Summary
Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away, - Acts 3:19
Peter, speaking to the Jews, tells them if they change their mind about Christ, the One they rejected and crucified, and to turn back so their sins would be wiped away.
Biblical Support
- 2 Chronicles 7:14
- Isaiah 55:6–7
- Matthew 3:2
- Mark 1:15
- Luke 13:3
- John 1:12
- Acts 2:38
- Romans 2:4
- 2 Peter 3:9
Explanation
The Greek verb μετανοέω (metanoeō) means to change one’s mind or to reconsider. In classical Greek, it referred simply to rethinking a decision or opinion. In the New Testament, the same verb is used within a moral and theological context: a change of mind about God, sin, and salvation that leads a person to turn to Him.
Repentance is not defined as stopping sin or doing good works, but as a reorientation of understanding and trust:
- Changing one’s mind about who Jesus is: recognizing Him as Lord and Savior, not merely a teacher.
- Changing one’s mind about who we are: acknowledging our sin and inability to save ourselves.
- Changing one’s mind about how God saves: through faith in Christ rather than through good deeds or sacrifice.
Just as John 1:12 speaks of believing and receiving, Acts 3:19 speaks of repenting and turning. Both describe one response seen from two angles. To believe is to change one’s mind; to receive is to turn toward the One believed in. Mere agreement with facts is not enough. True repentance embraces Christ personally in faith.
Repentance and turning to God describe faith that results in wiping away sin and new life.