Recently a reader sent me the following question about repentance, which I would like to share as a blog post (with his permission) because there is so much misunderstanding about the meaning of biblical repentance. I have edited the reader’s question for minor punctuation and formatting changes and I have briefly expanded my response for added clarity in this article. I hope this Q & A on repentance is helpful in shedding some much needed light on this much misunderstood topic of biblical repentance! Here is the reader’s question about how to rightly understand repentance in the Bible and what is the best Latin word to translate the Greek word metanoia:
Hey Jonathan,
Was reading in Free Grace Theology: 5 Ways It Magnifies the Gospel (2nd edition), that Lactantius originally translated Metanoia into Latin as Resipiscentia, which they say means return from madness of folly. Later they changed it to Poenitentia in the Vulgate, which is the idea of penance that we see in the Reformed group when they think of repentance.
My mind immediately goes to the English phrase “WAKE UP!” or “WISE UP” when John the Baptist is preaching repentance for the Kingdom of God is at hand. [See Matthew 3:2.]
Would that be a fair approximation in your opinion? Would it work with all renderings of “repent” or “metanoia” in the New Testament?
Thanks!
I wrote back to the reader with the following response, which I trust will help others who may have the same or a similar question about the meaning of repentance.
Hi ______,
Good question. My first thought is that the phrases “wake up” or “wise up” don’t necessarily imply a change of mind, which is my understanding of the meaning of the Greek word metanoia. For example, someone could become wiser without changing their mind, they just become wiser [cf. Prov. 4:5, 7; Lu. 2:52]. Similarly, someone could wake up and not change their mind, but have the same mind as they did before they went to sleep. So although there are some similarities between, for example, “wise up” and “change your mind,” I wouldn’t say they are quite the same. I would say that “wise up” could be a part of what it means to change the mind, but by itself, “wise up” I don’t think fully conveys the meaning of metanoia, which is actually a change of mind, not merely gaining wisdom.
In regards to the Latin word resipiscentia, you could say that it means a return from madness of folly. That’s one way to explain it and I think that’s true. Just to expand on that, the definition that I’ve seen in my research (and my understanding of the meaning of resipiscentia) is that it basically means a “return to one’s senses” or in other words, a change of mind (e.g. from madness of folly to sanity). The prodigal son in Luke 15 is a good example of the meaning of resipiscentia and metanoia. In Luke 15:17, Jesus says that the prodigal son “came to his senses,” i.e. he returned to his right mind.
If you take a look at my article titled “The Meaning of Repentance: Quotes from the Ancients, Lexicons, and Theologians” and do a search of that article using the Google search feature (hit the control and F keys), a search box will pop up and you can search that article for the word resipiscentia. Also search that article for the cognate forms: resipisco, resipicite, resipiscit, and resipiscere. I have a translation of what Martin Luther says about it, for example:
“From Luther. ‘Metanoia, which the old interpreter [i.e. Jerome, the translator of the Latin Vulgate] expresses as poenitentiam [repentance], it is called resipiscentia [‘a coming to one’s senses’] or transmentatio [‘a change of mind’]: just as also Erasmus notes concerning chapter 3 of the gospel according to Matthew. Metanoeite, it is transmentamini [in Latin], that is, assume a different mind and perception, recover your senses, make a transition of mind and a Passover of spirit, so as to now be wise in heavenly things, instead of thus far you have been wise in earthly things [cf. Jn. 3:12-17]. Also Lactantius [in] book 6 of his Institutes informs [us], that poenitentia [repentance] in Greek is called Metanoia, that is resipiscentia. By no means therefore from use in sacred Scripture is repentance called sorrow, but a change of mind and [of one’s own] judgment, and to repent is to be wise after an error, and to install a mind for right living.’”[1]
I hope this helps!
ENDNOTE:
[1] For more information see my blog post titled “The Meaning of Repentance: Quotes from the Ancients, Lexicons, and Theologians” (FGFS, May 28, 2021).
Just to add to what I said above, I would say that instead of "WAKE UP!" or "WISE UP!", maybe a better or more-accurate-to-the-Greek way of saying it in English would be, "CHANGE YOUR THINKING!" Of course, the phrase "Change your mind!" works too; but in the context of Matthew 3:2, I think the phrase "Change your thinking!" has a little better ring to it (or sound to it) in English.
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