Principles of living a set apart, godly life [12] – Repentance [10 of 12]

 Christian leaders did not merely keep repeating the basic message of the gospel. Like the writer of the letter to the Hebrews, they urged Christians toward growth and maturity, and to more advanced teaching. ‘Therefore, letting go from the beginning word of the Messiah on the basis of maturity, not carrying once more the laying of a foundation of a change of mind and perception afterwards away from dead actions and entrustment on the basis of God to the point of obedience….’, (Hebrews 6 v 1). Once an individual changed their mind and moved towards persuasion within the Messiah, the foundations about baptism and obedient godly behaviour were taught such that teaching and instruction could then build on these foundations to enable the Christian to move towards further establishment. The focus moved towards more advanced teaching and towards Christians living a godly life day-by-day. 

Needless to say, some Christians fell into error, exercising speech and behaviour that God disapproves of. If such errors were serious enough, such as bringing the gospel into disrepute, such Christians incurred admonishment from the Apostles and overseers.  

When Christians were admonished and corrected by the Apostle Paul because of their wayward behaviour, some of them experienced grief and sadness. Paul responded by saying, ‘I am not joyful that you were grieved and pained, but that you grieved penetrating into a change of mind and perception afterwards; because you were grieved down from God in order that you suffer loss within nothing from out of us. 10 Because down from God, grief works down to penetrate into a change of mind and perception afterwards without regret, but grief of the orderly arrangement works down death’, (II Corinthians 7 v 9, 10). For various reasons, despite embracing the good news of the Messiah, the Christian life is not all smiles and glib happiness. For example, a Christian’s wayward speech and behaviour can lead them to grief and sadness. In these verses Paul explains the difference between grief down from God that leads to a change of mind; and the grief within the world that leads to insensitivity and unresponsiveness to God. 

 

And of course, Christians encounter enticements and opposition of one kind or another when they declare their faith in the Messiah. When attempts are made by Christians to restore their brothers and sisters who are in error, such wayward Christians may react with opposition and they may resent such interventions. How are concerned Christians instructed to respond to such resentment and opposition? ‘But, bond-servant of the Lord, it is not necessary to quarrel but to be gentle toward all, able to teach, patiently forbearing, correcting those setting themselves in opposition within gentleness in case at some time God offers a change of mind and perception afterwards penetrating into knowledge of truth’, (II Timothy 2 v 24, 25). Paul says that such opposition or resentment does not present well-meaning Christians with a justification to engage in quarrels and arguments. The Greek philosophers on Mars Hill had invited Paul to speak about the gospel, but when they heard about the resurrection some of them reacted with scornful ridicule. Paul did not then engage in passionate arguments and disputes with them, he did not engage in ‘apologetics’ in order to try and justify the gospel to them. Instead he exercised spiritual discernment and walked away, not willing to throw pearls in front of swine. 

Principles of living a set apart, godly life [3] – Repentance [1 of 12]

 What happens when a Christian engages in wayward behaviour that God disapproves of? Christians often talk about ‘repentance’, by which they often mean feeling a sense of regret and turning back to God with sadness and grief at their wayward behaviour, together with a resolution and desire not to repeat it. But what do the Hebrew and Greek words translated into English as ‘repent’ actually mean?

There are lots of calls to repentance in the New Testament, particularly in the gospels with regard to Jews. We also see such calls in the Old Testament, where the Hebrew word is ‘shuwb’, a verb meaning ‘to return’ or ‘to turn back’. It’s first use is in Genesis 3 v 19 where Adam was told that he will work hard until he returns to the ground and returns to dust. Similarly in Genesis 8 v 3 it describes the floodwaters turning back, and in Genesis 8 v 9, it refers to the raven that Noah sent out from the ark returning back to the ark. In I Kings 8 v 47 it is used with regard to Jews returning to and pleading with God, confessing their wayward and wicked behaviour. 

The near-equivalent New Testament Greek word is the verb ‘metanoeó’, from ‘metá’, which can mean ‘with’, ‘after’ or ‘among’; and ‘noiéō’, from a root word meaning ‘mind’ or ‘intellect’, and thus ‘noiéō’ is taken to mean ‘perceive’, ‘understand’, or ‘think’. As a result, ‘metanoeó’ means ‘to think and perceive with or afterwards’. It occurs 34 times in the New Testament. The Greek word is more differentiated than the Hebrew word, such that it does not precisely mean the same thing. In the New Testament, the word often translated into English as ‘repent’ is actually focussed on the ‘mind’ – on thinking and reasoning things through to a conclusion after something has been said or done. Unlike the Hebrew word it is not primarily focussed on behaviour, and in some of the next posts we will see that some of the texts clearly indicate this more specific focus on the mind.