Introduction

 

The Doctrine of Repentance is a major topic throughout all of Scripture.  In spite of the importance of the topic, it seems many people misunderstand the Biblical teaching on the subject.  What is repentance?  What does it look like in the life of a person?  How can I tell if I am truly repenting?  How can I tell when another person is truly repenting?  When is repentance required?  Many people have questions.  Even worse,  many people do not have questions, but they do have misconceptions.  A great need for good, clear teaching on repentance from the Scriptures is needed. 

 

Terms Used for Remorse and Repentance

Three Greek words are used in the New Testament to convey the idea of repentance.[1]  The first is “metanoew.”  The simple definition given for this word is “to change one’s mind.”[2]  It may also have to do with a change of purpose.  This change always comes after a specific action or thought.[3]  The second word is “metanoia.”  This is the noun form of the word mentioned above.  It refers to an “after-thought, change of mind, repentance.”  Both of these words are most often used in reference to repentance from sin.  “Metamelomai”  is the third word used for repentance.  It means, “change one’s mind, regret, repent.”[4]  This word is not as specific as the two mentioned above.  It highlights the “feeling of repentance” or the emotion, but it does not necessarily indicate a turning to God.[5]  A fourth word is sometimes used in the context of repentance.  That is the word, “epistrefw.”  This means, “to turn about, round or towards.”  It is often used in the context of turning to God.[6]  A lexical study of these words indicate that repentance is a change, it is a change made after a specific thought or action (and in regard to it), and it is toward God. 

Two words are used in the OT to capture the idea of repentance.  They are mhn and bWv.  The former means “to be sorry, console oneself; be sorry, have compassion; repent of,”[7] and the latter means, “turn back, return.”[8]

 

Three Elements of Remorse and Repentance

 

The lexical study can be helpful in understanding a biblical concept, but a theological definition of this word is just as important.  Theologians commonly use three particular terms to describe elements of true biblical repentance.  These are the intellectual, emotional, and volitional elements.[9]

The intellectual element is the change in understanding of a man’s actions or thoughts.  It is a change of view.  Scriptures call this the knowledge of sin (Romans 3.20).[10]  The person, after committing thought or action, gains a new understanding that he is guilty, that the thing committed is sin, and that the sin has affected his relationship with God.

 

The emotional element refers to the sorrow that a person feels about the thing that he has done.  It is also a change, or a new feeling.  Since the act was committed, the person has a change in feeling, or a new feeling.  This is indeed sorrow over the thing that he has done.  Some Christian writers in their definition of repentance ignore this element.  This is most likely a reaction to the wrong notion that repentance is only a change of feeling.  The word, metamelomai, is often used to convey this element of repentance.[11]  King David in Psalm 51: 2,10, and 14 expresses his emotion in response to his sin.  He is sorrowful because he had sinned against God.  The emotional element of repentance is always in reference to sinning against God.  Some people feel sorrow for their sin because they do not want to experience the consequences of their sin or because they do not like the “ugly insides” that are be evidenced.  Judas is an appropriate example of a man who experienced regret, or a change of emotion without it being in reference to God.  It was not the authentic element of repentance. 

 

The volitional element is a change in purpose.  It is a desire and a choice to seek forgiveness, restitution, and reconciliation with God and others.  King David displayed clearly this element of repentance in Psalm 51.5,7, and 10.

Theologians generally agree upon these three elements in a definition of repentance, although some of them tend to emphasize one element over another.[12]  All of these elements must be experienced in order for it to be called true biblical repentance.  These three elements may build on each other.  With a knew found knowledge of an act being sin (intellectual) should come sorrow for that guilt and break in fellowship with God (emotional), and with that change of knowledge and feeling should come a determination to change the action (volitional). 

 

Misconceptions Related to Remorse and Penance

 

Repentance and penance are often confused in many people’s minds.  Sorrow, or remorse, over a past action or thought is common to both penance and repentance.  There are four characteristics of penance that set it apart from repentance.[13]

 

First, the actions of a man are inappropriately emphasized in penance.  Underlying this view is the idea that man can earn his own righteousness before God.  He can “even out” his bad works (which he regrets) by doing good works.  By doing these good works, he then deserves to be reconciled to God.  Man justifies himself before God.  Some will say that they still depend on the grace of God to restore them, but that they must do good works to deserve this grace.  They are in essence saying that grace can be earned and/ or deserved. 

 

Second, the feelings and emotions of a man are inappropriately emphasized in penance.  This view also says that a man should feel some regret and sorrow over what he has done, but not necessarily, because he has sinned against a holy God.  He may feel this sorrow only because he is wicked inside.  He knows that he is out of control, or that he does not meet his own personal standards for himself or the standards that others have set for him. 

 

Third, helplessness and discouragement are the natural result of penance.  We said above that this view says that the man is responsible to do good works in order to earn restoring grace from God.  Because man, according to the Scripture, is not able in and of his own power to make changes in his life to become pleasing to God, he will feel powerless if he tries.  The power to change a life is a miracle that can only be worked by God.  When a man tries to do work that only God can do, it can only lead to discouragement.

 

Fourth, seeking out a human priest or mediator is a natural tendency of penance.  As a man feels great remorse for his failure, he tends to look for another person to comfort him and help him to change.  Certainly, finding another person to help in times of need is good, but the person must learn to trust Christ to effect changes in his life rather than trusting himself or other men. 

 

Repentance is a man turning from his own ways to God.  It is not simply turning from his own ways.  Turning to God is the key difference between penance and repentance.  Sorrow and “turning” are easily discerned in others’ response to their sin.  The most difficult to see, but yet the most essential part of repentance is the turning to God.

 

Notes on Key Passages on Remorse and Repentance

 

A clear understanding of repentance can be gained not only from a lexical definition of related words and by it contrasts with penance, but also from key passages of Scripture that deal directly with the topic.

 

Psalm 51

King David wrote this Psalm after his sin with Bathsheba.  Second Samuel 11 describes the sin that he had committed.  He committed adultery with Bathsheba, and then had her husband, Uriah, killed in battle.  Verse 27 says “the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD.”  The LORD, in His grace, sent the prophet Nathan to David to rebuke Him.  Nathan’s ministry to David is recorded in chapter 12.  In verse 13 the text says that David acknowledged that He had “sinned against the LORD.”  It was most likely not too long after this point that David wrote Psalm 51.  He wrote this psalm “for the choir director,” according to the inscription.  David’s unusual transparency evidencing his true repentance allowed him to write this psalm to be used for public worship. 

The Psalm can be broken up into 5 main sections: A request for personal restoration (vv. 1-2), confession and contrition (vv. 3-6), a request for restoration (vv. 7-12), thanksgiving (vv.13-17), and a request for national restoration (vv. 18-19).[14] 

 

As David requests personal restoration he realizes that there is nothing that he can do to earn or deserve grace from God.  He asks God to “have mercy.”  As well, he prays that God would “blot out [his] transgressions.”  David knows that he has no ability to present himself before a righteous God having compensated for his sin with good works.  God must take care of the transgressions.  David must be forgiven by God and cleansed from his sin (v.2).

In David’s confession and contrition, he shows his understanding of what sin is.[15]  He acknowledges that his sin was against God, and that this is a problem because God is a just God.  He is not sorrowful merely because of the consequences of his sin, but because he has offended a holy God.  He even acknowledges that his wickedness is much deeper than the specific sins that are most notable (his adultery and murder).  His sinfulness began at birth (v. 5). 

 

In David’s request for restoration he asks God to do the work of a priest on his behalf.  He asks that God would make him presentable because it is a work that only God can do.  David asks too for a radical change and the ability to stay changed (v. 10, 12).  He knows that God can give back to him the joy of salvation. 

 

In David’s thanksgiving he demonstrates a complete turning from the ways of self to the ways of God.  He had formerly used others to meet selfish desires, and now he seeks to serve God by serving (teaching) others (v. 13).  His desire to praise God (v. 15) also demonstrates this complete turn.  He knows that even the ability to praise cannot come from something inside of him.  He must rely on God to “open [his] lips.”  He had totally abandoned himself.  Concerning sacrifices, he knows God is more concerned with a broken heart than with the act of offering sacrifices.

In David’s request for national restoration, he demonstrates a heart that relies on the grace of God.[16] 

 

2 Corinthians 7.8-11

In this passage, Paul wishes to express great joy and deep gratitude to God for the work that has been done in the lives of the Corinthians.  In verse 8 Paul refers to a letter that he had sent them.  The content of the letter cannot be known for certain, but whatever the content, Paul knew the letter had caused them great sorrow.  He tells the Corinthians that he knows of the sorrow that was brought by the letter, but that he does not regret sending it to them.[17]  He does not regret it because the sorrow was only temporary and because God used it to bring them to repentance.  This in fact made Paul happy.  He was happy, not because of the sorrow that they experienced, but because of the repentance that they experienced.

 

Paul rejoices because they had experienced a godly sorrow rather than a worldly sorrow.  This highlights the difference between repentance and penance.  A worldly sorrow (penance) is very real.  It is a true and painful emotion, but it is motivated by something other than a knowledge and desire to live life for and with Christ.  In verse 10 Paul makes the contrast clear when he makes two parallel statements.  He says that a godly sorrow “is according to God,” “works repentance,” “leads to salvation,” and “is without regret.”  The parallel statement speaking of worldly sorrow implies the opposite of those things characteristic of godly sorrow.  Worldly sorrow “is of the world,” “works unrepentance,” “leads to death,” and “is with regret.”[18]  The worldly sorrow would mean that they would have continued in a state of unrepentance having only a simple, selfish sorrow (regret), and would eventually lead to death.  So Paul says that their repentance was a fruit of their salvation.  If they had continued in the state of unrepentance, then they would be demonstrating that they had never truly been saved.[19]  In verse 11 Paul says the godly sorrow had produced an “earnestness” in them.  He then proceeds to describe this earnestness, or diligence, by listing 6 characteristics of it.  He says it is an eagerness to clear themselves.  The Corinthians truly sought to change their ways and to make things right.  They took the necessary steps to be reconciled to God.  They also had “indignation.”  They had a godly hatred of sin, and with a righteous anger chose to put off the sin.  They had a “fear.”  This probably refers to their fear of God.[20]  Because they feared God, they hated their sin.  They had “zeal.”  They were “expending energy” in order to make things right.  The New American Standard Version of the Bible calls the next characteristic an “avenging of wrong.”  Paul most likely is referring to their recognition that sin must be punished.[21]  They viewed sin from God’s perspective.  The last characteristic of their diligence mentioned is “their readiness to see justice done.”[22]  Their desires and decisions were aligned with the heart of God.  They had abandoned their old ways for those of God.  They had a change of mind, emotion, and volition that caused them to turn from their sin to God.

 

Other Passages

The plea from the biblical writers is to the unsaved as well as to the saved.  John the Baptist, Jesus, and the disciples all had the same message to deliver to the unsaved world.  They plea was for repentance (Matthew 3.2; 4.17; Mark 6.12).  Other commands to repent are spoken to believers as in 2 Corinthians 7.8-11, which was discussed above.  In all cases, repentance is a turning from sinful selfish ways to God.  First Thessalonians 1.9 says that the people had “turned from idols to serve a living and true God.”  This speaks of the repentance that was necessary for their salvation.  Other passages command a change in a person’s life such as Colossians 3 and Ephesians 4 that speak of repentance that restores fellowship with God and is evidence of salvation.

 

In all cases of repentance, it is a gift of God by His grace as in 2 Timothy 2.25 and in Acts 11.18.  Because repentance is a work of God, it is pleasing to Him, effective, and complete.

 

Helping a Person to Move from Penance to Repentance

 

The counselor (any believer that seeks to help another person to grow in Christlikeness) has an important task in helping someone to move from penance to repentance since this is the essence of discipleship.  Penance is trust in self and repentance is a turning from trust in self to trust in God.  Paul gave Timothy a word of encouragement as Timothy sought to use the Word of God to minister to people.  Paul told him that the Word was useful for teaching what is right, teaching what is wrong, making things right, and keeping things right (2 Timothy 3.16-17).  This will serve as a good pattern for the ministry of counseling.

 

The counselor (discipler) will probably identify a particular sin in the life of the disciple (the one receiving the help) that needs to be addressed.  As the sin is made manifest to both the disciple and the counselor the pressure will be on the counselee to respond.  Assuming the counselee’s response is according to penance, the counselor must first teach the disciple what the right view of repentance is.

 

Psalm 51 would be an appropriate place to start.  The counselor would walk through an exposition of the text with the disciple.  They should discuss the context of the Psalm including the historical and literary context.  The counselor should take the disciple to 2 Samuel 11 where the sin of David is recorded.  After the counselor walks him through the passage, he could ask the disciple to clarify exactly what the sin of David was.  Then the structure of Psalm 51 should be discussed including a general outline of the passage.  At each point in the outline the counselee could be asked questions like, “what do you think is the significance of this?” and “how would this be similar to your situation?”  These questions will cause the disciple to think through what the passage means to say as well as how it applies to his own situation. 

 

The counselor could then walk through 2 Corinthians 7, first giving the context and then the general outline.  The counselee should be pointed to verse 10, which contrasts godly sorrow with worldly sorrow.  The counselor could ask the disciple what the contrasts are.  In verse 11 Paul gives 6 things that characterized the Corinthian’s repentance.  The counselor could ask the disciple what he thinks each of these things mean, and maybe even show the disciple how to use tools to uncover their meaning.  The counselor could then ask the question, “How do you think this would be demonstrated in your situation?” 

 

The counselor could also discuss the meaning of the Hebrew and Greek words that mean “repentance.”  First Thessalonians 1.9 would be good to work through as well.  This would clarify even more the complete turn around that is made in repentance.  It must be made clear that repentance is always turning away from something other than God to God.

 

The second step that the counselor should make is reproof.  He should use the authority of the Scriptures to show the disciple that his acts (or thoughts) are sinful.  He should know that his penance is something that he needs to repent of.  This rebuke should be done using passages that teach that selfishness is what needs to be abandoned.  It is wrong to live and think independently of God.  This can be done using statement made in Psalm 51 such as verses 3-5.

 

The third step taken by the counselor is correction.  He must show the counselee how to make things right.  Now, the counselee has at least two known sins: the first sin and the wrong response to the knowledge of that sin.  Both of these sins should be addressed.  A prayer of biblical repentance should be outlined for the counselee.  As well, if the first sin involved other people or things, other action should be taken.  This may include asking another person for forgiveness, returning items that were stolen, and correcting another person’s false impressions (if the first sin had involved lying), etc.

 

The fourth step taken by the counselor should be to train the disciple in righteousness.  He should show the disciple how to replace those bad habits of wrong thinking with good habits of right thinking.  The counselor can lead the counselee to an understanding of Colossians 3 and Ephesians 4 (the “put off”/ “put on” principle).  The two of them should discuss what the wrong habit should be replaced with, and then a plan should be devised to guide the disciple in creating right habits.  A regular plan for Bible study and prayer should be organized.  A plan for accountability may be in order too.  The disciple could be accountable to the counselor or to another person that is established in that area of the Christian life. 

 

In all of this counseling the counselor should trust God to grant true biblical repentance to the disciple.  Before, after, and during counseling sessions the counselor should pray that God would work in the heart of the disciple.  The counselor also needs to work at having a heart of compassion for the disciple just as Paul demonstrated in 2 Corinthians 7.8.  The counselor should not be afraid of causing the disciple to feel sorrow.  Of course, the counselor needs to counsel with the goal that repentance would come to the disciple.

 

The counselor should also be careful to examine himself before he rebukes another person.  Paul gives this warning in Galatians 6.  He says that the counselor should be controlled by the Spirit when he is involved in confrontation, and he should do it in the Spirit of meekness.  He should seek to be gentle and loving in his presentation of biblical truth.

 

Bibliography

 

Abbott-Smith, G.  A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament.  Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1999.

 

Adams, Jay E. A Theology of Christian Counseling: More Than Redemption. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979.

 

Barentsen, Jack. “Restoration and Its Blessings: A Theological Analysis of Psalms 51 and 32.” Grace Theological Journal, Fall 1984: 248-271.

 

Barnett, Paul. The Second Epistle to the Corinthians. In The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Edited by Gordon Fee. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997.

 

Berkof, L. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1941.

 

Boston, Thomas and Thomas Goodwin. Repentance. AFB, FL: Tyndale Bible Society, no date.

 

Brown, Francis, S. R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs, eds. The New Brown-Driver-Briggs-Gesenius Hebrew and English Lexicon. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson, 1979.

 

Kent, Homer A. A Heart Opened Wide: Studies in 2 Corinthians. Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books, 1982.

 

Kistemaker, Simon J. New Testament Commentary: Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1997.

 

Miller, John C. Repentance and 20th Centery Man. Fort Washington, PA: Christian Literature Crusade, 1975.

 

The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, S. v. “Conversion, Penitence, Repentance, Proselyte,” by F. Laubach, J. Goetzmann, and U. Becker.

 

Niquette, David Jay.  “Repentance in the New Testament.” Master of Divinity Thesis, Talbot Theological Seminary, 1972.

 

Thiessen, Henry Clarence. Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1949.

 

VanGemeren, Willem A. “Psalms.” In The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991.

 

The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Encyclopedia. S. v. “Repentance,” by G. A. Turner.

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[1] These three words are translated “repent” or “repentance” in the Authorized Version.

[2] G. Abbott-Smith.  A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament.  (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1999): 287.

[3] Niquette, David Jay.  “Repentance in the New Testament” A Master of Divinity Thesis, Talbot Theological Seminary: 11.

[4] The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology. S. v. “Conversion, Penitence, Repentance, Proselyte,” by F. Laubach, J. Goetzmann, and U. Becker: 356.

[5] Ibid, 354.

[6] Abbott-Smith:174-175.

[7] These are the definitions given for the Niphal and Hthpael from BDB: 636-637.

[8] Francis Brown, S. R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs, eds. The New Brown-Driver-Briggs-Gesenius Hebrew and English Lexicon. (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson, 1979): 996.

[9] These three elements are discussed outlined and discussed in Niquette’s, pp. 20-22.

[10] Henry Clarence Thiessen, Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1949): 353.

[11] Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1941): 486.

[12] Berkhof emphasizes the volitional element and Kenneth Wuest emphasizes the intellectual element. 

[13] All four of these things are taken from C. John Miller. Repentance and 20^th Century Man. (Fort Washington, PA: Christian Literature Crusade, 1998): 14-38.

[14] Willem A. VanGemeren. Psalms. In The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991):379.

[15] David uses 3 different words for sin in verses 1-3: “transgressions,” “iniquity,” and “sin.”

[16] Of course other things could be said about his request for national restoration, but they are not pertinent to this paper.

[17] Paul says something that seems to be contradictory.  He says, “I do not regret it; though I did regret it.”  While Paul felt sorrow (this is the idea of “regret”) because of the sorrow that would be brought about by his letter, he knew it was in their best interest (used by God to bring repentance) to write it.  This is important because Paul demonstrated compassion and humility as he felt the pain that the Corinthians felt.  Paul wrote the letter from a heart of selfless love and concern for the Corinthians.

[18] Paul Barnett. The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, in The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Edited by Gordon D. Fee. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997):376.

[19] This is difficult for a minister of the Scriptures to do in this age.  Paul, as a writer of inspired Scripture could speak with such authority.  The preacher and teacher of the Scriptures today, without the Holy Spirit “breathing out” through him infallible words, carries authority only as far as his words are according to Scripture.

[20] This fear of God also gave them a respect for His Word and the authority of Paul as an apostle.

[21] Simon J. Kistemaker. The New Testament Commentary: Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1997): 256-257.

[22] Barnett, NICNT: 378.