…In Christian theology? (That last part is to appease the atheists :))
I have seen some good arguments that it does not here, but I was talking to a friend of mine and he showed me two bible verses from the gospels.
Luke 13:3- “You also will perish unless you turn from your evil ways and follow God”
Luke 13:5- “I tell you again, unless you repent, you will also perish.”
I haven’t looked them up yet for context. I’ll do it when I get home. In the meantime, I trust my friend.
The only defense I can think of is that repentence might just mean turning to follow God. But I think that’s too quick of a conclusion to jump too.
Anyway, the people who say salvation doesn’t require repentence have some 'splaining to do.
The word in your friend’s version translated as “repent” means to change one’s mind. The word translated as “sinners” in the broader passage means debtor (one who owes a debt). In other verses, like the Lord’s prayer for instance, the word is translated correctly: “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” [same Greek word]. (Matthew 6:12) Another example is in the parable of the unforgiving servant: “As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.” (Matthew 18:24). Here, the Greek word is rendered as “a man who owed”. Why it is translated in one instance as “sinners” is unclear.
What Jesus wants them to “repent” of, or change their minds about, is that they are in debt to Rome (where Pilate is procurator) or Syria (where the wall of Siloam was, and the Roman territorial legions were dispatched from) — the two images He used in His parable. They will perish because what they value is perishable.
INteresting. What about the evil ways in Luke 13:3? I understand not valueing things corruptable but what about repenting from things like hatred, resentment, excessive anger, and the less tangible aspects of sin?