Doctrine of Repentance

Doctrine of Repentance

1. Note the significance of the Hebrew word נָחַם (nacham): God is said "to change His mind" or "repent" about something in the context of the following passages: Genesis 6:6; Exodus 32:14; Judges 2:18; 1 Samuel 15:35; Psalm 90:13; Jeremiah 15:6; 42:10; Amos 7:3, 6.
2. Since God is immutable and does not change, these expressions are anthropopathisms, designed to explain divine acts of discipline in terms of human attitudes and expressions. Hence, anthropopathisms are used for the communication of divine attitude and policy in man's language—the language of accommodation.
3. The Greek verb μετανοέω (metanoeo), translated "repent," means a complete change of mind and has no emotional connotation.
4. Since metanoeo and nacham are transitive verbs, they must have a subject and an object. Hence, the subject changes his mind about some object in the context.
5. The salvation use of metanoeo: In each case, the unbeliever is the subject, while the Lord Jesus Christ is the object. In a few cases, God the Father is the object of repentance (change of mind) because He is the author of the divine plan, Operation Grace (Matt. 12:41; Mark 1:15; Luke 13:3, 5; 15:7, 10; 16:30–31; Acts 17:30; 20:21; 26:20; Heb. 12:17; 2 Pet. 3:9). Note: The unbeliever does not repent toward sin but toward the Savior.
6. Salvation repentance is defined as a change of attitude toward Jesus Christ prior to or coterminous with salvation.
   1. The unbeliever cannot understand spiritual phenomena (1 Cor. 2:14); therefore, the Holy Spirit acts as a human spirit in the perception of the Gospel (John 16:8–11; 2 Tim. 2:25).
   2. God the Holy Spirit makes the Gospel information understandable in the soul of the unbeliever, whose positive volition then expresses itself in a change of mental attitude: faith in Christ.⁹
7. The verb metanoeo is also used for believers in phase two in the following manner:
   1. Change of attitude toward human good (Heb. 6:1).
   2. Change of attitude in reversionism¹⁰ toward doctrine (2 Cor. 12:21; Rev. 2:5, 16, 22; 3:19).
8. The Greek verb μεταμέλομαι (metamelomai) is also translated "repent," which is incorrect. This verb has an emotional connotation, indicating "regret" or "feeling sorry for something one has done."
9. Four uses of metamelomai:
   1. Regret of a previous action (Matt. 21:29).
   2. Regret of Judas Iscariot (Matt. 27:3). Such regret occurred under emotional revolt; regret has no spiritual connotation or advantage.
   3. No regrets on God's part regarding salvation and spiritual gifts (Rom. 11:29).
   4. No regrets on the Father's part regarding the appointment of Christ as High Priest (Heb. 7:21).
10. The noun μετάνοια (metanoia), meaning "change of mind," is used in the following passages: Acts 20:21; Romans 2:4; 2 Corinthians 7:9–10; Hebrews 6:1, 6; 2 Peter 3:9.

¹⁰ Reversionism is the way of life for the believer who turns away from God's plan, will, and purpose for his life and returns to a former belief, a former viewpoint, a former modus operandi. The reversionist has not lost his salvation, but he is under the influence of Satan's cosmic system (1 Tim. 4:1).