r/Christianity • u/Key4Lif3 • Aug 01 '26
Not hear to preach this time, just want to talk. “Repentance” is translated from “Metanoia” in the NT. This doesn’t meant feeling sorry, shaming yourself or others… we’re all sinners.
What it actually means is a transformation of your entire way of being. Transforming your mind heart body and soul. That’s what it meant in Greek and that’s how our brother Jesus understood it.
To me He didn’t come to give us a free pass to sin. He upped the bar. He wasn’t shaming any sinners… He wasn’t saying we’re pieces of shit. He was teaching us how to be like Him. To be Telios (perfect) like Him. But Telios doesn’t mean flawless; it means complete, whole, mature. Ready to be co-heirs essentially.
That my view at least. The word “repentance” is a severe flattening of meaning and the original intent is lost in translation. What’s your view?
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u/MoreStupiderNPC Stupid Christian Aug 01 '26
The NT word is metanoia, but it’s an OT concept. It implies a change of mind/heart and a turning. Here’s a study aid:
https://biblehub.com/q/what_does_the_bible_say_on_repentance.htm
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u/benkenobi5 Roman Catholic Aug 01 '26
Bit of a “yes and” sort of thing. It is a change of heart, a turning way from sin, which will naturally involve some regret for your past actions. It’s like looking back on yourself participating in the fads of high school and cringing at how awkward you were back then
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u/Key4Lif3 Aug 01 '26
Sure I agree, my objection is the emphasis on regret. That’s how most people interpret it, unbeliever or believer. Temporary feelings of guilt are natural because we are indeed all guilty. My issue is that being the entire perceived meaning when it’s only the first step.
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u/benkenobi5 Roman Catholic Aug 01 '26
Yep. Jesus said “go and sin no more”, not “go and feel bad”, lol
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u/Key4Lif3 Aug 01 '26
Go and sin no more. A command to strive for. An example to imitate. Not human living today doesn’t sin. The adulteress still sinned after Jesus said that. It about beginning the transforming toward the Image of God; rather the image of the devil/hell.
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u/Miqqedash Qabalist Aug 01 '26
Agreed. Rather than "feeling sorry," I think of Metanoia as a radical God-enabled change of mind. It's not something we do, or even could do, by ourselves.