Matthew 3:2

3:2 “Repent, ¹  for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

Matthew 3:8

3:8 Therefore produce fruit ²  that proves your ³  repentance,

Matthew 4:17

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

Matthew 11:20-21

Woes on Unrepentant Cities

11:20 Then Jesus began to criticize openly the cities ⁵  in which he had done many of his miracles, because they did not repent. 11:21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! ⁶  Woe to you, Bethsaida! If ⁷  the miracles ⁸  done in you had been done in Tyre ⁹  and Sidon, ¹⁰  they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

Matthew 21:28-32

The Parable of the Two Sons

21:28 “What ¹¹  do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 21:29 The boy answered, ¹²  ‘I will not.’ But later he had a change of heart ¹³  and went. 21:30 The father ¹⁴  went to the other son and said the same thing. This boy answered, ¹⁵  ‘I will, sir,’ but did not go. 21:31 Which of the two did his father’s will?” They said, “The first.” ¹⁶  Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, ¹⁷  tax collectors ¹⁸  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 ¹⁹  you saw this, you did not later change your minds ²⁰  and believe him.

Isaiah 55:6-7

55:6 Seek the Lord while he makes himself available; ²¹ 

call to him while he is nearby!

55:7 The wicked need to abandon their lifestyle ²² 

and sinful people their plans. ²³ 

They should return ²⁴  to the Lord, and he will show mercy to them, ²⁵ 

and to their God, for he will freely forgive them. ²⁶ 

Luke 15:7

15:7 I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner ²⁷  who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people ²⁸  who have no need to repent. ²⁹ 

Luke 24:47

24:47 and repentance ³⁰  for the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed ³¹  in his name to all nations, ³²  beginning from Jerusalem. ³³ 

Acts 2:38

2:38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each one of you be baptized ³⁴  in the name of Jesus Christ ³⁵  for ³⁶  the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁷ 

Acts 3:19

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

Acts 5:31

5:31 God exalted him ³⁸  to his right hand as Leader ³⁹  and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. ⁴⁰ 

Acts 11:18

11:18 When they heard this, ⁴¹  they ceased their objections ⁴²  and praised ⁴³  God, saying, “So then, God has granted the repentance ⁴⁴  that leads to life even to the Gentiles.” ⁴⁵ 

Acts 17:30-31

17:30 Therefore, although God has overlooked ⁴⁶  such times of ignorance, ⁴⁷  he now commands all people ⁴⁸  everywhere to repent, ⁴⁹  17:31 because he has set ⁵⁰  a day on which he is going to judge the world ⁵¹  in righteousness, by a man whom he designated, ⁵²  having provided proof to everyone by raising ⁵³  him from the dead.”

Acts 20:21

20:21 testifying ⁵⁴  to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus. ⁵⁵ 

Acts 26:18-20

26:18 to open their eyes so that they turn ⁵⁶  from darkness to light and from the power ⁵⁷  of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share ⁵⁸  among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

26:19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, ⁵⁹  I was not disobedient ⁶⁰  to the heavenly ⁶¹  vision, 26:20 but I declared to those in Damascus first, and then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, ⁶²  and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, ⁶³  performing deeds consistent with ⁶⁴  repentance.

Romans 2:4-6

2:4 Or do you have contempt for the wealth of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, and yet do not know ⁶⁵  that God’s kindness leads you to repentance? 2:5 But because of your stubbornness ⁶⁶  and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourselves in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed! ⁶⁷  2:6 He ⁶⁸  will reward ⁶⁹  each one according to his works: ⁷⁰ 

Romans 2:1

The Condemnation of the Moralist

2:1 ⁷¹ Therefore ⁷²  you are without excuse, ⁷³  whoever you are, ⁷⁴  when you judge someone else. ⁷⁵  For on whatever grounds ⁷⁶  you judge another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge practice the same things.

Romans 1:15

1:15 Thus I am eager ⁷⁷  also to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome. ⁷⁸ 

Romans 1:2

1:2 This gospel ⁷⁹  he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures,

Romans 2:25-26

2:25 For circumcision ⁸⁰  has its value if you practice the law, but ⁸¹  if you break the law, ⁸²  your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 2:26 Therefore if the uncircumcised man obeys ⁸³  the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?

Romans 2:2

2:2 Now we know that God’s judgment is in accordance with truth ⁸⁴  against those who practice such things.

Romans 3:9

The Condemnation of the World

3:9 What then? Are we better off? Certainly not, for we have already charged that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin,

[3:2]  ¹ tn Grk “and saying, ‘Repent.’” The participle λέγων (legwn) at the beginning of v. 2 is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[3:8]  ² sn Fruit worthy of repentance refers to the deeds that indicate a change of attitude (heart) on the part of John’s hearers.

[3:8]  ³ tn Grk “fruit worthy of.”

[4:17]  ⁴ tn Grk “and to say.”

[11:20]  ⁵ 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.

[11:21]  ⁶ sn Chorazin was a town of Galilee that was probably fairly small in contrast to Bethsaida and is otherwise unattested. Bethsaida was declared a polis by the tetrarch Herod Philip, sometime after a.d. 30.

[11:21]  ⁷ tn This introduces a second class (contrary to fact) condition in the Greek text.

[11:21]  ⁸ tn Or “powerful deeds.”

[11:21]  ⁹ map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[11:21]  ¹⁰ sn Tyre and Sidon are two other notorious OT cities (Isa 23; Jer 25:22; 47:4). The remark is a severe rebuke, in effect: “Even the sinners of the old era would have responded to the proclamation of the kingdom, unlike you!”

[21:28]  ¹¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[21:29]  ¹² 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]  ¹³ 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]  ¹⁴ tn “And he”; here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[21:30]  ¹⁵ 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]  ¹⁶ 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]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[21:31]  ¹⁸ sn See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.

[21:32]  ¹⁹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[21:32]  ²⁰ 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.

[55:6]  ²¹ tn Heb “while he allows himself to be found.” The Niphal form has a tolerative force here.

[55:7]  ²² tn Heb “Let the wicked one abandon his way.” The singular is collective.

[55:7]  ²³ tn Heb “and the man of evil his thoughts.” The singular is collective.

[55:7]  ²⁴ tn Heb “let him return.” The singular is collective, meaning “let them.”

[55:7]  ²⁵ tn The imperfect with vav (ו) conjunctive after the jussive indicates purpose/result.

[55:7]  ²⁶ sn The appeal and promise of vv. 6-7 echoes the language of Deut 4:25-31; 30:1-10; and 1 Kgs 8:46-53, all of which anticipate the exile and speak of the prerequisites for restoration.

[15:7]  ²⁷ 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]  ²⁸ tn Here δικαίοις (dikaioi") is an adjective functioning substantivally and has been translated “righteous people.”

[15:7]  ²⁹ tn Or “who do not need to repent”; Grk “who do not have need of repentance.”

[24:47]  ³⁰ sn This repentance has its roots in declarations of the Old Testament. It is the Hebrew concept of a turning of direction.

[24:47]  ³¹ tn Or “preached,” “announced.”

[24:47]  ³² 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]  ³³ sn Beginning from Jerusalem. See Acts 2, which is where it all starts.

[2:38]  ³⁴ 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]  ³⁵ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[2:38]  ³⁶ 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]  ³⁷ tn Here the genitive τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος (tou Jagiou pneumato") is a genitive of apposition; the gift consists of the Holy Spirit.

[5:31]  ³⁸ tn Grk “This one God exalted” (emphatic).

[5:31]  ³⁹ tn Or “Founder” (of a movement).

[5:31]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “to give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.”

[11:18]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “these things.”

[11:18]  ⁴² 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]  ⁴³ tn Or “glorified.”

[11:18]  ⁴⁴ 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]  ⁴⁵ sn In the Greek text the phrase even to the Gentiles is in an emphatic position.

[17:30]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “has deliberately paid no attention to.”

[17:30]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “times when people did not know.”

[17:30]  ⁴⁸ tn Here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).

[17:30]  ⁴⁹ 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.

[17:31]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “fixed.”

[17:31]  ⁵¹ sn The world refers to the whole inhabited earth.

[17:31]  ⁵² tn Or “appointed.” BDAG 723 s.v. ὁρίζω 2.b has “of persons appoint, designate, declare: God judges the world ἐν ἀνδρὶ ᾧ ὥρισεν through a man whom he has appointed Ac 17:31.”

[17:31]  ⁵³ tn The participle ἀναστήσας (anasthsa") indicates means here.

[20:21]  ⁵⁴ 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]  ⁵⁵ 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.

[26:18]  ⁵⁶ sn To open their eyes so that they turn… Here is Luke’s most comprehensive report of Paul’s divine calling. His role was to call humanity to change their position before God and experience God’s forgiveness as a part of God’s family. The image of turning is a key one in the NT: Luke 1:79; Rom 2:19; 13:12; 2 Cor 4:6; 6:14; Eph 5:8; Col 1:12; 1 Thess 5:5. See also Luke 1:77-79; 3:3; 24:47.

[26:18]  ⁵⁷ tn BDAG 352-53 s.v. ἐξουσία 2 states, “Also of Satan’s power Ac 26:18.” It is also possible to translate this “the domain of Satan” (cf. BDAG 353 s.v. 6)

[26:18]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “and an inheritance.”

[26:19]  ⁵⁹ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[26:19]  ⁶⁰ sn I was not disobedient. Paul’s defense is that he merely obeyed the risen Jesus. He was arrested for obeying heavenly direction and preaching the opportunity to turn to God.

[26:19]  ⁶¹ tn According to L&N 1.5, “In Ac 26:19 the adjective οὐράνιος could be interpreted as being related simply to the meaning of οὐρανός^a ‘sky,’ but it seems preferable to regard οὐράνιος in this context as meaning simply ‘from heaven’ or ‘heavenly.’”

[26:20]  ⁶² 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]  ⁶³ sn That they should repent and turn to God. This is the shortest summary of Paul’s message that he preached.

[26:20]  ⁶⁴ 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.

[2:4]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “being unaware.”

[2:5]  ⁶⁶ tn Grk “hardness.” Concerning this imagery, see Jer 4:4; Ezek 3:7; 1 En. 16:3.

[2:5]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.”

[2:6]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun was converted to a personal pronoun and, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[2:6]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “will render,” “will recompense.” In this context Paul is setting up a hypothetical situation, not stating that salvation is by works.

[2:6]  ⁷⁰ sn A quotation from Ps 62:12; Prov 24:12; a close approximation to Matt 16:27.

[2:1]  ⁷¹ sn Rom 2:1-29 presents unusual difficulties for the interpreter. There have been several major approaches to the chapter and the group(s) it refers to: (1) Rom 2:14 refers to Gentile Christians, not Gentiles who obey the Jewish law. (2) Paul in Rom 2 is presenting a hypothetical viewpoint: If anyone could obey the law, that person would be justified, but no one can. (3) The reference to “the ones who do the law” in 2:13 are those who “do” the law in the right way, on the basis of faith, not according to Jewish legalism. (4) Rom 2:13 only speaks about Christians being judged in the future, along with such texts as Rom 14:10 and 2 Cor 5:10. (5) Paul’s material in Rom 2 is drawn heavily from Diaspora Judaism, so that the treatment of the law presented here cannot be harmonized with other things Paul says about the law elsewhere (E. P. Sanders, Paul, the Law, and the Jewish People, 123); another who sees Rom 2 as an example of Paul’s inconsistency in his treatment of the law is H. Räisänen, Paul and the Law [WUNT], 101-9. (6) The list of blessings and curses in Deut 27–30 provide the background for Rom 2; the Gentiles of 2:14 are Gentile Christians, but the condemnation of Jews in 2:17-24 addresses the failure of Jews as a nation to keep the law as a whole (A. Ito, “Romans 2: A Deuteronomistic Reading,” JSNT 59 [1995]: 21-37).

[2:1]  ⁷² tn Some interpreters (e.g., C. K. Barrett, Romans [HNTC], 43) connect the inferential Διό (dio, “therefore”) with 1:32a, treating 1:32b as a parenthetical comment by Paul.

[2:1]  ⁷³ tn That is, “you have nothing to say in your own defense” (so translated by TCNT).

[2:1]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “O man.”

[2:1]  ⁷⁵ tn Grk “Therefore, you are without excuse, O man, everyone [of you] who judges.”

[2:1]  ⁷⁶ tn Grk “in/by (that) which.”

[1:15]  ⁷⁷ tn Or “willing, ready”; Grk “so my eagerness [is] to preach…” The word πρόθυμος (proqumo", “eager, willing”) is used only elsewhere in the NT in Matt 26:41 = Mark 14:38: “the spirit indeed is willing (πρόθυμος), but the flesh is weak.”

[1:15]  ⁷⁸ map For location see JP4 A1.

[1:2]  ⁷⁹ tn Grk “the gospel of God, which he promised.” Because of the length and complexity of this sentence in Greek, it was divided into shorter English sentences in keeping with contemporary English style. To indicate the referent of the relative pronoun (“which”), the word “gospel” was repeated at the beginning of v. 2.

[2:25]  ⁸⁰ sn Circumcision refers to male circumcision as prescribed in the OT, which was given as a covenant to Abraham in Gen 17:10-14. Its importance for Judaism can hardly be overstated: According to J. D. G. Dunn (Romans [WBC], 1:120) it was the “single clearest distinguishing feature of the covenant people.” J. Marcus has suggested that the terms used for circumcision (περιτομή, peritomh) and uncircumcision (ἀκροβυστία, akrobustia) were probably derogatory slogans used by Jews and Gentiles to describe their opponents (“The Circumcision and the Uncircumcision in Rome,” NTS 35 [1989]: 77-80).

[2:25]  ⁸¹ tn This contrast is clearer and stronger in Greek than can be easily expressed in English.

[2:25]  ⁸² tn Grk “if you should be a transgressor of the law.”

[2:26]  ⁸³ tn The Greek word φυλάσσω (fulassw, traditionally translated “keep”) in this context connotes preservation of and devotion to an object as well as obedience.

[2:2]  ⁸⁴ tn Or “based on truth.”