HAVE YOU REPENTED OF SIN, OR MERELY DOING PENANCE FOR SIN?

Luke 13:3 “Unless you do penance, you shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven.

I was quite shocked that in the original Koine Greek it does not say that! The word is μετάνοια and signifies a “change of mind,” and should read:

“Unless you REPENT, you shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven”

I learned that “Penance” is a Catholic term, meaning us going to confession and then doing what the priest tells us to do to “make up for” our sins. ” Repentance” on the other hand, is an internal change that happens when we turn away from our sins and turn back to God.
“Repentance” had been substituted by “doing penance” – a punishment inflicted on oneself to atone (make satisfaction) for sin.

To be fair, Catholicism also speaks of penance as an inner attitude in which we detest and bewail our sins because they are offensive to God. True repentance is expressed by sorrow, and such acts as prayer and fasting, and that repentance results in “fruit” – good works that grow out of a changed mind.

Although modern official versions of the catholic bible have changed the word “penance” to now read “repentance” they have not changed their erroneous doctrine that is reflected in their official sources of doctrine. The big problem I have with “penance” is the intended purpose of such acts: penance is performed to make satisfaction for sin, as you can see can be from the following official sources:

* “Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin: he must ‘make satisfaction’ for or ‘expiate’ his sins. This satisfaction is called ‘penance.'” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1459).

* Penance “is meant not merely as a safeguard for the new life and as a remedy to weakness, but also as a vindicatory punishment for former sins” (Council of Trent, 14:8).

* “Satisfaction or penance is that prayer or other good work which the confessor enjoins on the penitent in expiation of his sins” (Catechism of Pius X, Sacrament of Penance).

Consequently, even though we are a genuinely contrite and having confessed our sins, we are still required to atone for sin by performing various works of penance in this world and by suffering in purgatory after death. We are not fit to enter heaven until we have made complete satisfaction. I see the following as the practical effects of “penance”!