The greek word Metanoia or Metanoeo was used in combination with some of the earliest references to the Kingdom of Heaven at the start of Jesus’s teachings:
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “[Μετανοεῖτε – Metanoeite], for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17)
“The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand; [Μετανοεῖτε – Metanoeite] and believe in the good news.” (Mark 1:14-15)
There is no single English word that is a direct translation of this, but in its simplest form meta means “after or change” and noiéō means “the way the mind perceives or thinks”, coming from the Greek word noús or “mind”. It therefore suggests an opening or loosening of the mind, a change to a new mind or moving past earlier beliefs to let new ones in.
This approach of loosening the mind has similarities to the the very first Beatitude which comes a few verses later:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 5:3, ESV)
Here, “poor in spirit” can be understood as a willingness to be taught new concepts or see things in new ways. If you come to these Kingdom teachings with what you believe is a complete understanding, there is a risk you apply your earlier understanding to what may be a new concept – putting old wine in new wineskins.
Problems with translation
We can see this difficulty and tendency when looking at how some of the Bible translators have approached the translation of metanoeó. In the Young’s Literal Translation it is translated as a call to reform:
From that time began Jesus to proclaim and to say, ‘Reform ye, for come nigh hath the reign of the heavens.’ (Mt 4:17, Young’s Literal Translation)
In the more modern Common English Bible a similar approach has been taken:
From that time Jesus began to announce, “Change your hearts and lives! Here comes the kingdom of heaven!” (Mt 4:17, Common English Bible)
In both cases a change is emphasised. The YLT translation doesn’t specify what the change relates to. The CEB translation references the change in relation to hearts and lives. Neither translation mentions a change in the nature of the mind or way of thinking or perceiving (noiéō).
However, a much greater divergence from the original Greek ocurred in early Latin translations. In the Latin Vulgate version the translators used “poenitenitam agite” which meant “doing acts of penance”, based on the theological traditions at the time. In other words “open and loose the mind” in the Greek had been changed to “do acts of penance” in the Latin. This change in the Latin version likely influenced later translations from Latin to English where “doing acts of penance” was now translated as “repent”. This is perhaps the most common translation seen today:
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mt 4:17, English Standard Version)
Repent in English means to feel sorry for something you have done, even though there is no reference to this in the Greek. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t feel regret, just that this was not what was written here. And this matters, if you are trying to understand the nature of the Kingdom and how to enter it.
Interestingly, the mistranslation of “metanoia” as “repent” has been known for a while and a small book was written on this by Treadwell Walden in 1896 called “The Great Meaning of Metanoia”. Walden wrote the book after the Revised Version of the Bible failed to correct what he believed was the poor translation of “metanoia” as “repent” in the King James Version. Interestingly the scholars working on the Revised Version even wrote to Walden at the time expressing their support for his position – but tradition was hard to move away from once it had become ingrained. It is now more common for Christian writers to reference back the meaning of “repentance” to a changing of the mind. However, it may be simpler to drop the word altogether, as it arguably shouldn’t be there.
Encountering the word on your own terms
So how should Μετανοεῖτε be translated? Perhaps the best approach is to encounter the word on your own terms as your own spiritual understanding develops. The Greek refers to a change and it is to a change of perceiving and thinking – that arguably results in a change in the nature of your mind as a result. How your thinking changes will be something that you will notice internally.
To enter the Kingdom in a way taught by Jesus, it appears that a change to a more loving nature is being called for. In the teachings in the Sermon on the Mount there are calls to loving God, being merciful, pure in heart, being a peacemaker and forgiving your enemies. Perhaps this is the change in mind that brings you into the Kingdom. Certainly if we embodied this principles at a deep level there would be a radical change in our nature where arguably metanoia had taken place.
The change in mind could include a change in our understanding of God. The nature of God revealed by Jesus was one that was loving rather than vengeful. Perhaps this was the “good news of God” referred to in Mark. We need to “change our mind” and believe in this good news. By aligning with God’s true nature in this way we may also enter the Kingdom, which by definition is the realm where God’s principles are reigning.
Once we understand the richer meaning of the word “metanoia”, free from later translations, we are then free to open our minds more fully, glimpse the original message that Jesus intended and are free to understand “metanoia” in its original Kingdom context.
