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Understanding the Nature of Spiritual Stupidity and Repentance

Spiritual stupidity, often described in biblical terms as folly or madness, refers to a state of alienation from God and a lack of spiritual understanding [1, 2]. This condition is characterized by spiritual ignorance, carnal-mindedness, and unbelief [1]. The book of Ecclesiastes explores this concept, with the Preacher seeking to understand "the stupidity of wickedness and the folly of madness" [2, 4, 5]. This spiritual state is not merely a lack of intellectual knowledge but a deeper estrangement from divine truth, leading to a life lived in vanity and dead works [1, 7].

The Bible identifies several manifestations of spiritual stupidity:

This state is presented as a consequence of the Fall, affecting all humanity by nature [1]. The fruits of spiritual stupidity are "dead works" (Hebrews 6:1, 9:14), and deliverance from it is found through Christ [1].

Repentance is the divinely commanded response to spiritual stupidity, involving a fundamental change of mind and purpose [3, 6]. The New Testament uses three Greek words related to repentance:

  1. Metamelomai signifies a change of mind that produces regret or remorse, but not necessarily a change of heart. Judas's repentance is an example of this [3].
  2. Metanoeo denotes a change of mind and purpose resulting from new knowledge. This, along with its cognate noun metanoia, refers to true repentance, which includes a change of life and is promised remission of sins [3].

True repentance is not merely feeling sorry for sin but involves a turning away from it because it displeases God [11]. John Calvin describes repentance as beginning with "dread and hatred of sin," leading to "godly sorrow" where one not only fears punishment but "hate[s] and abhor[s] the sin" itself [11]. This sorrow is necessary because "unless we are stung to the quick, the sluggishness of our carnal nature cannot be corrected" [11].

Repentance is commanded by God to all (Ezekiel 18:30-32, Acts 17:30) and by Christ (Revelation 2:5, 16; 3:3) [6]. It is a gift from God, given through the operation of the Holy Spirit (Acts 11:18, 2 Timothy 2:25, Zechariah 12:10) [6]. Christ came to call sinners to repentance (Matthew 9:13) and was exalted to give it (Acts 5:31) [6]. The long-suffering and goodness of God are meant to lead individuals to repentance (Romans 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9) [6].

The nature of repentance involves both an internal transformation and external expressions. Internally, it is a change of heart and mind, a turning "toward God" as the one dishonored by sin [14]. Calvin emphasizes that repentance is an "inseparable attendant of faith" and involves the Spirit reigning in an individual [10, 16]. Tertullian, an early Church Father, viewed repentance as a divine concept, originating from God and subject to His laws, contrasting it with a mere natural emotion of disgust at past actions [8, 17].

Repentance is not a one-time event but a continuous process throughout life [9]. Calvin argues that repentance must be prolonged to the last moment of life, though he also cautions against perpetual extreme dread, advising a balance between sorrow for sin and a review of divine mercies [12, 16]. Charles Hodge notes that while man is passive in regeneration, he is active in repentance, highlighting the human response to divine grace [13]. The goal of repentance is not only to humble and tame the flesh but also to testify to a changed heart, leading to a "revenge" against sin, as Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 7:2 [15].

Sources

  1. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Death, Spiritual — Alienation from God is -- Eph 4:18. Carnal-mindedness is -- Ro 8:6. Walking in trespasses and sins is -- Eph 2:1; Col 2:13. Spiritual ignorance is -- Isa 9:2; Mt 4:16; Lu 1:79; Eph 4:18. Unbelief is -- Joh 3:36; 1Jo 5:12. Living in pleasure is -- 1Ti 5:6. Hypocrisy is -- Re 3:1,2. Is a consequence of the fall -- Ro 5:15. Is the state of all men by nature -- Ro 6:13; 8:6. The fruits of, are dead works -- Heb 6:1; 9:14. A call to arise from -- Eph 5:14. Deliverance from, is through Christ -- Joh 5:24,25; Eph 2:5; 1Jo 5:12. Saints are raised from -- R”
  2. Ecclesiastes “Ecclesiastes 7:25 (BSB) — I directed my mind to understand, to explore, to search out wisdom and explanations, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the folly of madness.”
  3. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Repentance — There are three Greek words used in the New Testament to denote repentance. (1.) The verb metamelomai is used of a change of mind, such as to produce regret or even remorse on account of sin, but not necessarily a change of heart. This word is used with reference to the repentance of Judas (Matt. 27:3). (2.) Metanoeo, meaning to change one's mind and purpose, as the result of after knowledge. This verb, with (3) the cognate noun metanoia, is used of true repentance, a change of mind and purpose and life, to which remission of sin is promised. Evangelical”
  4. Ecclesiastes “Ecclesiastes 1:17 (YLT) — And I give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this <FI>is<Fi> vexation of spirit;”
  5. Ecclesiastes “Ecclesiastes 7:27 (Geneva1599) — I haue compassed about, both I and mine heart to knowe and to enquire and to search wisedome, and reason, and to knowe the wickednesse of follie, and the foolishnesse of madnesse,”
  6. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Repentance — What it is -- Isa 45:22; Mt 6:19-21; Ac 14:15; 2Co 5:17; Col 3:2; 1Th 1:9; Heb 12:1,2. Commanded to all by God -- Eze 18:30-32; Ac 17:30. Commanded by Christ -- Re 2:5,16; 3:3. Given by God -- Ac 11:18; 2Ti 2:25. Christ came to call sinners to -- Mt 9:13. Christ exalted to give -- Ac 5:31. By the operation of the Holy Spirit -- Zec 12:10. Called repentance to life -- Ac 11:18. Called repentance to salvation -- 2Co 7:10. We should be led to, by The long-suffering of God. -- Ge 6:3; 1Pe 3:20; 2Pe 3:9. The goodness of God. -- Ro 2:4. The chastisements of Go”
  7. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Vanity — A consequence of the fall -- Ro 8:20. Every man is -- Ps 39:11. Every state of man is -- Ps 62:9. Man at his best estate is -- Ps 39:5. Man is like to -- Ps 144:4. The thoughts of man are -- Ps 94:11. The days of man are -- Job 7:16; Ec 6:12. Childhood and youth are -- Ec 11:10. The beauty of man is -- Ps 39:11; Pr 31:30. The help of man in -- Ps 60:11; La 4:17. Man's own righteousness is -- Isa 57:12. Worldly wisdom is -- Ec 2:15,21; 1Co 3:20. Worldly pleasure is -- Ec 2:1. Worldly anxiety -- Ps 39:6; 127:2. Worldly labour is -- Ec 2:11; 4:4. Worldly enjoym”
  8. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 3: Tertullian — CHAP. I.--OF HEATHEN REPENTANCE.: Repentance, men understand, so far as nature is able, to be an emotion of the mind arising from disgust' at some previously cherished worse sentiment: that kind of men I mean which even we ourselves were in days gone by--blind, without the Lord's light. From the reason of repentance, however, they are just as far as they are from the Author of reason Himself. Reason, in fact, is a thing of God, inasmuch as there is nothing which God the Maker of all has not provided, disposed, ordained by reason--nothing which He has not willed should b”
  9. CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 58: confirm that opinion. 11. Answer. Confirmation of the answer by the Apostle himself. Another confirmation from a precept of the law. Conclusion. 12. Exception, that those desires only are condemned which are repugnant to the order of God. Desires not condemned in so far as natural, but in so far as inordinate. This held by Augustine. 13. Passages from Augustine to show that this was his opinion. Objection from a passage in James. 14. Another objection of the Anabaptists and Libertines to the continuance of repentance throughout the”
  10. CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 58: among the virtues, because they think it approximates to true and genuine obedience. But we are not here considering the various modes in which Christ draws us to himself, or prepares us for the study of piety: All I say is, that no righteousness can be found where the Spirit, whom Christ received in order to communicate it to his members, reigns not. Then, according to the passage in the Psalms, “There is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared,” ( Psalm 130:4 ), no man will ever reverence God who does not trust that God”
  11. CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 58: leading sinners to reflect that worse awaits them if they do not quickly repent. There is an example of this in the 29th chapter of Deuteronomy. As repentance begins with dread and hatred of sin, the Apostle sets down godly sorrow as one of its causes ( 2 Cor. 7:10 ). By godly sorrow he means when we not only tremble at the punishment, but hate and abhor the sin, because we know it is displeasing to God. It is not strange that this should be, for unless we are stung to the quick, the sluggishness of our carnal nature cannot be corr”
  12. CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 58: pardon cannot be in excess. And yet we must always beware, according to the apostolic injunction, of giving way to extreme dread, as this tends to make us shun God while he is calling us to himself by repentance. Wherefore, the advice of Bernard is good, “Grief for sins is necessary, but must not be perpetual. My advice is to turn back at times from sorrow and the anxious remembrance of your ways, and escape to the plain, to a calm review of the divine mercies. Let us mingle honey with wormwood, that the salubrious bitter may give ”
  13. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 139: sometimes the person of Christ; sometimes his substance; sometimes his divine-human nature, etc. They teach that man is passive in regeneration, but active in repentance. 526 526 See Ebrard, Dogmatik, III. v. 2, § 447, edit. Königsberg, 1852, vol. ii. p. 328. “Man is every moment unspeakably more than lies in consciousness,” says Ebrard. 527 527 Ibid. § 444, vol. ii. p. 319. This is true, and it should teach us that there is much pertaining to our internal life, which it is impossible for us to analyze and explain. Efficacious Grace Irre”
  14. Acts (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Acts 20:21: Testifying both to Jews and . . . Greeks--laboring under a common malady, and recoverable only by a common treatment. repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ--(See on Act 5:31). REPENTANCE, as distinguished from faith, is that state of the "honest and good heart" which arises from a discovery of one's contrariety to the righteous demands of the divine law. This is said to be "toward God," because seeing Him to be the party dishonored by sin, it feels all its acknowledgments and compunctions to be properly due to Him, as the great”
  15. CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 58: ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded,” ( James 4:8 ). Here, indeed, the accessory is set down first; but the source and principle is afterwards pointed out—viz. that hidden defilements must be wiped away, and an altar erected to God in the very heart. There are, moreover, certain external exercises which we employ in private as remedies to humble us and tame our flesh, and in public, to testify our repentance. These have their origin in that revenge of which Paul speaks ( 2 Cor. 7:2 ), for when the mind is distresse”
  16. CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 58: 508 CHAPTER 3. REGENERATION BY FAITH. OF REPENTANCE. This chapter is divided into five parts. I. The title of the chapter seems to promise a treatise on Faith, but the only subject here considered is Repentance, the inseparable attendant of faith. And, first, various opinions on the subject of repentance are stated, sec. 1-4. II. An exposition of the orthodox doctrine of Repentance, sec. 5-9. III. Reasons why repentance must be prolonged to the last moment of life, sec. 10-14. IV. Of the fruits of repentance, or its object and tend”
  17. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 3: Tertullian — CHAP. II.--TRUE REPENTANCE A THING DIVINE, ORIGINATED BY GOD, AND SUBJECT TO HIS LAWS. (part 1): But if they acted as men who had any part in God, and thereby in reason also, they would first weigh well the importance of repentance, and would never apply it in such a way as to make it a ground for convicting themselves of perverse self-amendment. In short, they would regulate the limit of their repentance, because they would reach (a limit) in sinning too--by fearing God, I mean. But where there is no fear, in like manner there is no amendment; where there is no amendme”
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