Understanding Repentance
There are 3 views to how people look at this word repent when speaking about Salvation.
✅ Repent of your sins (to turn from all your sins and be a good person)
✅ Repent of your sins (to feel guilt about your sins and have a will to turn from your sins)
✅ Repentance (towards God and believe in Jesus and what he did for you)
1️⃣ the Bible meaning of repent
🔷 Greek Words for Repentance (New Testament)
⏫ ” Metanoia" (μετάνοια) – Strong’s G3341
Meaning: Change of mind
Example: Mark 1:15 – "Repent ye, and believe the gospel."
This word emphasizes a mental shift—changing one’s thinking toward God and truth.
💭This word is used 22 times in the Bible and is the word that is associated with Salvation.
⏫ ”Metamelomai" (μεταμέλομαι) – Strong’s G3338
Meaning: To regret or feel remorse
Example: Matthew 27:3 – "Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver."
This word means feeling bad about something but does not necessarily imply a true heart change (Judas regretted his actions but did not turn to God in faith).
💭This word is used 6 times in the Bible and its context is not related to salvation.
🔷 Hebrew Words for Repentance (Old Testament)
⏫”Nacham" (נָחַם) – Strong’s H5162
Meaning: To feel sorrow, regret, or To have a change of mind or both
Example: Genesis 6:6 – "And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart."
Example: Exodus 32:14 – "And the Lord repented (nacham) of the evil which he thought to do unto his people."
This word doesn’t necessarily mean "turning from sin," but rather a deep sorrow or change of heart about a decision. As
⏫”Shuv" (שׁוּב) – Strong’s H7725
Meaning: To turn back, return
Example: Ezekiel 14:6 – "Thus saith the Lord God; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols."
This word carries the idea of turning back to God, which implies a change in direction.
‼️ Its important to note that the English translators of the KJV bible put the word repent to cover all these words and so context becomes important because for salvation the word Metanoia" (μετάνοια) is used, meaning in the context of Salvation we need to have a change of mind and believe on Jesus Christ for salvation which we will explain in depth on point 4.
💭 Some might think that is bad translating but the English language has simplified many words unlike greek for an example the word “LOVE” in the greek has 3 different words.
Agápe (ἀγάπη) – Unconditional, selfless, and divine love. It is often used in the New Testament to describe God's love for humanity.
Phílos (φίλος) / Philía (φιλία) – Brotherly love, deep friendship, or affectionate love between equals.
Éros (ἔρως) – Romantic, passionate, or sensual love, often associated with physical attraction.
📌 But in English we don’t struggle to understand what love is used because we know by the context, so the word love is enough for us to understand all these different greek words because we have context, so its similar to the word repent we need to know the context instead of assuming.
2️⃣ God repents more
🔷 The Bible shows us that God repents more then anybody in the Bible. The word "nacham" (Strong’s H5162) appears 108 times in the Old Testament, and a significant portion of those refer to God repenting.
Examples of God "Repenting" (Nacham)
📖 Genesis 6:6 – "And it repented (nacham) the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart."
This doesn’t mean God made a mistake but that He felt sorrow over human wickedness.
📖 Exodus 32:14 – "And the Lord repented (nacham) of the evil which he thought to do unto his people."
After Moses interceded, God changed His course of action and did not destroy Israel.
📖 1 Samuel 15:11 – "It repenteth (nacham) me that I have set up Saul to be king."
God regretted making Saul king because of Saul’s rebellion.
📖 Jeremiah 18:8 – "If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent (nacham) of the evil that I thought to do unto them."
God’s actions are conditional based on human response.
📌 So we don’t want to get the idea that repentance means to turn from sins? Because God cannot sin, so thats why context is important, especially concerning salvation.
‼️These are just some examples of God repenting. Now the issue people have brought up is that God can never repent?
🔷 The Bible does mention God “repenting,” but this does not mean that God changes His mind like humans do. Instead, when Scripture speaks of God “repenting,” it usually refers to His change in action in response to human behavior not a change in His eternal will or character.
1. The Bible Says God Does Not Repent in the Same Way as Humans
📖 Numbers 23:19 – “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent (nacham): hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”
📖 1 Samuel 15:29 – “And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent (nacham): for he is not a man, that he should repent.”
📌 Key Insight:
• These verses affirm that God is not like humans who change their minds or regret decisions.
• His nature, promises, and eternal will never change.
3️⃣ turning from your sins is works
🔹 the bible makes it clear that turning from your sins is work.
📖 Jonah 3:10 - And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
💭 What we see here is God saw their works and thats equivalent = to turning from their evil way (sins) and we know that you cannot be saved by works,
📖 Ephesians 2:8-9 - “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
📖 Galatians 2:16 - “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
💭And there are many verses explaining faith alone for salvation without works but again I digress because I don’t want to beat a died horse into the ground, as I have preached this resently in a message called “Criticism of Mormons” “Criticism of JWs” and “Criticism of Pentecostals”
4️⃣ Repent Towards God
📖 Acts 20:21 – “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”
📌 This verse is clear: repentance is directed toward God, and salvation is through faith in Christ.
📖 Acts 26:20 – “But showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.”
📌 Repentance means turning to God, not just quitting sin.
📖 Hebrews 6:1 – “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God.”
📌 Repentance is turning from dead works (self-righteousness) to faith in God.
✅ Repent for the remission of sins
📖 Luke 24:47 - “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
📌 I have heard this a lot where people would quote this verse and say see we need to repent of our sins? The only problem is that I don’t see the words repent of our sins. But let’s look at another passage with this same phrase and let us use the Bible to define this term.
📖 Luke 3:3 - “And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins”
📖 Acts 19:4-5 - “Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
📌 You will always see that the word repentance when it’s in the context of salvation is the word (Metanoia) which is a change of mind towards Gods.
🎬 Conclusion
🔷 If it was so important to add repent of your sins and that it’s very necessary to turn from our sins for salvation, then why isn’t the phrase found in bible? You wish it was there, but its not, but let me tell you where its found, in a corrupt version called the (New World Translation) by JWs in Acts 3:19
📖 NWT: "Therefore, repent and turn around so as to get your sins blotted out..."
🔷 Also its found in the (New Living Translation (NLT): Acts 3:19
📖 NLT: "Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away."
💭 This is the fruit of the phrase repent of your sins which is not in the bible, so if you use this unbiblical phrase don’t be surprised if you will have false converts because they fell short of faith and grace.
