Matthew 4:17

4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach this message: ¹  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

Matthew 11:20

Woes on Unrepentant Cities

11:20 Then Jesus began to criticize openly the cities ²  in which he had done many of his miracles, because they did not repent.

Matthew 12:41

12:41 The people ³  of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them ⁴  – and now, ⁵  something greater than Jonah is here!

Matthew 21:29-32

21:29 The boy answered, ⁶  ‘I will not.’ But later he had a change of heart ⁷  and went. 21:30 The father ⁸  went to the other son and said the same thing. This boy answered, ⁹  ‘I will, sir,’ but did not go. 21:31 Which of the two did his father’s will?” They said, “The first.” ¹⁰  Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, ¹¹  tax collectors ¹²  and prostitutes will go ahead of you into the kingdom of God! 21:32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe. Although ¹³  you saw this, you did not later change your minds ¹⁴  and believe him.

Matthew 21:1

The Triumphal Entry

21:1 Now ¹⁵  when they approached Jerusalem ¹⁶  and came to Bethphage, ¹⁷  at the Mount of Olives, ¹⁸  Jesus sent two disciples,

Matthew 8:1

Cleansing a Leper

8:1 After he came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him.

Job 42:6

42:6 Therefore I despise myself, ¹⁹ 

and I repent in dust and ashes!

Ezekiel 18:30-32

18:30 “Therefore I will judge each person according to his conduct, ²⁰  O house of Israel, declares the sovereign Lord. Repent ²¹  and turn from all your wickedness; then it will not be an obstacle leading to iniquity. ²²  18:31 Throw away all your sins you have committed and fashion yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! ²³  Why should you die, O house of Israel? 18:32 For I take no delight in the death of anyone, ²⁴  declares the sovereign Lord. Repent and live!

Ezekiel 33:11

33:11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but prefer that the wicked change his behavior ²⁵  and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil deeds! ²⁶  Why should you die, O house of Israel?’

Mark 1:4

1:4 In the wilderness ²⁷  John the baptizer ²⁸  began preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ²⁹ 

Mark 1:15

1:15 He ³⁰  said, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God ³¹  is near. Repent and believe the gospel!”

Mark 6:12

6:12 So ³²  they went out and preached that all should repent.

Luke 13:3

13:3 No, I tell you! But unless you repent, ³³  you will all perish as well! ³⁴ 

Luke 13:5

13:5 No, I tell you! But unless you repent ³⁵  you will all perish as well!” ³⁶ 

Luke 15:7

15:7 I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner ³⁷  who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people ³⁸  who have no need to repent. ³⁹ 

Luke 15:10

15:10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels ⁴⁰  over one sinner who repents.”

Luke 16:30

16:30 Then ⁴¹  the rich man ⁴²  said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead ⁴³  goes to them, they will repent.’

Luke 24:47

24:47 and repentance ⁴⁴  for the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed ⁴⁵  in his name to all nations, ⁴⁶  beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁷ 

Acts 2:38

2:38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each one of you be baptized ⁴⁸  in the name of Jesus Christ ⁴⁹  for ⁵⁰  the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ⁵¹ 

Acts 3:19

3:19 Therefore repent and turn back so that your sins may be wiped out,

Acts 11:18

11:18 When they heard this, ⁵²  they ceased their objections ⁵³  and praised ⁵⁴  God, saying, “So then, God has granted the repentance ⁵⁵  that leads to life even to the Gentiles.” ⁵⁶ 

Acts 17:30

17:30 Therefore, although God has overlooked ⁵⁷  such times of ignorance, ⁵⁸  he now commands all people ⁵⁹  everywhere to repent, ⁶⁰ 

Acts 20:21

20:21 testifying ⁶¹  to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus. ⁶² 

Acts 26:20

26:20 but I declared to those in Damascus first, and then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, ⁶³  and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, ⁶⁴  performing deeds consistent with ⁶⁵  repentance.

Acts 26:2

26:2 “Regarding all the things I have been accused of by the Jews, King Agrippa, ⁶⁶  I consider myself fortunate that I am about to make my defense before you today,

Colossians 1:10

1:10 so that you may live ⁶⁷  worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects ⁶⁸  – bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God,

Colossians 1:2

1:2 to the saints, the faithful ⁶⁹  brothers and sisters ⁷⁰  in Christ, at Colossae. Grace and peace to you ⁷¹  from God our Father! ⁷² 

Colossians 2:1

2:1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you, ⁷³  and for those in Laodicea, and for those who have not met me face to face. ⁷⁴ 

Hebrews 6:1-2

6:1 Therefore we must progress beyond ⁷⁵  the elementary ⁷⁶  instructions about Christ ⁷⁷  and move on ⁷⁸  to maturity, not laying this foundation again: repentance from dead works and faith in God, 6:2 teaching about baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

Hebrews 3:9

3:9 “There your fathers tested me and tried me, ⁷⁹  and they saw my works for forty years.

Revelation 2:5

2:5 Therefore, remember from what high state ⁸⁰  you have fallen and repent! Do ⁸¹  the deeds you did at the first; ⁸²  if not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place – that is, if you do not repent. ⁸³ 

Revelation 2:21

2:21 I ⁸⁴  have given her time to repent, but ⁸⁵  she is not willing to repent of her sexual immorality.

[4:17]  ¹ tn Grk “and to say.”

[11:20]  ² tn The Greek word here is πόλις (polis) which can be translated “city” or “town.” “Cities” was chosen here to emphasize the size of the places Jesus’ mentions in the following verses.

[12:41]  ³ tn Grk “men”; the word here (ἀνήρ, anhr) usually indicates males or husbands, but occasionally is used in a generic sense of people in general, as here (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. 1.a, 2).

[12:41]  ⁴ tn Grk “at the preaching of Jonah.”

[12:41]  ⁵ tn Grk “behold.”

[21:29]  ⁶ tn Grk “And answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here the referent (“the boy”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:29]  ⁷ tn The Greek text reads here μεταμέλομαι (metamelomai): “to change one’s mind about something, with the probable implication of regret” (L&N 31.59); cf. also BDAG 639 s.v. The idea in this context involves more than just a change of mind, for the son regrets his initial response. The same verb is used in v. 32.

[21:30]  ⁸ tn “And he”; here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[21:30]  ⁹ tn Grk “And answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated. Here the referent (“this boy”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:31]  ¹⁰ tc Verses 29-31 involve a rather complex and difficult textual problem. The variants cluster into three different groups: (1) The first son says “no” and later has a change of heart, and the second son says “yes” but does not go. The second son is called the one who does his father’s will. This reading is found in the Western mss (D it). But the reading is so hard as to be nearly impossible. One can only suspect some tampering with the text, extreme carelessness on the part of the scribe, or possibly a recognition of the importance of not shaming one’s parent in public. (Any of these reasons is not improbable with this texttype, and with codex D in particular.) The other two major variants are more difficult to assess. Essentially, the responses make sense (the son who does his father’s will is the one who changes his mind after saying “no”): (2) The first son says “no” and later has a change of heart, and the second son says “yes” but does not go. But here, the first son is called the one who does his father’s will (unlike the Western reading). This is the reading found in (א) C L W (Z) 0102 0281 ˹ 33 Ï and several versional witnesses. (3) The first son says “yes” but does not go, and the second son says “no” but later has a change of heart. This is the reading found in B Θ Ë¹³ 700 and several versional witnesses. Both of these latter two readings make good sense and have significantly better textual support than the first reading. The real question, then, is this: Is the first son or the second the obedient one? If one were to argue simply from the parabolic logic, the second son would be seen as the obedient one (hence, the third reading). The first son would represent the Pharisees (or Jews) who claim to obey God, but do not (cf. Matt 23:3). This accords well with the parable of the prodigal son (in which the oldest son represents the unbelieving Jews). Further, the chronological sequence of the second son being obedient fits well with the real scene: Gentiles and tax collectors and prostitutes were not, collectively, God’s chosen people, but they did repent and come to God, while the Jewish leaders claimed to be obedient to God but did nothing. At the same time, the external evidence is weaker for this reading (though stronger than the first reading), not as widespread, and certainly suspect because of how neatly it fits. One suspects scribal manipulation at this point. Thus the second reading looks to be superior to the other two on both external and transcriptional grounds. But what about intrinsic evidence? One can surmise that Jesus didn’t always give predictable responses. In this instance, he may well have painted a picture in which the Pharisees saw themselves as the first son, only to stun them with his application (v. 32).

[21:31]  ¹¹ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[21:31]  ¹² sn See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.

[21:32]  ¹³ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[21:32]  ¹⁴ sn The word translated change your minds is the same verb used in v. 29 (there translated had a change of heart). Jesus is making an obvious comparison here, in which the religious leaders are viewed as the disobedient son.

[21:1]  ¹⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[21:1]  ¹⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[21:1]  ¹⁷ sn The exact location of the village of Bethphage is not known. Most put it on the southeast side of the Mount of Olives and northwest of Bethany, about 1.5 miles (3 km) east of Jerusalem.

[21:1]  ¹⁸ sn “Mountain” in English generally denotes a higher elevation than it often does in reference to places in Palestine. The Mount of Olives is really a ridge running north to south about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) long, east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley. Its central elevation is about 30 meters (100 ft) higher than Jerusalem. It was named for the large number of olive trees which grew on it.

[42:6]  ¹⁹ tn Or “despise what I said.” There is no object on the verb; Job could be despising himself or the things he said (see L. J. Kuyper, “Repentance of Job,” VT 9 [1959]: 91-94).

[18:30]  ²⁰ tn Heb “ways.”

[18:30]  ²¹ tn The verbs and persons in this verse are plural whereas the individual has been the subject of the chapter.

[18:30]  ²² tn Or “leading to punishment.”

[18:31]  ²³ sn In Ezek 11:19, 36:26 the new heart and new spirit are promised as future blessings.

[18:32]  ²⁴ tn Heb “the death of the one dying.”

[33:11]  ²⁵ tn Heb “turn from his way.”

[33:11]  ²⁶ tn Heb “ways.” This same word is translated “behavior” earlier in the verse.

[1:4]  ²⁷ tn Or “desert.”

[1:4]  ²⁸ tn While Matthew and Luke consistently use the noun βαπτίστης (baptisths, “[the] Baptist”) to refer to John, as a kind of a title, Mark prefers the substantival participle ὁ βαπτίζων (Jo baptizwn, “the one who baptizes, the baptizer”) to describe him (only twice does he use the noun [Mark 6:25; 8:28]).

[1:4]  ²⁹ sn A baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins was a call for preparation for the arrival of the Lord’s salvation. To participate in this baptism was a recognition of the need for God’s forgiveness with a sense that one needed to live differently as a response to it.

[1:15]  ³⁰ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:15]  ³¹ sn The kingdom of God is a reference to the sovereign activity of God as he rules over his creation and brings his plans to realization.

[6:12]  ³² tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

[13:3]  ³³ sn Jesus was stressing that all stand at risk of death, if they do not repent and receive life.

[13:3]  ³⁴ tn Or “you will all likewise perish,” but this could be misunderstood to mean that they would perish by the same means as the Galileans. Jesus’ point is that apart from repentance all will perish.

[13:5]  ³⁵ sn Jesus’ point repeats v. 3. The circumstances make no difference. All must deal with the reality of what death means.

[13:5]  ³⁶ tn Grk “similarly.”

[15:7]  ³⁷ sn There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. The pursuit of the sinner is a priority in spite of the presence of others who are doing well (see also Luke 5:32; 19:10). The theme of repentance, a major Lukan theme, is again emphasized.

[15:7]  ³⁸ tn Here δικαίοις (dikaioi") is an adjective functioning substantivally and has been translated “righteous people.”

[15:7]  ³⁹ tn Or “who do not need to repent”; Grk “who do not have need of repentance.”

[15:10]  ⁴⁰ sn The whole of heaven is said to rejoice. Joy in the presence of God’s angels is a way of referring to God’s joy as well without having to name him explicitly. Contemporary Judaism tended to refer to God indirectly where possible out of reverence or respect for the divine name.

[16:30]  ⁴¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[16:30]  ⁴² tn Grk “he”; the referent (the rich man, v. 19) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:30]  ⁴³ sn If someone from the dead goes to them. The irony and joy of the story is that what is denied the rich man’s brothers, a word of warning from beyond the grave, is given to the reader of the Gospel in this exchange.

[24:47]  ⁴⁴ sn This repentance has its roots in declarations of the Old Testament. It is the Hebrew concept of a turning of direction.

[24:47]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “preached,” “announced.”

[24:47]  ⁴⁶ sn To all nations. The same Greek term (τὰ ἔθνη, ta eqnh) may be translated “the Gentiles” or “the nations.” The hope of God in Christ was for all the nations from the beginning.

[24:47]  ⁴⁷ sn Beginning from Jerusalem. See Acts 2, which is where it all starts.

[2:38]  ⁴⁸ tn The verb is a third person imperative, but the common translation “let each of you be baptized” obscures the imperative force in English, since it sounds more like a permissive (“each of you may be baptized”) to the average English reader.

[2:38]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[2:38]  ⁵⁰ tn There is debate over the meaning of εἰς in the prepositional phrase εἰς ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ὑμῶν (eis afesin twn Jamartiwn Jumwn, “for/because of/with reference to the forgiveness of your sins”). Although a causal sense has been argued, it is difficult to maintain here. ExSyn 369-71 discusses at least four other ways of dealing with the passage: (1) The baptism referred to here is physical only, and εἰς has the meaning of “for” or “unto.” Such a view suggests that salvation is based on works – an idea that runs counter to the theology of Acts, namely: (a) repentance often precedes baptism (cf. Acts 3:19; 26:20), and (b) salvation is entirely a gift of God, not procured via water baptism (Acts 10:43 [cf. v. 47]; 13:38-39, 48; 15:11; 16:30-31; 20:21; 26:18); (2) The baptism referred to here is spiritual only. Although such a view fits well with the theology of Acts, it does not fit well with the obvious meaning of “baptism” in Acts – especially in this text (cf. 2:41); (3) The text should be repunctuated in light of the shift from second person plural to third person singular back to second person plural again. The idea then would be, “Repent for/with reference to your sins, and let each one of you be baptized…” Such a view is an acceptable way of handling εἰς, but its subtlety and awkwardness count against it; (4) Finally, it is possible that to a first-century Jewish audience (as well as to Peter), the idea of baptism might incorporate both the spiritual reality and the physical symbol. That Peter connects both closely in his thinking is clear from other passages such as Acts 10:47 and 11:15-16. If this interpretation is correct, then Acts 2:38 is saying very little about the specific theological relationship between the symbol and the reality, only that historically they were viewed together. One must look in other places for a theological analysis. For further discussion see R. N. Longenecker, “Acts,” EBC 9:283-85; B. Witherington, Acts, 154-55; F. F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles: The Greek Text with Introduction and Commentary, 129-30; BDAG 290 s.v. εἰς 4.f.

[2:38]  ⁵¹ tn Here the genitive τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος (tou Jagiou pneumato") is a genitive of apposition; the gift consists of the Holy Spirit.

[11:18]  ⁵² tn Grk “these things.”

[11:18]  ⁵³ tn Or “became silent,” but this would create an apparent contradiction with the subsequent action of praising God. The point, in context, is that they ceased objecting to what Peter had done.

[11:18]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “glorified.”

[11:18]  ⁵⁵ sn Here the summary phrase for responding to the gospel is the repentance that leads to life. Note how the presence of life is tied to the presence of the Spirit (cf. John 4:7-42; 7:37-39).

[11:18]  ⁵⁶ sn In the Greek text the phrase even to the Gentiles is in an emphatic position.

[17:30]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “has deliberately paid no attention to.”

[17:30]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “times when people did not know.”

[17:30]  ⁵⁹ tn Here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).

[17:30]  ⁶⁰ sn He now commands all people everywhere to repent. God was now asking all mankind to turn to him. No nation or race was excluded.

[20:21]  ⁶¹ tn BDAG 233 s.v. διαμαρτύρομαι 1 has “testify of, bear witness to (orig. under oath)…of repentance to Judeans and Hellenes Ac 20:21.”

[20:21]  ⁶² tc Several mss, including some of the more important ones (Ì⁷⁴ א Α C [D] E 33 36 323 945 1175 1241 1505 1739 pm and a number of versions), read Χριστόν (Criston, “Christ”) at the end of this verse. This word is lacking in B H L P Ψ 614 pm. Although the inclusion is supported by many earlier and better mss, internal evidence is on the side of the omission: In Acts, both “Lord Jesus” and “Lord Jesus Christ” occur, though between 16:31 and the end of the book “Lord Jesus Christ” appears only in 28:31, perhaps as a kind of climactic assertion. Thus, the shorter reading is to be preferred.

[26:20]  ⁶³ tn BDAG 1093-94 s.v. χώρα 2.b states, “of the provincial name (1 Macc 8:3) ἡ χώρα τῆς ᾿Ιουδαίας Ac 26:20.”

[26:20]  ⁶⁴ sn That they should repent and turn to God. This is the shortest summary of Paul’s message that he preached.

[26:20]  ⁶⁵ tn BDAG 93 s.v. ἄξιος 1.b, “καρποὶ ἄ. τῆς μετανοίας fruits in keeping with your repentance…Lk 3:8; Mt 3:8. For this ἄ. τῆς μετανοίας ἔργα Ac 26:20.” Note how Paul preached the gospel offer and the issue of response together, side by side.

[26:2]  ⁶⁶ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[1:10]  ⁶⁷ tn The infinitive περιπατῆσαι (peripathsai, “to walk, to live, to live one’s life”) is best taken as an infinitive of purpose related to “praying” (προσευχόμενοι, proseucomenoi) and “asking” (αἰτούμενοι, aitoumenoi) in v. 9 and is thus translated as “that you may live.”

[1:10]  ⁶⁸ tn BDAG 129 s.v. ἀρεσκεία states that ἀρεσκείαν (areskeian) refers to a “desire to please εἰς πᾶσαν ἀ. to please (the Lord) in all respects Col 1:10.”

[1:2]  ⁶⁹ tn Grk “and faithful.” The construction in Greek (as well as Paul’s style) suggests that the saints are identical to the faithful; hence, the καί (kai) is best left untranslated (cf. Eph 1:1). See ExSyn 281-82.

[1:2]  ⁷⁰ tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” as here (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited).

[1:2]  ⁷¹ tn Or “Grace to you and peace.”

[1:2]  ⁷² tc Most witnesses, including some important ones (א A C F G I [P] 075 Ï it bo), read “and the Lord Jesus Christ” at the end of this verse, no doubt to conform the wording to the typical Pauline salutation. However, excellent and early witnesses (B D K L Ψ 33 81 1175 1505 1739 1881 al sa) lack this phrase. Since the omission is inexplicable as arising from the longer reading (otherwise, these mss would surely have deleted the phrase in the rest of the corpus Paulinum), it is surely authentic.

[2:1]  ⁷³ tn Or “I want you to know how hard I am working for you…”

[2:1]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “as many as have not seen my face in the flesh.”

[6:1]  ⁷⁵ tn Grk “Therefore leaving behind.” The implication is not of abandoning this elementary information, but of building on it.

[6:1]  ⁷⁶ tn Or “basic.”

[6:1]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “the message of the beginning of Christ.”

[6:1]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “leaving behind…let us move on.”

[3:9]  ⁷⁹ tn Grk “tested me by trial.”

[2:5]  ⁸⁰ tn Grk “from where,” but status is in view rather than physical position. On this term BDAG 838 s.v. πόθεν 1 states, “from what place? from where?…In imagery μνημόνευε πόθεν πέπτωκες remember from what (state) you have fallen Rv 2:5.”

[2:5]  ⁸¹ tn Grk “and do” (a continuation of the previous sentence in the Greek text). For stylistic reasons in English a new sentence was started here in the translation. The repeated mention of repenting at the end of the verse suggests that the intervening material (“do the deeds you did at first”) specifies how the repentance is to be demonstrated.

[2:5]  ⁸² tn Or “you did formerly.”

[2:5]  ⁸³ tn Although the final clause is somewhat awkward, it is typical of the style of Revelation.

[2:21]  ⁸⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and contemporary English style.

[2:21]  ⁸⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to bring out the contrast present in this woman’s obstinate refusal to repent.