Debunking a Calvinist Myth About Repentance

It has incorrectly been said by Reformed Theologians that “Many [Free Grace supporters] understand repentance to mean simply a ‘change of mind’....It is a definition unique to Free Grace supporters, without scholarly support from the academic community”.[1] This is yet another unfounded claim by those in Reformed circles, with the ultimate goal being, or at least the effect being, to disparage Free Grace Theology. I’m actually shocked that such sloppy scholarship would even get published! But then again, the publisher is Crossway: a book mill for Calvinistic drivel. This explains how such careless work as that quoted above could ever “pass muster” during what is normally a rigorous pre-check and review process at the publishing house. But I digress. On the topic of repentance, the truth is simply this: the traditional Free Grace view of repentance as “a change of mind” actually goes back hundreds of years and has troves of “scholarly support from the academic community”![2] I’ve already written about this at length; but here’s yet another example, this from Philip Schaff in his book The Creeds of Christendom, Volume III: “THE EVANGELICAL PROTESTANT CREEDS”. On pages 814-826, Schaff lists the “ARTICLES OF RELIGION OF THE REFORMED EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN AMERICA.  A.D. 1875.” This is a Protestant confession of faith. Here’s what Article XIII says; it reads as follows:

ARTICLE XIII. 

Of Repentance. 

     “The repentance required by Scripture is a change of mind toward God, and is the effect of the conviction of sin, wrought by the Holy Spirit. 

     The unconverted man may have [not “will have” but “may have”] a sense of remorse, or of shame and self-reproach, and yet he may have neither a change of mind toward God nor any true sorrow; but when he accepts Christ as his Saviour [Note: There is no mention of the unconverted man making Christ the Lord of his life. Cf. Article XI: “Of Faith.”], therein he manifests a change of mind, and is in possession of repentance unto life. The sinner comes to Christ through no labored process of repenting and sorrowing [!]; but he comes to Christ and repentance both at once, by means of simply believing. And ever afterwards his repentance is deep and genuine in proportion as his faith is simple and childlike.”[3]

 

Also notice Article XIX; it confirms that the definition of repentance is simply a “change of mind”:   

ARTICLE XIX 

Of Sin after Conversion.

     “The grant of repentance is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after conversion: that is to say, after, by the quickening into life by the Holy Ghost, they have turned to God by faith in Christ, and have been brought into that change of mind which is repentance unto life. For after we have received the Holy Ghost we may, through unbelief, carelessness, and worldliness, fall into sin, and by the grace of God we may [not “will”] arise again, and amend our lives; but every such fall is a grievous dishonor to our Lord, and a sore injury to ourselves.”[4]

 

Now of course there will be some debate in regards to the statement from Article XIII that “ever afterwards his repentance is deep and genuine”, but I would argue this needs to be understood in connection with the words that follow: “in proportion as his faith is simple and childlike.” In other words, if the believer’s faith is not simple and childlike, neither will his repentance (as a believer) be deep and genuine. No doubt Calvinists will interpret the statement in the sense of perseverance, but even so, this does not intrude upon the definition of repentance first given, viz. “simply believing”, or in other words:  having “a change of mind”! 

References:

[1] Wayne Grudem, “Free Grace” Theology: 5 Ways It Diminishes the Gospel (Wheaton: Crossway Publishers, 2016), p. 70, ellipsis added. Note: The “Reformed Theologians” that I’m referring to are those quoted on the first 2-3 pages of Grudem’s book, in the endorsements.

[2] For more information see my blog post titled: “Free Grace Theology: 6 Ways Grudem Misrepresents Biblical Repentance”.

[3] Philip Schaff, The Creeds of Christendom (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1877), Vol. 3, p. 818, brackets added.

[4] Ibid., p. 820, brackets added.