REPENTANCE

One of the most frequently mentioned terms among Christians is repentance. The Bible uses the Hebrew word nacham and the Greek word metanoia (from meta, “change,” and nous, “mind”) for repentance. Biblically, repentance means a change of mind.

In the Old Testament, repentance is used either in reference to God or to people. When the Bible says that the Lord “repented,” it does not mean He realized a mistake. Rather, it means He changed His response toward people because their attitude or circumstances had changed. When humans or situations changed, God’s dealings with them also changed. For example, Genesis 6:6 says, “The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth.” At first God was pleased with humanity, but because of their sin His heart was grieved, and He altered His response. Similar instances appear in Exodus 32:12, 14; Jonah 3:10; Jeremiah 8:8; and others. When repentance refers to people, it means a change for the better—turning away from wickedness toward belief and covenant relationship (see 2 Kings 17:13; Isaiah 19:22; Jeremiah 8:6, etc.).

In the New Testament, repentance is inseparable from faith (Acts 20:21). This change of mind involves two movements: turning from sin (the negative) and turning to God (the positive). Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son illustrates this perfectly: he recognized his wrongdoing, left it behind, and returned to his father (Luke 15:17–20). Judas, on the other hand, regretted his actions (Matthew 27:3) but never turned to God for forgiveness. Repentance in the New Testament is expressed through baptism, confession of sins, and “works befitting repentance” (Matthew 5:6–8). These actions are not means of salvation; they are evidence that repentance is genuine.

Although conversion—the positive turning to God—is a human act, Scripture shows it rests on divine initiative. God’s kindness leads people to repentance (Romans 2:4), and only through Jesus can anyone truly turn to God (Acts 3:26; John 14:6). The need for repentance was central in the preaching of Christ and His apostles—for example, Matthew 4:17; Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38—because only through repentance can a sinner receive God’s forgiveness. Stay Curious.

Sources and Studies:

Vine. W.E. (1999). Repent, Repentance. 𝘝𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥. (pp. 310-311). Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Douglas, J.D. (Gen Ed.). (1986). “Repentance”. 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺. (p.853). Zondervan
McKenzie, J.L. (1965). “Repentance.” 𝘋𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦. (pp. 728-730). Macmillan Publishing