a profound moral and radical change of one’s whole life.

For further word studies on repent, repentance, click on this link:

Word Study on Repentance

Bible Basics

I.. The Call to Repentance

A. God calls everyone to repent.

Jeremiah 18:11 promises disaster in the Old Covenant unless Judah and Jerusalem turn to God and reform.

¹¹ “Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.’ (Jer. 18:11)

Ezekiel 18:30-32 says that people should turn away from their offenses and get rid of their wickedness and get a new heart. So turning and changing in the heart is part of the message of repentance.

³⁰ “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. ³¹ Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? ³² For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live! (Ezek. 18:30-32)

Paul told the Athenians that God commands everyone to repent, because God has set a day to judge the world (Acts 17:30-31).

³⁰ In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. ³¹ For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31)

God is not willing that anyone would perish, but that everyone would come to repentance.

⁹ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Pet. 3:9)

B. Christ calls everyone to repent.

In Mark 1:14-15 Jesus proclaimed that the kingdom of God has come, and now everyone must repent.

¹⁴ After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ¹⁵ “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:14-15)

In Luke 13:1-5 Pilate had mixed the blood of some men with sacrifices, and in Galilee a tower fell on eighteen men. Are they worse sinner than all the other people? “No! But unless you repent, you will all perish!”

Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. ² Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? ³ I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” (Luke 13:1-5)

That means when everyone dies, they will perish if they did not repent—they are all headed for destruction without repentance, not just those unfortunate people.

C. John the Baptist called everyone to repent.

Matthew 3:2 teaches us that John was in the wilderness, preaching “Repent, for the kingdom of God has come near!” The kingdom of God demands repentance, or else judgment will fall on the unrepentant.

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea ² and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (Matt. 3:1-2)

D. The apostles called everyone to repent.

In Mark 6:12-13, Jesus gave his twelve apostles authority to proclaim the gospels, heal the sick, and eject demons. They called everyone to repent and did those signs and wonders.

¹² They went out and preached that people should repent. ¹³ They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. (Mark 6:12-13)

In Acts 2:38, on the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit had come with great power, Peter stood up in the middle of the people and told them to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. And then they too will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit—everyone.

³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)

In Acts 3:19-20, when God worked a miracle through Peter, in the body of the beggar at the gate called Beautiful, he told the gawkers that they should repent and turn to God, so that their sins would be wiped out and times of refreshing would come from God. Incidentally, “wiping out” is another way of saying “atonement.”

¹⁹ Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, ²⁰ and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. (Acts 3:19-20)

In Acts 26:20, Paul is standing trial and giving his testimony to King Agrippa II (and others). Paul said that he preached the gospel to everyone in Jerusalem and Judea and then to the Gentiles. They must repent and turn to God and then demonstrate repentance by their deeds.

²⁰ First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. (Acts 26:20)

E. The call must go out to everyone.

In Luke 24:45-49, the resurrected Jesus, just before his ascension, said that repentance for the forgiveness of sins must go out to all the nations.

⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶ He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷ and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹ I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” (Acts 24:45-50)

II.. The Elements of Repentance

A. People must admit they are lost.

In Luke 15:3-10 Jesus tells two quick parables about a shepherd who lost one sheep and went out to look for it, and woman who lost a coin and turned the house upside down until she found it.  Then the angels rejoice in heaven because a sinner who repented—the one lost sheep and the one lost coin.

³ Then Jesus told them this parable: ⁴ “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵ And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶ and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

⁸ “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹ And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ ¹⁰ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:3-10)

In Luke 5:31-32, Pharisees and teachers of the law criticized Jesus for eating with despised tax collectors, but Jesus replied that he came to call sinners to repentance, not the righteous. Elsewhere Jesus said that unless our righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees (Matt. 5:20), we won’t enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, Jesus was being ironical when he implied that the Pharisees and teachers of the law were righteous.

²⁹ Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

³¹ Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ³² I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:29-32)

B. People must feel conviction.

As noted, in Acts 2:37-38, when Peter preached to the crowd on the day of Pentecost, the listeners were “cut to the heart.”

³⁷ When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:37-38)

In Acts 8:20-23, Peter told Simon the sorcerer that his heart is not right with God, and he was full of bitterness and captive to sin.

²⁰ Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! ²¹ You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. ²² Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. ²³ For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” (Acts 8:20-23)

C. People can often feel godly sorrow.

2 Corinthians 7:9-10 teaches that godly sorrow—as opposed to human sorrow—leads to repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret. If you feel regret after you genuinely repented, then this is wrong. You have an overactive conscience. Repentance does not leave behind any leftover regret or guilt (see below in the application section for how to deal with this lingering guilt after heartfelt and godly repentance).

⁹ yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. ¹⁰ Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.  (2 Cor. 7:9-10)

D. People return to the Father.

In the famous parable about the prodigal son (Luke 15:17-24), the son ran off with his share of his father’s wealth and squandered it. Then he came to himself and returned to his father, who ran out to his son, fell on him with a big hug, and escorted him home. He put a robe on his son and celebrated his return. The point is that the son went in the wrong direction and did an about-face towards God.

¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. (Luke 15:21-24)

E. People must believe in the good news.

The good news says that (1) salvation in Christ has come; (2) faith in Christ as distinct from law keeping is brings salvation; (3) diseases are subjected to him and demons are defeated; (4) the Spirit comes on us with great power. People must repent and believe in Jesus, then all the benefits follow.

¹⁵ “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)

F. People must believe in Jesus Christ.

In Acts 20:20-21, Paul told the Ephesian elders that that everyone—Jews and Gentiles—must turn to God in repentance and have faith in Jesus Christ. That’s the essential gospel: Repent for the forgiveness of sins and believe in Jesus.

²⁰ You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. ²¹ I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. (Acts 20:20-21)

G. People who have repented must do good works as evidence.

In Matthew 3:8, John the Baptist rebuked the “extra-righteous” Pharisees and Sadducees, calling them a brood of vipers who were liable for the wrath to come. Then he told them to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” “Fruit” in this context means “good works” or “evidence” that they have repented.

⁸ Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. (Matt. 3:8)

In Acts 26:20, as noted, Paul is very clear that people must repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. This corresponds to Paul’s practice of writing in his epistles the ethical or behavioral side of faith in Christ (the last three chapters of Ephesians is good example).

Paul is giving his defense before King Agrippa:

²⁰ First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. (Acts 26:20)

In Revelation 2:5 Jesus himself tells the “messenger” of the church in Ephesus that the church must repent and do the things they had done at first. Apparently, they were good deeds.

⁵ Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.  (Rev. 2:5)

III. The Results of Repentance

A. People will escape from the wrath to come.

In Matthew 3:7, John the Baptists indirectly says that people who repent will escape from the wrath to come. This refers to God’s justice-wrath-judgment. Let’s not overlook the fact that one of his attributes is justice, and embedded in it is his wrath, which in the New Covenant is judicial. It is virtually synonymous with his judgment. Verse 11 gives people a way out of the coming wrath / judgment.

“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? […] ¹¹ “I baptize you with water for repentance.  (Matt. 3:7b, 11a)

Wrath does not mean what critics and pop culture say it means. Go to this link and look at the two images.

Do I Really Know God? He Shows Wrath

God’s wrath is judicial and flows out his goodness, love, and justice to protect people who are harmed and to render justice on those who harm others. Think of our legal system, and then you will understand God’s wrath.

B. People will experience forgiveness.

This is great news, for in 1 Kings 8:46-50, Solomon is praying during the dedication of the temple, and he says that if the people offend the Lord, but they confess their sins and repent and turn from them and turn back to God, even in the land of exile, then God will hear their prayers and restore them and forgive all their former offenses.

⁴⁶ “When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far away or near; ⁴⁷ and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; ⁴⁸ and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; ⁴⁹ then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. ⁵⁰ And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their captors to show them mercy; (1 Kings 8:46-50)

As noted, in Acts 2:38, Peter connects repentance with forgiveness of sins. When we repent, God forgives. Simple and profound.

³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  (Acts 2:38)

C. People will experience salvation.

As noted, in 2 Corinthians 7:10, godly sorrow leads to repentance, which leads salvation. In the larger context, the man who sinned was forgiven and restored.

¹⁰ Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. (2 Cor. 7:10)

D. People will get a new heart.

In Ezekiel 18:30-31, as noted, when people repent and turn away from all their offenses, their sin will not be their downfall. Then they will get a new heart.

³⁰ “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. ³¹ Rid  yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? ³² For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live! (Ezek. 18:20-31)

E. People will come to know the truth.

In 2 Timothy 2:22-26, in the context of foolish arguments that produce quarrels, Timothy’s opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God—not Timothy’s necessary and intelligent instruction—will grant them repentance that leads to truth. Then perhaps they can escape from the trap of the devil.

²² Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. ²³ Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. ²⁴ And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. ²⁵ Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, ²⁶ and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. (2 Tim. 2:22-26)

F.. People will experience eternal life.

In Acts 11:18, in the context of Peter proclaiming to the Messianic Jews of Jerusalem that the Gentile centurion Cornelius and his household were saved and filled with the Spirit and spoke in their prayer languages, Peter drove home the point that God granted them repentance that leads to life. In this context the Greek word is zoē (pronounced zoh-ay), which is almost always eternal life, in the NT.

¹⁸ When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.” (Acts 11:18)

Repentance is one of the greatest doctrines in all of Scripture. God offers us a way back to him. What is the old saying? “You can walk a million steps away from God, but it is only one step back.” The point to that saying is that you should just turn around and backtrack from your path of sin and self-rule and allow God to change you. Then you will instantly experience his forgiveness. How great is that? Your guilty conscience is clean.

But if you feel guilt after you genuinely repent, either you have an overactive conscience or the devil is attacking your mind. Either way, the solution is the same. Proclaim this biblical truth: “I am the righteousness of God in Christ” (1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 5:21). After you repent and receive his forgiveness, you can accurately be said to receive his righteousness. God declares over you that Christ has become your righteousness. Repeat: read those two verses aloud, and proclaim that Christ is your righteousness. Repeat this as often as needed.

Then those lingering regrets and guilt will disappear. And now you can begin again, with him as your Lord and God.

Addendum

There is an odd teaching going around the church that there is no reference in all of Scripture that says “repent from sins” or “repented of sins” or “repenting of sins.” In reply, however, here are some verses that say it either exactly or nearly exactly. The concept is certainly biblical.

Job 36:10: He makes them listen to correction and commands them to repent of their evil.

RELATED

How to Get Past Your Past: Forget the Devil’s Playground

What Does ‘Salvation’ Mean?

What Is the Source of Salvation?

What Is the Work of Salvation?

How Do We Respond to God’s Salvation?

Regeneration: What Is It and How Does It Work?

SOURCES

Works Cited

At that link, look for Mounce and the NIV Study Bible