Certainly Acts 26:12-20 reveals that genuine repentance is always expected to reflect a genuine change of life, not just a change of mind. Genuine repentance involves turning "from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God" (Acts 26:18), not just a change of mind. Action is involved in genuine repentance. In other words, a change in direction is the outcome of genuine repentance. We also know that this repentance text is not referring to merely turning away from trust in the "works of the Law" (Moralism and ritualistic Sacerdotalism) the text is referring to the Gentiles (Acts 26:20). The Gentiles were not trusting in the "works of the Law" for their standing before God. The Gentiles needed to repent of idolatry, unbelief, and the licentious, fornicating lifestyles that accompanied idolatry.
The word fornication often simply meant the practices of idolatry. The Greek word translated "fornication" in the New Testament books is the word porneia (por-ni'-ah). The word often simply means to practice the licentious, lustful sexual perversions of idolatry. Turning completely away from this lifestyle and its practices was included in Gentile repentance. These practices had become common in Israel prior to the Babylonian captivity. God's chastisement of the nation of Israel in the Babylonian captivity was intended to bring them to repentance and return them to pure worship of Jehovah and obedience to Him. This is the biblical context of repentance of sin. Repentance is a turning "from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God" (Acts 26:18). The Greek word translated "turn" in Acts 26:18 is epistrepho (ep-ee-stref'-o).
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