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Recently, I began teaching about the word ‘repent.’ Some were aggravated by that and others saw the truth when I said Jesus and the apostles never said we are to repent of our sins. However, what is taught today, including repentance of sins, is nothing more than ‘Christian Science Fiction’ not based on anything in God’s Word. Instead, it is just ideas man creates to fit the story. Even though the Scriptures never teach repentance of sins, it does give us good news, and my goal is for you to understand the change of mind that Jesus asked for, instead of the repentance of sins. Jesus said we need ‘a change of mind’ regarding Christ as our savior. Our individual personal sins are not an issue, because they were all paid for by Jesus Christ Himself on that cross, and His blood is on that heavenly mercy seat reminding the universe of what He did for us.
Here are three Greek words: metanoia, metanoeo, and metamelomai.
The Greek word in the New Testament for what people call repentance is the noun metanoia. What it means is ‘a change of mind,’ period! Nothing can be added to it. The next word is a verb, metanoeo. It means ‘a change of mind towards something.’ Metanoia is found 24 times in the Greek New Testament, and metanoeo is found 35 times. Metanoeo is a compound verb in the Greek and is composed of two Greek words, the first is meta, meaning ‘change,’ and the second is noeo, meaning ‘mind.’ Therefore, the correct meaning of that word when is ‘to change one’s mind about something.’ As you can see, both those words have absolutely nothing to do with feeling sorry for sins or our emotions, but that is not what is preached. There is another word in the Greek New Testament, however, which carries an emotional definition, and that is the verb metamelomai, which means ‘to feel sorry, to regret, to feel sorrow.’ Metamelomai is found six times in the New Testament and the distinction between the two verbs, metanoeo and metamelomai is obvious in the Greek. Metamelomai expresses merely an emotional change, with metanoeo expressing a change of choice.
Keep in mind that metamelomai signifies nothing but regret resulting in feeling sorry for whatever you are feeling sorry for, while metanoeo deals with a change of mental attitude and has nothing to do with emotions.
Also remember, metanoia is found in scripture 24 times in the New Testament, where metamelomai, the word that deals with emotions, sorrow, and regret, is only found six times, but that word is what Christians like to hang on to because we have been beat over the head that we must be down, feel sorry, regret and remorse. Of course, we will experience some of those feelings. We are all humans and hate to displease our Savior, but feelings have nothing to do with salvation. Those emotions are not in scripture, even though it is preached as scripture, and I am on a campaign to correct that. This may aggravate a lot of people, especially the Pharisees of today’s world, because it goes against tradition, but we must get this right. It is the starting point and why there are three failures and only one success in the Parable of the Sower.
Metanoia is the primary word of the three. I have my own definition, which refers to people who thought one thing, and then based on further evidence, or input, changed their minds. However, the basic definition of metanoia is ‘a change of mind’ and that definition is used not only in the New Testament, but also outside the New Testament, that is ‘a change of mind that leads to a different course of action.’ In scripture, that course of action must be determined by the context that deals with forgiveness of sin or receiving eternal life as a gift from God. The course of action is a change of trust because one now sees Jesus as the only means of our salvation. As an example, John used the word metanoia in Matthew 3:1-2,
“In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
And saying, Repent ye [actually, metanoeo, ‘change your mind’] for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Ask yourself what were John’s listeners supposed to change their mind about? Another example is in the Gospel of Mark 1:14-15,
“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand[Jesus Christ was in their midst]: repent ye, believe the gospel.”
Repent in that verse is again metanoeo; change your mind about Jesus. However, if John the Baptist is saying ‘Repent because the Kingdom of God is at hand,’ those listeners would race right back to the Law and try to fulfill every part of it because of their repenting heart. That is not what John was telling them. He was saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: metanoeo [change your mind] and believe [pisteo, have trust, confidence, or faith about Christ for salvation] the gospel.”
Finally, Romans 1:16 states, “for it is the power of God for salvation to every one that believeth,” really, everyone who trusts and has confidence in Jesus Christ and His redemptive work.
Recently, I began teaching about the word ‘repent.’ Some were aggravated by that and others saw the truth when I said Jesus and the apostles never said we are to repent of our sins. However, what is taught today, including repentance of sins, is nothing more than ‘Christian Science Fiction’ not based on anything in God’s Word. Instead, it is just ideas man creates to fit the story. Even though the Scriptures never teach repentance of sins, it does give us good news, and my goal is for you to understand the change of mind that Jesus asked for, instead of the repentance of sins. Jesus said we need ‘a change of mind’ regarding Christ as our savior. Our individual personal sins are not an issue, because they were all paid for by Jesus Christ Himself on that cross, and His blood is on that heavenly mercy seat reminding the universe of what He did for us.
Here are three Greek words: metanoia, metanoeo, and metamelomai.
The Greek word in the New Testament for what people call repentance is the noun metanoia. What it means is ‘a change of mind,’ period! Nothing can be added to it. The next word is a verb, metanoeo. It means ‘a change of mind towards something.’ Metanoia is found 24 times in the Greek New Testament, and metanoeo is found 35 times. Metanoeo is a compound verb in the Greek and is composed of two Greek words, the first is meta, meaning ‘change,’ and the second is noeo, meaning ‘mind.’ Therefore, the correct meaning of that word when is ‘to change one’s mind about something.’ As you can see, both those words have absolutely nothing to do with feeling sorry for sins or our emotions, but that is not what is preached. There is another word in the Greek New Testament, however, which carries an emotional definition, and that is the verb metamelomai, which means ‘to feel sorry, to regret, to feel sorrow.’ Metamelomai is found six times in the New Testament and the distinction between the two verbs, metanoeo and metamelomai is obvious in the Greek. Metamelomai expresses merely an emotional change, with metanoeo expressing a change of choice.
Keep in mind that metamelomai signifies nothing but regret resulting in feeling sorry for whatever you are feeling sorry for, while metanoeo deals with a change of mental attitude and has nothing to do with emotions.
Also remember, metanoia is found in scripture 24 times in the New Testament, where metamelomai, the word that deals with emotions, sorrow, and regret, is only found six times, but that word is what Christians like to hang on to because we have been beat over the head that we must be down, feel sorry, regret and remorse. Of course, we will experience some of those feelings. We are all humans and hate to displease our Savior, but feelings have nothing to do with salvation. Those emotions are not in scripture, even though it is preached as scripture, and I am on a campaign to correct that. This may aggravate a lot of people, especially the Pharisees of today’s world, because it goes against tradition, but we must get this right. It is the starting point and why there are three failures and only one success in the Parable of the Sower.
Metanoia is the primary word of the three. I have my own definition, which refers to people who thought one thing, and then based on further evidence, or input, changed their minds. However, the basic definition of metanoia is ‘a change of mind’ and that definition is used not only in the New Testament, but also outside the New Testament, that is ‘a change of mind that leads to a different course of action.’ In scripture, that course of action must be determined by the context that deals with forgiveness of sin or receiving eternal life as a gift from God. The course of action is a change of trust because one now sees Jesus as the only means of our salvation. As an example, John used the word metanoia in Matthew 3:1-2,
“In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
And saying, Repent ye [actually, metanoeo, ‘change your mind’] for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Ask yourself what were John’s listeners supposed to change their mind about? Another example is in the Gospel of Mark 1:14-15,
“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand[Jesus Christ was in their midst]: repent ye, believe the gospel.”
Repent in that verse is again metanoeo; change your mind about Jesus. However, if John the Baptist is saying ‘Repent because the Kingdom of God is at hand,’ those listeners would race right back to the Law and try to fulfill every part of it because of their repenting heart. That is not what John was telling them. He was saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: metanoeo [change your mind] and believe [pisteo, have trust, confidence, or faith about Christ for salvation] the gospel.”
Finally, Romans 1:16 states, “for it is the power of God for salvation to every one that believeth,” really, everyone who trusts and has confidence in Jesus Christ and His redemptive work.
