Mark:

Sure hope you read what I said versus just reacting. I said the person who repents, thinks differently about sin and comes to Him for help in dealing with it. It means caring about what sin means and does. Acts 26:20 shows how Paul made the call using the term as part of his presentation of the gospel. This is not, as you say, to stop sinning or feeling bad for sin. It is recognizing that sin is displeasing to God and seeking His enablement to be able to walk in righteousness (Romans 6-8 indicates how God brings us to walk as we were designed to walk). Part of the gift of salvation is the indwelling of the Spirit that enable us to walk with God and do what He calls us to do (Eph 2:8-10). If you want what John the Baptist preached about repentance, take a look at Luke 3:8-14. On the Hebrew and Greek, they are not synonyms, but are related. The Greek mean change one's mind about something (in this case sin), while the Hebrew pictures that change of mind as a turning (one image is just more visual than the other). The issue is not the use of the term repentance with the gospel but being clear about what it means and how it works. Try reading Luke 24:47 for what the church is commissioned to preach in terms of the gospel (with repentance in the mix). dlb