Do other words mean essentially the same as repentance?
Isaiah 6:10.
(10) ‘ Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.’
Psalms 51:13.
(13) Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You.
Matthew 13:15.
(15) For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.”
Matthew 18:3.
(3) and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Acts 3:19.
(19) Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
Romans 12:1-3.
(1) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (3) For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
Comment: In simple terms, convert also means “to change,” as in ice to water or dollars to pesos. Theologically, it means changing from sinner to saint, filthy to holy, worldly to godly. In Acts 3:19, Peter uses “repent” and “convert” together. Both entail a recognition of self and sin and beating a hasty path to righteousness. Paul explains the repentance, conversion and salvation process by contrasting two terms. We must not be conformed to the world (“similar to, identical to, in agreement with or compliant”), but transformed (“changed in composition or structure, character or condition, converted”). Repentance means changing one’s whole life!