Verse: Matthew 11:20-24

Quote:

20        Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:

21        Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

22        But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.

23        And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

24        But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

Subjects of repentance:          In vs. 20, the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida, in which Jesus had just performed his mighty works, are the subjects refusing to repent.  They are contrasted in vs. 21, to the ancient cities of Tyre and Sideon, ancient cities that disappeared long ago, but which would have repented if the same works had been done in them.

Object of that repentance:      Not expressly stated.  Since repentance means "a change of mind," we can only inferentially determine the object of repentance by determining the concepts or propositions about which men must change their mind.  Verses 1-15 of chapter 11 are directed primarily to the ministry and person of John the Baptist.  And the purpose of John's mission is plainly stated:  "For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee" (Matthew 11:10).  John testified of Jesus.  And Jesus invited them to believe John's testimony.  In vs. 14-15, we read:  "And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.  He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."  There is not one word in this passage about "turning from one's sins."  The issue of this passage is the willingness of one to believe on Christ.  But we learn in vs. 16-19 that the men of these cities would neither receive John's testimony about Jesus, nor could they be persuaded by the mighty works that Jesus did among them.

"But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children."

The problem with the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida (vs. 21) and Capernaum (vs. 23) was their refusal to believe on Christ.  Neither the witness of John, nor the witness of Jesus would change their mind.  Asking Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum to repent is no different than the requirement to believe on Jesus Christ for their salvation.

In contrast, the repentance of Tyre, Sideon was hypothetical:  "If the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes."  The works of Jesus would have caused their repentance.  However, the object of their repentance would be contingent upon what hypothetical message would have attended the hypothetical miracles that Jesus might have done in Tyre and Sideon.  Since neither Jesus mighty works, nor a message attending those works, was ever actually presented before Tyre and Sideon, the object of their hypothetical repentance is never stated nor implied.  All that can be said about it is that whatever message would have accompanied the mighty works of Jesus would have been the object of their hypothetical repentance.

Consequence of repentance (or lack of repentance):

Jesus uses temporal judgment of the ancient cities of Tyre and Sidon (vs. 21-22) and Sodom (vs. 23-24) as a counterpoint to His warning of eternal judgment facing the residents of the contemporary cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida (vs. 21) and Capernaum (vs. 23).  Had the ancient cities of Tyre and Sideon (vs. 21) heard the same message, "would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes," and Sodom (vs. 23) would have remained to this day."  This is temporal judgment (or hypothetically being spared temporal judgment) of the ancient cities.

However, it is not temporal judgment with which Jesus threatens the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum.  The temporal judgment of the ancient cities of Tyre, Sidon and Sodom is used as a counterpoint to the eternal judgment facing the residents of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum.  Jesus said of these contemporary cities, "But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you."  It would be plainly absurd to hammer this verse into a threat of "temporal judgment."  The coming "day of judgment" cannot refer to the temporal judgment of AD 70 on Israel (in which the contemporary cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum would be destroyed), because Tyre, Sidon and Sodom had long since perished as city states!  It would be plainly idiotic to interpret this passage as meaning that Jesus would revitalize the urban centers of Tyre, Sidon and Sodom so that He could again lay waste to those cities in AD 70 along with the Jewish state.  Nor did such an absurd thing happen in AD 70.  The only future judgment that can fall upon the lost cities of Tyre, Sideon and Sodom that could also fall at some future time upon Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum is the eternal judgment that awaits those who reject the redemption offered through Jesus Christ.

The intent of this passage therefore is plainly soteriological, and to deny this is a manifest absurdity.  It is using the temporal judgment of the ancient cities of Tyre, Sideon and Sodom as a warning of the eternal judgment awaiting Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum.  And "repentance," as used in conjunction with the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum is therefore soteriological.  Those who refused to believe the witness of John also saw the mighty works of Jesus.  And yet they refused to repent.  They continued to reject Jesus, and the forgiveness of sin he offered.

Repentance in Matthew 11:20-24