Page 262 - Bible Writers Theology Original

246 ♦ Bible WHters' Theology Chapter Eight
trees" (Luke 3:3-9; Matthew 3:1-11; Mark 1:4-5). After His baptism by John, the scripture says that "Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God...is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:14- 15; Matthew 4:17).
Speaking to the Pharisees, Jesus said, "But go ye and leam what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Matthew 9:13). Christ preached repentance against the backdrop of the calamity upon the Galileans and oth ers, "I tell you. Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:1-5).
Inthemessage ofChrist and His apostles, repentance was proclaimed as the gateway to the salvation promised in the Old Testament, which was the new covenant God intended to enter into with His people (Jeremiah 31:31- 34; Ezekiel 36:25-27). Repentance was one of the keys of the kingdom of heaven(Matthew16:18-19). AswitnessesofChrist'ssufferingsandresur- ration. His disciples were ordered to preach repentance and remission of sins in His name, among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem (Luke 24:46-48) When the church was born on the day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter, who
entrusted with the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, commanded. Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts
After the miraculous healing of the lame near the temple of Jerusalem, Peter proclaimed apin to the crowd, "Repent ye therefore, and be con-
2°*" blotted out, when the times of refreshing shaftcomefromthepresenceoftheLord"(Acts3:19). Themessageof
repentancerunsthroughouttheBookofActs. Paul,relatedthestoryofhis conversion and his missionary activity to King Agrippa: "I was not disobe dient unto the heavenly vision: But shewed first unto them...at Jer^lem...then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God ^ddoworksmeetforrepentance"(Acts26:19-20). InthesecondEpistleof
eter we also read, "The Lord is not slack conceriiing his promise, as some
nr^ count slackness: but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (II Peter 3:9).
8.8 Faith
A The Meaning of Faith
First, we need to distinguish between some terms that are sometimes con-
"belief", "hope", "the faith", and "faith" (Romans 4:16-25; I Connthians 13:13; Galatians 2:20; Hebrews 11:1).
The word "belief" is often used in the same sense as the word faith.