Repent-
NT Usage. The noun metanoia and its related verb metanoeō occur 26 times in the gospels, though not at all in John. They are found eleven times in Acts, five times in the Pauline epistles, three times in Hebrews, once in 2 Peter, and twelve times in Revelation. The minority term metamelomai is encountered three times in Matthew, twice in 2 Corinthians, and once in Hebrews.
In the gospels, John the Baptist burst onto the scene in Israel “preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3). His urgent message was “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matt 3:2). Those who came to be baptized by John were warned, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Luke 3:8). Here the basic flavor of intellectual change in metanoia is evident. It is also clear that behavioral “fruit” (i.e., a changed life) is expected to flow from repentance (Turner 1975: 63–64).
In his early ministry, Jesus’ own message was expressed in similar ways. Like the Baptizer, he proclaimed, “Repent, for the kingdom . . . is near” (Matt 4:17). His mission focused on calling “sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). What that meant is clarified in Mark 1:15: “Repent and believe the good news.” Any conception of repenting (metanoeō) not wedded to faith in the gospel falls short of the full biblical message.
On the other hand, the proclamation of Jesus (Jeremias 1971: 152–58) and his apostles sometimes utilized the idea of metanoia to include faith (Mark 6:12). In a real sense, “Repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin” (IDB 4:34). The issue could be sharpened to “repent” or “perish” (Luke 13:3, 5), “repent” or go to “hell” and “torment” after death (Luke 16:23, 28, 30). For those sinners who do repent, however, there is “joy in heaven” (Luke 15:7, 10). Thus, it can be concluded that, in the gospels, metanoia stands for the entire response bringing about eternal life, including faith when it is not stated. Accordingly, the Great Commission statement which concludes Luke’s gospel reads, “Repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations” (24:47).
At the human level, sincere repentance (metanoeō) for interpersonal sin demands forgiveness, according to Christ (Luke 17:3–4). Surprisingly, John’s gospel contains no reference to repentance in either dimension, the idea apparently being included in John’s concept of faith (IDB 4: 34).
The three uses of metamelomai in the gospels are instructive. In Matt 21:29, 32, it is similar, but not equivalent, to metanoeō. In Matt 27:3 the “remorse” of Judas does not have “the power to overcome the destructive operation of sin” (TDNT 4:628). This example “makes it clear that metamelomai and metanoeō do not have identical meanings in the NT” (NIDNTT 1: 356).
Virtually echoing John the Baptist, Peter’s sermon at Pentecost in Acts urged, “Repent and be baptized . . . so that your sins may be forgiven” (Acts 2:38). Further usage links repentance not only with forgiveness (5:31) but also with “faith in our Lord Jesus” (20:21) and with “life,” as a result of repentance (11:18). In Acts 17:30–31 Paul on the Areopagus states God’s command for “all people everywhere to repent” or be justly judged. Parallel to the phenomena in the gospels (NIDNTT 1: 359), repentance in Acts may be complementary to faith (20:21) or include faith (17:30) and leads to forgiveness of sins (2:38; 5:31) and eternal life (11:18).
Two other passages bring epistrephō alongside metanoeō in noteworthy ways. Acts 3:19 records Peter’s offer to Israel: “Repent . . . and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.” Paul’s explanation of his apostolic commission to Agrippa in Acts 26:18 clarifies this turning (epistrephō): “from darkness to light,” from Satan’s power to God to receive forgiveness of sins. The apostle’s obedience to that commission meant that he preached that his hearers “should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds” (Acts 26:20). Here again is the expectation that the one who changes his mind (metanoeō) about the gospel and turns (epistrephō) to the Lord will display a “converted” lifestyle (cf. Luke 3:8).
The Pauline literature rarely uses the terms for repentance, and the Johannine epistles not at all. For Paul, like John, repentance is included in faith (IDB 4: 34). Besides several standard uses (Rom 2:4; 2 Cor 12:21; 2 Tim 2:25), Paul strongly contrasts metanoeō and metamelomai in 2 Cor 7:8–10 (TDNT 4:629).
The writer of Hebrews refers to the God who “will not change his mind” (7:21) and Esau, who could not achieve repentance (12:17). He also speaks of foundational initial repentance (6:1) and the utter impossibility of returning to the point of first repentance (6:6). Peter describes the patient God, who desires “everyone to come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9), apparently including forgiveness and salvation (See 1 Tim 2:4). Again the basic idea of a change of mind is demonstrated in the epistles.
The letters to the churches in the Roman province of Asia in the book of Revelation contain eight uses of “repent” (2:5 [twice], 16, 21 [twice], 22; 3:3, 19). The glorified Christ’s command to repent was directed at a lukewarm church in Laodicea (3:19), but also at the great church at Ephesus (2:5), which had “forsaken its first love” (2:4). All these sinful churches needed to change their minds and bring forth the fruit of repentance (Luke 3:8; Acts 26:20), turning again to Christ.
Sadly, the last mentions of “repent” (metanoeō) in the NT picture an unrepentant mass of humankind as God’s climactic wrath is poured out on the earth (Rev 9:20, 21; 16:9, 11). Instead of turning to the Lord in repentant faith through his longstanding patience (2 Pet 3:9) or to escape his righteous judgment, these sinners continued with their abominable acts (9:20, 21) and cursed God instead of glorifying him (16:9, 11).
In conclusion it can be said that repentance in the NT is always anchored in a change of thinking (metanoia), although the psychological and emotional aspects sometimes color or expand the concept (especially the usage of metamelomai) (ISBE 4: 136–37). Repentance must not be separated from its flip side of faith (Mark 1:15; Acts 20:21), or from the realization that it sometimes stands for the package of human response to the good news of Jesus Christ (2 Pet 3:9; cf. Acts 2:38). True repentance, whether by an unbeliever or a believer (Acts 26:18, 20; Luke 17:3–4), receives the gracious forgiveness that God continually offers all humankind in Christ (Luke 24:47).
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