One of the trusted tools for exegetical work is New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis,  (Second edition) edited by Moises Silva  (NIDNTTE). But trust must not be blind trust, for all theological tools come fully loaded with presuppositions and paradigms of theological assumptions.

One crucial theological term regarding Soteriology is the term “repent.” It is difficult to approach the term without bias. Silva reveals his bias as he assumes repent means conversion and a commitment to turn from sin and do works of obedience. The following is part of the article. (Emphasis mine.)

“According to Luke 5:32, Jesus stated that he had come (ἐλήλυθα) to call the sinners, not the righteous, εἰς μετάνοιαν, “to repentance” (the par. in Matt 9:9 and Mark 3:13 do not incl. this phrase). Because God has turned to sinners through the coming of Jesus, sinners may and should turn to God. Hence conversion and repentance are accompanied by joy, for they mean the opening up of life for the one who has turned. The parables in Luke 15 bear testimony to the joy of God over the sinner who repents and calls on others to share it (cf. 15:7, 10). God’s gift to people in their conversion is life. When the parable of the prodigal son pictures conversion as a return to the Father, it can be said of the one who has repented, “this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found” (15:24; cf. v. 32).

One should keep in mind that there are many passages in the Gospels where the terms μετάνοια and μετανοέω do not appear, but in which the thought of repentance is clearly present. For instance, “Truly I tell you, unless you change [στραφῆτε] and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 18:3); if we wish to become Jesus’ disciples, we must be willing to “let go” (ἀποτάσσω G698) of all our possessions (Luke 14:33). These and other statements help us to see to what extent Jesus’ message was determined by the call to repent in the light of God’s sovereign rule, which he himself had brought in.

4 Primitive Christian preaching continued the call for repentance (cf. Mark 6:12 and the sermons in Acts). This missionary preaching linked with the call for repentance all the elements we have already met: the call to faith (Acts 20:21; 26:18; 19:4) and to be baptized (2:38), the promise of forgiveness of sins (Luke 24:47; Acts 3:19; 5:31), and the assurance of life and salvation (11:18; 2 Cor 7:9–10). Conversion is turning from evil (Acts 8:22; 2 Cor 12:21; Rev 2:21–22) to God (Acts 20:21; 26:20; Rev 16:9). In Acts 3:19 and 26:20 μετανοέω and ἐπιστρέφω are placed side by side as equivalent terms, though in these cases the former may focus on the abandonment of evil and the latter on the turning to God.

5 The fact that this word group occurs rarely in the Pauline writings and not at all in the Johannine corpus (apart from Revelation) does not mean that the idea of conversion is not present in them, but only that in the meantime a more specialized terminology had developed. Both Paul and John convey the idea of conversion by highlighting faith. Paul speaks of faith as being in Christ, as the dying and rising of a person with Christ, as the new creation, as putting on a new self. The Johannine lit. represents the new life in Christ as new birth, as a passing from death to life and from darkness to light, or as the victory of truth over falsehood, and of love over hate.

6 The early church soon began to consider whether it might be poss. for someone to turn repeatedly to God. The question arose from experiences in their missionary activity and from certain elements in their tradition; e.g., after Peter had long been following Jesus he was told, “when you have turned back …” (Luke 22:32, where ἐπιστρέφω is used). Some believe that the writer of Hebrews took the matter to its logical conclusion; they see Heb 6:1–8 as rejecting the possibility of a second repentance. In any case, the passage is intended to stress the absoluteness of conversion over against a form of Christian faith that was lapsing into apathy. Elsewhere the writer suggests that conversion was not just an independent human act but that God must give a “chance to repent” (12:17 NRSV; μετανοίας τόπον, lit., “a place of repentance”). A person who sins deliberately, i.e., defiantly, after receiving enlightenment incurs God’s judgment (6:8; 10:26–27). Such a heavy emphasis on the finality of conversion does not exclude God’s all-embracing desire to save. He is patient, “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9). Rather it stresses the absoluteness of his mercy: God saves completely and finally.”[1]

The assumption is that repentance is the turning from sin and that salvation is a conversion, complete with actions. At best, this leads to questions especially, how does repentance relate to the requirement for the reception of eternal life?

It is true that even within the Free Grace movement, different views of this word are held. Some follow Dr. Ryrie and hold to the “change of mind view,” others follow Dr. Jody Dillow’s “repent is remorse or regret,” and others follow Dr. Dave Anderson and understand repentance as a necessity for sanctification but not for justification.

No matter where you are in your understanding of the term repentance, it is important that we do not allow our theology of salvation to be hijacked by theological bias.

[1] Moisés Silva, ed., New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014), 291–293.

Serving Him with you until He comes for us,
Fred Chay, PhD
Managing Editor, Grace Theology Press