Repentance (Part 1)

This is the first study in a series on repentance.

I am coming to the conclusion that an English dictionary is a misleading source for determining the meaning of Biblical vocabulary.  Let's take the topic of this study for example.  Following are the definitions and synonyms offered by the Oxford American Dictionary as it is found on Apple's Macintosh computer.   I don't want anyone to be mislead by this definition; it may accurately reflect current usage but it does NOT represent the the Biblical usage of the word repentance.  Regret and remorse are a small part of repentance, but this definition leaves out so much that we can't call it anything else than deceptive.

repent |riˈpent|
verb [ intrans. ]
feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one's wrongdoing or sin : the priest urged his listeners to repent | he repented of his action.
• [ trans. ] view or think of (an action or omission) with deep regret or remorse : Marian came to repent her hasty judgment.
• ( repent oneself) archaic feel regret or penitence about : I repent me of all I did.
DERIVATIVES
repentance |riˈpentns| noun
repentant |riˈpentnt| adjective
repenter noun

repentance
noun
her lack of repentance angered them REMORSE, contrition, contriteness, penitence, regret, ruefulness, remorsefulness, shame, guilt.

Let's look at the Bible to see if we better understand the meaning of repentance.

Jesus began his ministry "preaching the gospel" with a message of repentance: "Repent, and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:14).  Gospel means good news; is repentance part of the good news?  Jesus also sent out his closest desciples to preach a message of repentance and, before that, John the Baptist also cried out "repent" to the people.  Is repentence a central theme of Jesus' teaching?  Is it at the heart of the good news?  What does repentance mean?  These are the questions that this study will attempt to examine.

The word repent occurs two times in the NKJV translation of the Gospel of Mark and in each case translates the Greek word metanoeo (μετανοεω – Strong's G3340).  Vines dictionary has this definition for metanoeo:

"to perceive afterwards" (meta, "after," implying "change," noeo, "to perceive;" nous, "the mind, the seat of moral reflection"), in contrast to pronoeo, "to perceive beforehand," hence signifies "to change one's mind or purpose," always, in the NT, involving a change for the better, an amendment, and always, except in Luke 17:3, 4, of "repentance" from sin.

There is a related word metanoia (μετανοια – Strong's G3341) that is translated into English as repentance; it is derived from metanoeo and it is defined in Vines as "afterthought, change of mind, repentance, corresponds in meaning to metanoeo".  It is also used twice in Mark.  The Vines definitions are better then the English dictionary definition— at least they include the word change.  They are a step in the right direction, but don't think they have quite hit the mark.

The Greek of the New Testament was written by Jewish believers and it is best understood in its Hebraic context.  David Biven, of the Jerusalem School of Synoptic Research, wrote:

"A number of scholars in Israel... maintain that by translating the Greek texts back into Hebrew and interpreting how this Hebrew text would have been understood by first-century readers, one gains a fuller understanding of the text's original meaning."

The New Testament was translated into Hebrew by Franz Delitzsch (1813-1890), a nineteenth century German Lutheran theologian and Hebraist.  We can use his Hebrew translation as a kind of Rosetta Stone for linking the language of the New Testament with the Hebrew of the Old Testament. There is a second Rosetta Stone that we can use in understanding the language of the New Testament; the Greek translation of the Old Testament— the Septuagint— also allows us to match and compare Greek words with Hebrew words.  We will start by looking at New Testament texts, but later, we will also look at some examples using the Hebrew Old Testament and the Septuagint translation.

What Hebrew word did Delitzsch use to translate metanoeo (repent) in the two instances in Mark?  Delitzsch translates these two instances of metanoeo with the Hebrew word shuv (שוב – Strong's H7725). This word means "to return, turn back." Delitzsch uses the related Hebrew word t'shuvah (תשובה – Strong's H8666) to translate metanoia (repentance).  Shuv occurs 670 times in the Old Testament, and yet, when we examine the uses of shuv in the Old Testament, only three of them (1 Kings 8:47, Ezekiel 14:6, Ezekiel 18:30) are translated as repent in the King James Version.  Here are some of the words that the KJV uses to translate shuv: return 391, turn again 248, turn 123, turn back 65, turn away 56, restore 39.  How can metanoeo be translated into English as repent and yet so few instances of shuv in the Old Testament are translated as repent in the KJV?  In addition, the word repent is used in the KJV Old Testament 22 times and except for the three mentioned that are translated from shuv they are translated from the Hebrew word nacham (נחם – Strong's H5162) which means to "regret, to be sorry, comfort, console oneself."  Nacham seems to be describing a mental state— a feeling— rather than a change of behavior.  The definition given for metanoeo— to change one's mind— also suggests a mental state rather than a change of behavior. Which meaning— to turn back or to be sorry— best defines the uses of metanoeo (repent) in the Gospels?

In the quotes from the Bible that follow in this study, a key word in the text is in bold; following the key word in parenthesis are the Greek, Latin, Hebrew and Spanish equivalents for the key word.  The sources for these texts are:

• Greek: The Greek New Testament according to the Byzantine Textform, ed. by Maurice A. Robinson and William G. Pierpont, 2000. (www.unboundbible.com)
• Latin: Vulgata Clementina, ed. by Colunga and Turrado, 1946. (www.unboundbible.com)
• Hebrew: Hebrew New Testament (www.kirjasilta.net/ha-berit/)
• Spanish: Reina Valera, 1909 (www.unboundbible.com) 

Mark 1:4

Mark 1:4    John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance (metanoias – G3341 – μετανοιας  / pœnitentiæ / hat'shuvah – H8666 –  התשובה  / arrepentimiento) for the remission of sins.

So, was John preaching a baptism of feeling regret?  Was that all?  No!  God forbid!  (Rom 6:15 KJV) Here are some other interpretations (www.biblegateway.com and mlbible.com) of the repentance phrase in Mark 1:4.  The translators apparently recognized that our language has degenerated and that repentance no longer means what it once did; some of these translations express the concept quite well.

• The Message – preaching a baptism of life-change
• Contemporary English Version (CEV) – told everyone, "Turn back to God and be baptized!"
• New Century Version – preaching a baptism of changed hearts and lives
• New International Reader's Version – preached that people should be baptized and turn away from their sins
• Worldwide English New Testament – He told them to stop doing wrong things and be baptised
• Bible in Basic English – reaching baptism as a sign of forgiveness of sin for those whose hearts were changed.
• Weymouth New Testament – proclaiming a baptism of the penitent
• Young's Literal Translation – proclaiming a baptism of reformation
• Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) – proclaiming an immersion involving turning to God from sin
• Biblia en Lenguaje Sencillo – e decía a la gente: "¡Bautícense y demuestren que ya no quieren hacer lo malo!

Mark 1:14

Mark 1:14    Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent (μετανοειτε / pœnitemini / שובו / arrepentíos), and believe in the gospel."

Here are other interpretations of repent in Mark 1:14:

• Bible in Basic English – let your hearts be turned from sin
• GOD'S WORD Translation – change the way you think and act
• Young's Literal Translation – reform ye
• Complete Jewish Bible – turn to God from your sins

Other Uses of Repentance in the Gospel of Mark

Mark 2:17    When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance (μετανοιαν / - /  לתשובה / - )."

Mark 6:7    And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.... 12 So they went out and preached that people should repent (μετανοησωσιν / pœnitentiam / לשוב בתשובה / arrepintiesen).

 
Jesus did not call sinners to merely feel sorry for their sins.  Following are some other instances of metanoeo and metanoia in the New Testament.

Matt. 3:1    In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,  2 and saying, "Repent (μετανοειτε / pœnitentiam / שובו / arrepentíos), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"
 

Matt. 3:7    But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance (μετανοιας / pœnitentiæ / לתשובה / arrepentimiento), 9 and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

The phrase "bear fruits worthy of repentance" suggests that repentance is more than just a feeling of sorrow or regret.  The CJB translates this verse as "If you have really turned from your sins to God, produce fruit that will prove it!"  The Message paraphrases it as "It's your life that must change, not your skin!"  The CEV has it as "Do something to show that you have really given up your sins."

Matt. 3:11    I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance (μετανοιαν / pœnitentiam / לתשובה / arrepentimiento), but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Matt. 4:17    From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent (μετανοειτε / pœnitentiam / שובו / arrepentíos), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." 

If repentance is a turning, what are we turning from?  What are we turning to?


I will attempt to answer these questions in Part 2.