The term repentance comes with all sorts of different ideas. By doing a simple search on the internet we find it summed up in words like “remorse, contrition, contriteness, penitence, sorrow, regret”.

Most would agree that this is what is meant when we use repentance/repent in our day to day use of the word. Probably the religious association is there for most. What I am tryng to look at in this note is how the Bible uses what we see translated as the word repentance in the English Bible. Why? Because word studies are good, they allow us to focus on how the word was used in Scripture, possibly how it was used during that time period it was written and also because words change their meaning over time. Perhaps the word was never intended as we understand it today.

Regarding how words change their meaning over time, modern dictionaries continually update their word definitions based on contemporary usage of words as well as keeping the origin.

Many Bible scholars admit that the word METANOIA translated originally to Latin and later from the Latin translated into English as repentance in a unfortunate. Luther says this…

“in no way does this do justice to the Greek.” (Luther’s Works , 48:67–68

John the Baptist#

Mat 3:1 Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,

Mat 3:2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

What did John mean when he called those in Judea to repent?

Mat 3:3 For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said, “THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!’”

A clue is seen in the phrase, “make ready the way of the Lord..”

Mat 3:4 Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.

Mat 3:5 Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan;

Mat 3:6 and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

Mat 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Interestingly, Pharisees and Sadducees were taken by all this activity and wanted to join in. John speaks of ‘fleeing from the wrath to come’. What were they doing? They were following in doing whatever the people were doing.

Mat 3:8 “Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance;

The fruit of in keeping with repentance, that is those who had repented (whatever that is to mean), was being baptized and confessing their sins.

Mat 3:9 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.

John brings to their attention what he is referring to. They thought (supposed) that by having Abraham as their forefather that they children of God. John shows the mistake in their thinking.

Mat 3:10 “The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Mat 3:11 “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Mat 3:12 “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

There are two options when Jesus (Messiah) comes. He will baptize with the Holy Spirit (birthing children of God) and baptize by fire (judgment). John says I baptize you with water for repentance. Paul comments on this…

Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” Acts 19:4

John the Baptist, in preaching to the Judeans, calls them to repentance because the kingdom of heaven is near. The people were getting baptized because they had believed in Him who was coming after him. They were ‘preparing the way’ and in an outward sign of that as ‘fruit’ they were being baptized and confessing their sin.

The Pharisees and Sadducees had neither understood the message or believed in the He who would come after John, they were simply doing what felt like a good thing since all the people were doing it. They had supposed incorrectly. They needed to change their presupposition and consider John’s message.