Principles of living a set apart, godly life [9] – Repentance [7 of 12]

 Despite being God’s chosen ethnic group, Jews remained resistant to the gospel. They remained without persuasion with regard to their Messiah. But the exhortation to think and perceive afterwards did not remain restricted to Jews. Following the ‘Great Commission’ given to the Apostles in Matthew 28 v 19, the good news of the Messiah was heralded not only to Jews but also to other, non-Jewish ethnic groups as well, referred to in the New Testament as ‘Greeks’ or ‘Gentiles’. We see this development emerge in the narrative in Acts of the Apostles. As with Jews, Gentiles are urged to repent – to think and perceive afterwards.

On one occasion Paul was invited to speak to Gentile philosophers who loved to debate on Mars Hill. Introducing the gospel Paul said, ‘Indeed therefore, overlooking the times of ignorance, God at this present time instructs beside all people everywhere to think and perceive afterwards because He stands a day within which He intends to judicially separate out the inhabited within justice’, (Acts 17 v 30, 31b). After the death and standing up again of Jesus, the good news was extended beyond Jews. Thus God exhorts non-Jews to think and perceive after hearing the good news – to reason things through to their conclusion. This was Paul’s usual approach – declare the gospel and exhort hearers to think, reason things through and perceive afterwards. ‘…first to those within Damascus and then all Jerusalem and the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, I announced to think and perceive afterwards and return on the basis of God, accomplishing actions worthy of a change of mind [metanoia]’, (Acts 26 v 20). In this verse we see a clear distinction between thinking and behaviour. The order is this – 

        Hear the announcement of the gospel

        Think and reason it through to a conclusion afterwards

        Perceive the reality, the truth

Then -

        Apply this enlightened knowledge 

        Exercise mastery over your body 

        Turn around or return to God and

        Accomplish behaviour, construct fruit, worthy of this change of mind

Many, but not all of these kinds of references to repentance look at Jewish and Gentile responses to the heralding of the gospel. 

Less often a verse addresses a Jew or a Christian who has fallen into error and behaving in a way that misses the mark when seeking to live a godly life. Then the procedure is this – 

After falling into error 

        Think and perceive the reality, the truth of your error 

Then -

        Apply enlightened knowledge

        Exercise mastery over your body

        Turn around or return to God and

        Accomplish behaviour, construct fruit, worthy of this change of mind

Thus Paul says, ‘…lest when I come again my God humble me towards you and I grieve much over those sinning previously but absolutely not having thought and perceived afterwards on the basis of the impurity, the harlotry that they are accomplishing’, (II Corinthians 12 v 21). Similarly in the book of Revelation we have this verse that I propose is a prophecy written mainly to Jews. ‘Therefore recollect from what place you have fallen and think and perceive afterwards, and construct the most important actions. But if not, I come to you and will remove your lampstand from out of its place if you do not think and perceive afterwards’, (Revelation 2 v 5). Similarly there is this, ‘…some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam…. In the same way, some of you also hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore, think and perceive afterwards! But if not, I come to you quickly and will contend with them within the sword of my mouth’, (Revelation 2 v 14 - 16).  

Principles of living a set apart, godly life [8] – Repentance [6 of 12]

 Moving away from the gospels, the initial emphasis in the book of Acts still centres on Jews as God’s chosen ethnic group, with calls being made to them to repent – to think and perceive afterwards. At Pentecost the disciples were filled with the set-apart Breath and began to speak in tongues, and Peter addressed the gathered crowd of Jews to explain what was happening. He told them, ‘Think and perceive afterwards and be baptised within the name of Jesus the Messiah, every one of you. Towards the letting go and sending away of your no share and self-forfeiture, and you will receive the free gift of the set apart Breath’ [Pneuma], (Acts 2 v 38). There is the basic dynamic of the gospel when it comes to those who are not persuaded. 

Peter says a similar thing later on in Solomon’s colonnade in the Temple. After explaining to Jews about Jesus and using examples from Jewish history and references to their Scriptures, he says, ‘Therefore, think and perceive afterwards and return towards the whole smearing out of your no share and self-forfeitures’ (Acts 3 v 19). So the initial emphasis in the early chapters of Acts is still on Jews as God’s chosen ethnic group, with a call that after hearing the gospel they think, reason things through and perceive.

Similarly, if a Jew exhibited behaviour that God disapproves of, they were exhorted to think and perceive afterwards. Thus when Simon tried to buy the ability to practice divine favours from the Apostles, Peter rebuked him. ‘Therefore think and perceive afterwards, away from this wickedness of yours, and earnestly request the Lord whether indeed you will be forgiven the purpose and intent of your deep inner core’, (Acts 8 v 22). The exhortation to him is to re-appraise his behaviour and intentions in the light of future judgement.

Principles of living a set apart, godly life [7] – Repentance [5 of 12]

 In the gospels, when it comes to ‘repentance’, the focus on is on Jews as God’s chosen ethnic group, and their thinking and perceiving after they have heard the good news proclaimed. ‘Repentance’ is, by enlarge, centred on unfaithful, wayward Jews re-assessing their behaviour and lifestyle in relation to God. Ultimately it is a call for Jews to turn away from worldly attitudes and behaviours and to re-appraise the values and principles that they are living by, because their promised Messiah and the kingdom is coming near.    

In chapter 17 of Luke’s gospel, the focus shifts to Jews who have been wronged or treated unfairly by a fellow Jew. How was a Jew to react if a fellow member of God’s chosen ethnic group was missing the mark or behaving unjustly toward him? Was the Jew who was being treated unfairly to start lecturing the offender about Covenant Law? Was he to regard the offender with a superior sense of contempt from a position of self-righteousness? Was he to hold a grudge even if the offender apologised and sought to make restitution? 

Jesus said, ‘Pay attention to yourselves. If your brother misses the mark and errs, admonish him, and if he thinks and perceives afterwards, send him forth and forgive him. If he misses the mark toward you seven times in a day and seven times turns toward you saying, ‘I am thinking and perceiving afterwards’, you will send him forth and forgive him’, (Luke 17 v 3, 4). Yes, by all means, point out their error if you are being wronged. But if the brother who is in error considers his speech and behaviour afterwards and accepts his error, then the onus is on you to send the error away. You are to forget about the error and forgive him. How many times should you forgive such a person? Seven times a day if necessary.    

This is surely what we hope for from God as Christians. We fall into error and come to God in prayer, acknowledge our error and seek to turn away from it, requesting that God forgive us. But we find that there are some errors that are persistent. We fall into such an error again and once again we sincerely repeat our request for forgiveness. Then we fall into the same error yet again. In such cases we are grateful for God’s forbearance, patience and mercy in the light of our weakness. Jesus expects both Jews and Christians to imitate this love with regard to each other – to show practical, beneficial love to one another. This is his primary instruction.