The doctrine of biblical repentance

To continue the role play...

Is believing on Christ the same as believing in Him?

I've believed in Christ all my life. What does it mean to believe on Christ?

 

I'd like to see Ed's answer as he can give the Greek behind the words "in" and "on" here.

Before I was a believer, I would sometimes say I believed in Christ (in situations where I was trying to obscure the issues or be tricky and clever) because I thought it could mean that I believed that he lived as a historical person. But if someone had asked me if I believed on Christ, I would probably have been confused and said "on Christ as what?"

Maybe believing on Chirst is believing on Christ as the Messiah, the Savior.

I really don't know - wild guessing here.

 

It is really somewhat a semantical word play.

There are places in scripture which speak to believing "in" Jesus for salvation and "on" Jesus as well.
Examples:
"in Jesus"

"on Jesus"

The proper definition has to do with the context in which the word is found. (as I am positive you already know )

To believe "in" (regarding the above verses) denotes an absolute trusting 'in' or the placing of all of something into something or someone else. example - like the pouring some substance in or into another container.

But the word "on" denotes a relience or resting upon something or someone. The word can phased this way - "to be carried" which implies you safty and security has nothing to do with you ability but it is in the One whom you are relying on to carry you.


IF you want the specific Greek, I can most definately go into that for you but the above should hopefully suffice unless you would like more

 

That's very helpful, Allan! Thanks! :thumbs:

 

My view

I think repentance can be summed up this way...

Repentance is the acknowledgement/action/natural response of coming to our "Holy" God.

 

Allan covered the English pretty well, I would say, for some parts of it.

However, in several of these instances, I suggest it is merely 'translator preference.'

For example, the DARBY opts for "on" more than do some other versions, where the HCSB opts for "in" usually, in the same passages. The NKJV chooses "in" more often than does the KJV, but apparently not as often as does the NASB, in several of the verses Allan mentioned. I did not check every instance, that may apply, but did check several of the verses mentioned above.

"Don't overlook the forest for the trees!", is my general suggestion, here.

The two Greek prepositions of "en" (in) and "eis" (into), are the ones most usually used in the NT, to my knowledge. There is some difference in nuance, but the meaning is very similar, I would say. And there is also the 'genitive' case, frequently rendered as "of", as well.

Maybe Allan can go into this in more detail, as I don't really consider myself any sort of Greek scholar, by any stretch, and he is likely far more able than I, to further expand on this. Or maybe TCGreek or some other, who are a far better linguist than I am, will also contribute, should Allan not participate further.

Language Cop does fairly well with the English langauge, as a rule, but is nowhere near as accomplished in the Greek. :laugh: :laugh:

Ed