John MacArthur on Repentance

Although John MacArthur states that the word repentance literally means a “change of mind,”[1] he goes on to embellish that definition with his own man-made theological traditions about repentance so that in the end, his definition of repentance doesn't simply mean “a change of mind” but instead he says it means all kinds of other things in addition to simply meaning “a change of mind”! Dr. Charlie Bing, a Free Grace author, points out this tendency among Reformed theologians to embellish the meaning of the Greek word for repentance when he says, “it is unfortunate that the basic meaning of ‘to change the mind’ is eclipsed by the Lordship [Reformed] insistence on something more from the word itself in the New Testament.”[2] Bing goes on to say: “It is interesting how often Lordship teachers agree with the meaning ‘change of mind,’ then invest the term with theology that demands much more.”[3] For example, commenting on 1 Thessalonians 1:9, MacArthur writes, “Paul...described the repentance of the Thessalonians: ‘You turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God’ (1 Thess. 1:9). Note three elements of repentance: a turning to God, a turning from evil, and the intent to serve God. No change of mind can be called true repentance if it does not include all three elements. The simple but all too often overlooked fact is that a true change of mind will necessarily result in a change of behavior.”[4]

But MacArthur here seems to be combining repentance with the fruit of repentance, which is a change of behavior (cf. Matt. 3:8; Luke 3:8; Acts 26:20). When the apostle Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 1:9, “You turned to God from idols”: that is biblical repentance.[5] When Paul goes on to say, “to serve a living and true God”: that is the fruit of repentance, i.e. service for Christ (cf. Rom. 7:4-6). MacArthur is confusing repentance with the fruit of repentance, and salvation with service.

 

References: 

[1] John MacArthur, The Gospel According to Jesus (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1988), p. 162. Cf. John MacArthur, The Gospel According to Jesus, Revised and Expanded Anniversary Edition (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008), pp. 177-178. 

[2] Charles C. Bing, Lordship Salvation: A Biblical Evaluation and Response, Chapter 3: Repentance and Salvation. www.gracelife.org/resources/lordshipsalvation/?id=3

[3] Ibid. See footnote 32. www.gracelife.org/resources/lordshipsalvation/?id=3#ref32

[4] John MacArthur, The Gospel According to Jesus, Revised and Expanded Anniversary Edition (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008), p. 178. 

[5] This turning in faith “to God from idols” (1 Thess. 1:8-9) is an inward change, a change of mind, in other words, repentance (cf. Acts 14:15, 17:29-30, 26:20; Heb. 6:1). Repentance and faith are like two sides of the same coin (cf. Acts 20:21). The turning to God “from idols” (1 Thess. 1:9) is when a person changes their mind and transfers their trust away from whatever they were trusting in before salvation to now trust in Christ alone for salvation.