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.

Principles of living a set apart, godly life [6] – Repentance [4 of 12]

 Jesus was critical of those who presumed that they were judicially approved in front of God. We can still hear this kind of sentiment today - ‘I have not been a bad person really – I have not murdered anyone or anything like that. I am sure that a loving God will understand and say that I tried my best, and that He will forgive my mistakes and welcome me into heaven’. 

But this is what Jesus actually says on this matter. After presenting the parable of the shepherd who rejoiced on finding his lost sheep, Jesus said, ‘I say to you that in the same way there will be joy within heaven on the basis of one sinner thinking and perceiving afterwards, than on the basis of ninety-nine upright and righteous, whosoever, absolutely not requiring to possess thinking and perceiving afterwards’, (Luke 15 v 7).  In other words such people, whoever they are, need to think again. Jesus presents a similar conclusion after his description of a woman who lost a coin, searched for it, and rejoiced at finding it. Jesus concluded by saying, ‘I say to you, in this way there is joy in front of the angel/messengers of God on the basis of one sinner thinking and perceiving afterwards’, (Luke 15 v 10). Once again this is a message to Jews. There is rejoicing in the heavenly realm when angels observe the beginning of a positive response to God when a Jew who has lost their way thinks afterwards and turns back to God. 

So what is it that people need to be presented with in order to be persuaded to the point of obedience? Do they need fine orators and clever, witty speeches? Do they need a preacher with personality and charisma? Do they need a slick outreach campaign with professional musicians and an attractive, entertaining presentation with all the razzmatazz? Do they need clever, educated proposals and arguments? In Luke’s gospel there is the illustration of a rich man who dies and finds himself unable to escape torment within the unseen realm. Some distance away he sees Abraham in a state of comfort, but there is a deep chasm that separates Abraham from the rich man such that the rich man cannot cross over to Abraham. So the rich man calls out and pleads to Abraham for someone to appear to his five brothers, to give them solemn evidence of the place of torment, so that they might avoid it. But Abraham replies, ‘“They possess Moses and the Prophets, they should hear and comprehend them.” 30 But the rich man said, “By no means father Abraham…’, in other words, there is no way that my brothers will listen to Moses and the Prophets. So the rich man makes an alternative proposal, ‘….but if one away from death travelled to them they will think and perceive afterwards.” 31 But Abraham said to him, “If they are not listening to Moses and Prophets they will not be persuaded, not even if one from out of death stands up”’, (Luke 16 v 29 – 31). The Apostle Paul presents this same principle in chapter 2 of his first letter to the Corinthians. The declaration of the gospel, the word of the cross, even when it is presented in a stumbling, hesitant way that lacks eloquence, is a sufficient means for the Breath of God to bring forth enlightened persuasion and thinking afterwards within those whom God has selected. 

Principles of living a set apart, godly life [5] – Repentance [3 of 12]

 The call to repent meant that hearers were to think and perceive after hearing the gospel, or a call to godliness, or after they had seen the power of God, such as in a miracle. They were to use their intellect and their minds concerning what had been said and/or what they had seen, in order to come to a conclusion. But different people came to different conclusions.

Thus, observing sad events sometimes led people to draw the wrong conclusions. Jesus refers to two such events in Luke 13 and makes some comments to the Jews who observed them. Pilate had mixed the blood of Galileans with their sacrifices, and Jesus said, ‘Are you supposing that these Galilean sinners came alongside all the Galileans because they experienced this ill treatment? 3 I say to you by no means, not at all. But on the contrary, if lest you are thinking and perceiving afterwards, you will fully lose in the same way. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell, killing them. Are you supposing that these debtors came alongside the people dwelling in Jerusalem? 5 3 I say to you by no means, not at all. But on the contrary, if lest you are thinking and perceiving afterwards, you will fully lose in the same way’, (Luke 13 v 3 – 5). 

The Greek phraseology is slightly complex but what Jesus seems to be saying is this - ‘Do you think that those who have died in this way are now being honoured and rewarded by God? Do you think because they have died in this way that they have now joined an illustrious company of the divinely approved? On the contrary, unless you think again you also will lose everything in the same way - suddenly and completely’. 

Many Jews boasted of their advantages and privileges because they were members of God’s chosen ethnic group. They were descended from their patriarch, Abraham, to whom God gave many promises, and they possessed the prophets and divine Law for example. Some of them presumed that because they were born Jews they were therefore destined for divine favour and a divine inheritance regardless of their behaviour. Not so, says Jesus. Unless you think again after seeing such sad events you also will suddenly and unexpectedly lose everything. 

Jesus was speaking to non-religious Jews who nevertheless presumed that they were in a state of divine favour. We sometimes see the same attitude today in some unbelievers who presume that in the end, if an all-loving God exists, He will forgive them and welcome them into paradise – after all, they live in a ‘Christian country’ and they are ‘trying their best’. When faced with a tragic event involving the unexpected death of a friend or relative, many people often comfort themselves with similar presumptions. ‘They are up there now in peace, looking down on us until we meet again’. But Jesus says, ‘On the contrary, unless you think differently afterwards, you also will suddenly and unexpectedly lose in the same way’.

Principles of living a set apart, godly life [4] – Repentance [2 of 12]

 In the New Testament, the word ‘metanoeó’, often translated into English as ‘repent’, means ‘to think and perceive afterwards’. Its first occurrence is in Matthew chapter 3. ‘In those days John the Baptist came near, proclaiming and heralding in the wilderness of Judea 2 saying, ‘Think and perceive afterwards, because the Kingdom of the heavens is coming near’, (Matthew 3 v 1, 2). This call to ‘think afterwards because the kingdom of the heavens in coming near’ seems to be the essence of John’s message as well as the conclusion of his proclamation. As a result of his message his hearers were to think and perceive after what has been said, to use their intellect and their minds with what had been said in order to come to a conclusion. As with the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians, so also with John the Baptist – John addresses the minds of his hearers. 

Later on Jesus began to herald the same message. ‘Away from that time Jesus began proclaiming, saying, ‘Think and perceive afterwards, because the Kingdom of the heavens is coming near’, (Matthew 4 v 17). Mark’s gospel records it this way, ‘After the surrendering up of John, Jesus came into Galilee proclaiming and heralding the good news of God 15 saying, “The season is made full and the Kingdom of God is coming near. Think and perceive afterwards and be persuaded within the good news to the point of obedience’ (Mark 1 v 14, 15). Like John and the Apostle Paul, Jesus addressed the minds of his hearers. Having heard his proclamation they are to think and reason afterwards with they have heard, so as to bring it to a conclusion.

Indeed, Jesus rebuked those who did not use their mind and reason abilities in this way after they had witnessed his power - presumably his miracles. ‘At that time he [Jesus] began reproaching the towns within which most of his power and ability came to happen, because they did not think and perceive afterwards. 21 ‘Alas, you, Chorazin! Alas, you, Bethsaida! Because if the powers and abilities happening within you took place in Tyre and Sidon they would possibly have thought and perceived afterwards long ago, within sackcloth and ashes’, (Matthew 11 v 20, 21). See also: Luke 10 v 13. Teaching and proclamation was no mere abstract theoretical exercise. Jesus, John the Baptist and the Apostles were not presenting a lesson in abstract, academic theological theory. In thinking things through afterwards these hearers were meant to thoroughly carry their conclusions from within across into their practical behaviour. Jesus said that as a result of thinking and perceiving afterwards, those in Tyre and Sidon would probably be in ‘sackcloth and ashes’ – indicating mourning and regret for their wayward behaviour - as they returned to God. Effective hearers don’t just come to an abstract theoretical, doctrinal or theological conclusion – their thinking is carried over into their speech and behaviour. But the initial emphasis, the seed of this change of behaviour, is the mind - thinking and reasoning afterwards with something that has been said or witnessed.

We can see the emphasis on the mind time and time again in the New Testament. ‘The people of Nineveh will stand up with this generation within the judgement and will judge it down, because they thought and perceived afterwards towards the proclamation of Jonah, and look, here greater than Jonah’, (Matthew 12 v 41). See also: Luke 11 v 32. At one point Jesus sent his disciples out in pairs and in Mark’s gospel we read, ‘Going out they proclaimed and heralded in order that they [the hearers] think and perceive afterwards’, (Mark 6 v 12). 

There we see the meaning of the call to repentance.