the kingdom of heaven (2)
July 24This is part two in a series. Read the first post.
In the first part of this series, I explored Jesus’ exhortation to “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” by considering the word “repent” as it’s often used.
Today, we’ll begin to unpack Christ’s call to repentance.
Matthew locates this statement at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. Furthermore, he indicates that these words were perhaps Jesus’ central message. The phrase “From that time” (the NIV translates this “from that time on”) indicates that Jesus continued to use these words. The Greek phrase “apo tote” implies something beginning at a specific point, then continuing in a certain direction indefinitely — much like a ray in mathematics. This word is also used in the New Testament to mean that someone is the first to do something. The Son of God walked the earth, teaching people(s) to repent and enter the Kingdom of God.
But what does it mean to repent? I remember thinking that “repent” meant to say that you’re sorry. In this sense, Jesus’ command as we often think of it makes a lot of sense — “say you’re sorry so that you don’t go to hell!” But the word “repent” meant much more to Him than simply apologizing.
The Greek word for “repent” used here is “metanoeo.” This word primarily means “to change one’s mind.” In this context, it implies that this is a change for the better, resulting from an abhorrence of one’s sins and a desire to make amends.
So when Jesus commands us to repent, he’s not calling us to bow down at the front of a church or say the “sinner’s prayer” — though there’s nothing wrong with these. It’s just important that we keep separate in our minds what Christ has ordained and what His Church has instituted. But Jesus is calling us to change our minds completely by seeking, hearing, and obeying his teaching.
Paul echoes this in Romans 12, calling the church to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” A simple apology will not suffice. The transformation to which Christ calls us is a complete shift in thought and practice.
But why must we repent in this manner?
Check back here on Wednesday. Until then, leave a comment!
- csa
Greek references from Blue Letter Bible.
July 24th, 2006 at 10:14 am
I think it would be really helpful to see the line of continuation between Jesus’ message of repentance and YHWH’s continual call of repentance in the OT:
1 Kings 8:46-53
Isaiah 30:15
Ezekiel 14:6, 18:30
And though you’re probably going to cover this, I thought the theme of repentance in Acts might churn the mindcrank:
Acts 5:31, 11:18
Bonne jour, mon frere
July 24th, 2006 at 10:32 am
great thoughts. i look forward to reading more!
July 24th, 2006 at 4:19 pm
To Scott, from an old C of H friend:
I stumbled onto your blog a couple of days ago. I was intrigued by the fact that your recent reading list is similar to mine. You write the kind of stuff that I would like to write if I was a better writer. It is apparent we have some similar interests and ideas. Who knew?
Your post immediately made me think of C. S. Lewis’ discussion of repentance in Mere Christianity. (I don’t have my copy with me, so the following is based on memory and a few quotes I snagged off the internet.)
In Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis suggests that Christ not only taught repentance verbally, but ultimately modeled repentance for us on the cross. According to Lewis, repentance means “unlearning all the self-conceit and self-will that we have been training ourselves into for thousands of years. It means killing part of yourself, undergoing a kind of death�. Lewis says that only a bad man needs to repent. However, because he is bad, man(kind) doesn’t know how to repent. As odd as it seems to think of God as “repenting�, the incarnation and atonement involve God teaching and modeling repentance (i.e., surrender).
Also, when Lewis describes repentance as “unlearning all the self-conceit and self-will that we have been training ourselves into for thousands of years�, it makes me think that repentance is something we need both individually and collectively/systemically.