Plymouth Brethren NT has "Change Your Mind" for "Repent"

JOHN BOWES.

There is a little-known Plymouth Brethren writer by the name of John Bowes (1804-1874) who completed a very helpful translation of the New Testament from the original Greek. His translation is titled The New Testament: Translated from the Purest Greek. This translation is helpful because it correctly translates the word repent in the sense of "change your mind". In the PREFACE to his translation (which is very helpful to read), Bowes lists some of the lexical and scholarly support for his understanding of repentance as a change of mind. For instance, he writes:

    A strong reason for this Translation exists in several recent translators having given "reformation" instead of either repentance, or change of mind for metanoia. As I have adopted the latter as a decided testimony against either penance or reformation, and as a correct rendering; I advance the following authorities:— 

     Matthew Henry.—"Bethink yourselves; admit a second thought to correct the errors of the first; an after thought; consider your ways, change your minds."—Com. Matt. iii. 2.  

    Professor Campbell.—"It marks a change of mind that is durable and productive of consequences."—Dissertation vi.  

    John Campbell of London.—"What is the general import of repentance in the Scriptures? that entire change of mind which takes place on a sinner's conversion to God."—Theology for Youth, part iii. sec. 6.  

   Robinson.—"To perceive afterwards, to have an after view, and hence to change one's views, mind, purpose."—Lex.  

   Greenfield.—"A change of mind and purpose."—Lex.  

   Adam Clarke.—"As the word metanoia which we translate repentance signifies literally a change of mind, it may here be referred to a change of religious views, &c."—Com. Acts xi. 18.  

   John Angel James.—"The meaning of the word repent generally used in the Greek Scriptures is a change of mind."—Anxious Inquirer, chap. iv., on Repentance. There is another word very improperly rendered repentance, metamelomai in the A.V., which I have translated 'regret.' 

   Albert Barnes gives a just view of both words in his Notes on Matt. iii. 2. "There are two words in the New Testament translated repentance, one of which denotes a change of mind, or a reformation of life, and the other sorrow or regret that sin has been committed."  

   Doddridge expresses the right view of 2 Cor. vii. 9, "Ye sorrowed to repentance;" he paraphrases, "ye grieved to such a happy purpose, and were by that means brought to true repentance—to a change of mind."—Fam. Expos. in loc. 

    Richard Watson.—"Repentance is sometimes used generally for a change of mind, and an earnest wishing that something were undone that has been done."—Bib. Dict. p. 870. 

   Here are ten witnesses, and the number could be greatly multiplied, whose testimony warrants the translation given of one or both of these two important words. 

Following are some examples from the Bowes' Translation where the Greek word metanoia is translated with the meaning of a change of mind: 

"And saying, Change your mind, for the reign of the heavens has drawn nigh." (Matthew 3:2)

"From that time Jesus began to proclaim, and say, Change your minds, for the reign of the heavens has drawn nigh." (Matthew 4:17)

"And that a change of mind and remission of sins should be proclaimed in his name among all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem." (Luke 24:47)

"And Peter said to them, Change your minds, and be each of you immersed, upon the name of Jesus Christ, into remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit," (Acts 2:38)

"Change your mind therefore, and turn, that your sins may be blotted out, that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." (Acts 3:19)

"That therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, he now commands all men everywhere to change their minds:" (Acts 17:30)

"But to those in Damascus first, and Jerusalem, and in all the country of Judea, and to the nations, I declared that they should change their minds and turn to God, and perform works worthy of their change of mind." (Acts 26:20)

According to his Autobiography (p. 80), Bowes studied NT Greek for 44 years. He writes:

"Those who expound the Scriptures, especially the New Testament, should, if possible, draw their streams from the original fountain, or they must depend upon others for uncertain supplies....Let no one despise the day of small things. I soon became able to give the sense of the original in sermons and lectures, and ultimately commenced, with a few others, a class at Cheltenham, for reading the Scriptures of the New Testament in the original."

This pursuit eventually resulted in his own translation of the New Testament from the purest Greek, which he published in 1870. (Source: www.geni.com/people/John-Bowes)