Repentance

Repentance is one of the most important words in the Bible. It is important because it is necessary for salvation. God commands "all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30). Unfortunately, it is also the most misunderstood word in the Bible. There are two issues.

First, what is the definition of repentance? Some say the Greek word "repent" means "To change your mind." It is commonly assumed that repentance is being sorry for sin. Another view is that repentance is a decision to turn from sin. Then, some claim repentance is actually turning from sin. Early in church history, the idea arose that original sin and all sins before baptism were removed by baptism. As a result, people waited until near death before getting baptized. To deal with that problem, it was taught that repentance was the cure for post-baptismal sins. Repentance was said to consist of feeling sorry for sin, confessing post baptismal sins, and doing acts of penance. Which definition is biblically correct?

Second, what is the relationship of repentance to faith? In the Gospel of John, the only biblical book in the Bible whose purpose is to bring people to Christ, faith is the only requirement for salvation. On the other hand, some passages say that repentance is required. To complicate matters, faith and repentance appear together in three places. The absence of repentance in critical passages on salvation and yet the insistence on repentance in others is a problem. What is the relationship between faith and repentance?

In Repentance: The Most Misunderstood Word In The Bible, G. Michael Cocoris examines every occurrence of the words "repent" and "repentance" in the New Testament to answer these two questions.