Irrefutable Bible Facts About Repentance

Luke 13:5, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

The following very helpful excerpt is from Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995), from his awesome booklet titled: 'Repentance: What Does The Bible Teach?'...

There is a vast difference between what men think the Bible says about repentance and what the Bible actually says. Here are a few facts about “repent” as it is found in its various forms in both the Old and New Testaments.  

The word “repent” is found forty-five times in the King James Bible; “repentance” twenty-six times; “repented” thirty-two times; “repentest” one time; “repenteth” five times; “repenting” one time; and “repentings” one time - a total of 111 times in both the Old and New Testaments. The word in its various forms is found forty-six times in the Old Testament and sixty-five in the New. Of the forty-six times the word appears in the Old Testament, twenty-eight times God does the repenting, not man.  

For instance, in Exodus 32:14 the Bible says, “And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.”  

In addition to the twenty-eight times that God repents in the Old Testament, there are nine other passages that tell of things about which God does not or did not repent. Of the forty-six times a form of the word “repentance” appears in the Old Testament, only nine times is man doing the repenting. Thirty-seven times it has reference to God's repenting or telling us of things about which God did not or will not repent.  

Now, if “repent” means to turn from sin, we have a problem. We have God turning from sin, and that is certainly inconsistent with Bible teaching. God is sinless and has no sin to turn from. But if “repentance” means a change of mind, then it is consistent. You have God changing His mind about some things, but you have at least nine things in the Old Testament about which God says He will not change His mind.  

Now that makes sense. There are many things about which I would change my mind, but there are some things about which I will not change my mind. For instance, I will not “repent” or change my mind about the fact that the Bible is the Word of God. I will not “repent” or change my mind about the fact that Jesus is the virgin-born Son of God. I will not change my mind about the fact that salvation is by grace through faith. And there are other important matters about which I will not “repent” or change my mind.  

On the other hand, there are some things about which I would “repent” or change my mind. I may plan a certain activity next week, but before the time arrives, I may change my mind and decide to do something else. As a matter of fact, my wife says I change my mind often; and she is probably right. I have said that I have a clean mind; I change it often. But there are some things about which I will not change my mind.  

Now if I can change my mind about some things and not about others, then God can certainly do the same. Sometimes in the Old Testament the word carries with it the idea of feeling sorry or regretful.  

Sometimes where the word is used, one is said to repent from what is wrong toward what is right. Other times it speaks of repenting from what is right toward that which is wrong. It is sometimes used in connection with sin, but the Word itself does not mean turning from sin; it means a change of mind. Another time “repentance” in the Old Testament is related to one's going back on his word. Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”  

We mentioned earlier that “repentance” in its various forms is found sixty-five times in the New Testament. Fifty-eight of those times it is translated from the Greek words metanoia and metanoeo. According to a Greek dictionary of New Testament words, metanoia is the noun of metanoeo, and both words mean identically the same thing. The basic definition of the two words is “to change one's mind.” The definition from the Strong's Concordance of metanoeo is, “to think differently, or afterwards, that is, reconsider.”  

It is these two Greek words that are always used to relate to salvation. No other Greek word translated “repent” or “repentance” is used in relation to salvation. The problem and confusion is not preaching repentance but attaching the wrong definition to the word. For instance, to say that repentance means to turn from sin, or to say that repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change of action, is to give a wrong definition to the word. And to teach that man must turn from his sins to be saved, or change his actions to be saved, is in contradiction to the clear teaching of the Word of God that one is saved by grace through faith.  

Though we often hear the expression, “Repent of your sins,” it is not found in the Bible. What the repentance or change of mind is about is always determined by the context.  

For instance, in Acts 17:30 we read, “And the times of this ignorance God winked at [overlooked]; but now commandeth all men every where to repent.” What they were to repent or change their mind about is clear from verse 29. Here the Scripture says, “…we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold or silver or stone, graven by art and man's device!” They needed to change their mind about God and see that He is not a graven image made of gold, silver, or stone but that He is a living God and is going to be their judge. Verse 31, “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”  

In Luke 13:5 Jesus said, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” The context of this verse shows that they needed to repent or change their mind regarding punishment and sin. In this passage, Christ was talking to good people who believed that people suffered only because of their sins, and they concluded that those in Galilee whose blood Pilate mingled with sacrifices and those on whom the tower of Siloam fell were greater sinners because they died such horrible deaths. Jesus contradicts the thinking of these self-righteous people and tells them that they need to repent or change their mind and see themselves as sinners, too, or they will perish in their own self-righteousness.  

One does not have to know the Greek language to see that “repent” in this passage does not mean feeling sorry for or turning from sin.

SOURCE: Pastor Curtis Hutson, an excerpt from his helpful booklet titled: 'Repentance: What Does The Bible Teach?'

Amen and amen! I am so thankful for Dr. Hutson, that God used him to give us many insightful writings about the Bible. We are living in absolute times of woeful heresy creeping into the churches. I wish the folks at Bob Jones University and Moody Bible Institute would take heed to Dr. Hutson's sound Bible doctrine, instead of following the corrupt teachings of Pastor John MacArthur in California, who has done more to corrupt Baptist churches than perhaps any other man in our generation. Please remember that repentance doesn't mean “to turn from sins,” which is the English definition, it means “a change of mind” in the Greek language. 

Repentance is simply a change of mind from WRONG THINKING, to resting completely in Jesus Christ alone, who died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and bodily resurrected three days later for our justification (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). The only thing you need to repent of (i.e., change your mind about), is whatever it is that has been hindering you from coming to Jesus to be saved. Repentance is from unbelief, not from sinful behavior. Repentance is simply the realization that you are a needy sinner, as Pastor Hutson so beautifully explains about Luke 13:5, so you will see your need for redemption through God's grace, by faith alone in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:24-26).