Mailmandan writes;
"Repentance follows "mental assent" belief but precedes saving belief in Christ. You reverse the scriptural order of repentance and saving belief/faith. To the contrary we find:
Matthew 21:32 - For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. *Notice the order.
Mark 1:15 - Repent and believe the gospel. *Notice the order.
Acts 20:21 - testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. *Notice the order."
Response:
[SUP]32 [/SUP]For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse (repent) afterward so as to believe him. (Matt. 21: 32)
The word that is translated “repent” in some versions is metamelomai and according to Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich means simply to change one’s mind. Thus Jesus is telling the Pharisees that they did not even change their mind, much less repent in the deeper spiritual sense, when they saw the changes brought about in the tax collectors and prostitutes who did believe John the Baptist and his message. IMO this is not speaking of the repentance for the forgiveness of sins, proclaimed in the name of Jesus, first in Jerusalem after the resurrection (Luke 24: 47).
[SUP]15 [/SUP]and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1: 15)
In this verse Jesus is speaking to the Jews of Galilee; these people did believe in God but they did not believe the gospel.
Repentance for the forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus began to be preached at Jerusalem on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of our Lord. (Acts 2: 38) Those that are truly interested in finding the order of events in the way of salvation should begin there at Acts 2. Those who are attempting to support their agenda will continue to try to find examples that contradict. In this verse these Jews were already believers in God. This is not an example of repentance before belief in God, it is speaking of belief in the gospel.
[SUP]21 [/SUP]solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 20: 21)
In this verse, two groups of people are identified, Jews and Greeks. The Jews were believers in God, thus the repentance that is urged upon them follows belief in God as it normally does. The Greeks did not believe in God, they are urged to believe first, repentance would follow that belief as it does in Acts 2. The kindness of God leads one to repentance. (Romans 2: 4) The kindness of God could hardly lead to repentance if you did not first believe in God. Godly sorrow leads one to repent, you cannot experience godly sorrow if you do not first believe in God. (2 Cor. 7: 10)
IMO repentance, baptism in the name of Christ, calling on the name of the Lord and confessing His name before men are all works of faith (1 Thess. 1: 3) and all proceed from faith in God. (Acts 8: 37, 38)
Faith is our introduction into the grace of God (Rom. 5: 2) not repentance.
If repentance precedes faith in God then, of course, it cannot be of faith, and if it is not of faith it would be based on performance. Both faith and repentance, and all works of faith, are gifts from God. (Rom. 12: 3; Acts 11: 18); salvation is not of ourselves. God. bless.
"Repentance follows "mental assent" belief but precedes saving belief in Christ. You reverse the scriptural order of repentance and saving belief/faith. To the contrary we find:
Matthew 21:32 - For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. *Notice the order.
Mark 1:15 - Repent and believe the gospel. *Notice the order.
Acts 20:21 - testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. *Notice the order."
Response:
[SUP]32 [/SUP]For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse (repent) afterward so as to believe him. (Matt. 21: 32)
The word that is translated “repent” in some versions is metamelomai and according to Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich means simply to change one’s mind. Thus Jesus is telling the Pharisees that they did not even change their mind, much less repent in the deeper spiritual sense, when they saw the changes brought about in the tax collectors and prostitutes who did believe John the Baptist and his message. IMO this is not speaking of the repentance for the forgiveness of sins, proclaimed in the name of Jesus, first in Jerusalem after the resurrection (Luke 24: 47).
[SUP]15 [/SUP]and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1: 15)
In this verse Jesus is speaking to the Jews of Galilee; these people did believe in God but they did not believe the gospel.
Repentance for the forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus began to be preached at Jerusalem on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of our Lord. (Acts 2: 38) Those that are truly interested in finding the order of events in the way of salvation should begin there at Acts 2. Those who are attempting to support their agenda will continue to try to find examples that contradict. In this verse these Jews were already believers in God. This is not an example of repentance before belief in God, it is speaking of belief in the gospel.
[SUP]21 [/SUP]solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 20: 21)
In this verse, two groups of people are identified, Jews and Greeks. The Jews were believers in God, thus the repentance that is urged upon them follows belief in God as it normally does. The Greeks did not believe in God, they are urged to believe first, repentance would follow that belief as it does in Acts 2. The kindness of God leads one to repentance. (Romans 2: 4) The kindness of God could hardly lead to repentance if you did not first believe in God. Godly sorrow leads one to repent, you cannot experience godly sorrow if you do not first believe in God. (2 Cor. 7: 10)
IMO repentance, baptism in the name of Christ, calling on the name of the Lord and confessing His name before men are all works of faith (1 Thess. 1: 3) and all proceed from faith in God. (Acts 8: 37, 38)
Faith is our introduction into the grace of God (Rom. 5: 2) not repentance.
If repentance precedes faith in God then, of course, it cannot be of faith, and if it is not of faith it would be based on performance. Both faith and repentance, and all works of faith, are gifts from God. (Rom. 12: 3; Acts 11: 18); salvation is not of ourselves. God. bless.
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