hamartia / ἁμαρτία

hamartia/ἁμαρτία literally means to miss the mark or fail. Miss the mark as an arrow missing a target. Failure to hit an intended target. It is the word used in the Bible most often for sin. Missing the mark of what? Holiness. Holiness that can only be found in God. That’s why the word repentance in Greek is metanoia/μετάνοια. Metanoia literally means to turn or change one’s mind.

Specifically, to turn one’s mind therefore changing one’s action. Where the mind leads the body follows. Turn in a way so that one is facing where they should be going mentally/physically. In the context of sin, it is to turn away from sin and back to holiness. Thereby, reversing the turn or correcting the action that would cause one to miss the bullseye. In Classical Greek it meant changing one's mind about something thereby changing one’s behavior. Here we see the intrinsic nature of the need of a believer’s beliefs correlating directly to actions. It starts with a heart/mind change that leads to literal action. That is why James states that faith without works/actions is a dead faith (James 2:17). 

In Greek myth Metanoia was depicted as a shadowy god, cloaked and sorrowful, who accompanied Kairos, the god of Opportunity (at an exact moment). Metanoia sowed regret. The regret of the lost moment inspired repentance for the "missed moment". A form of temporal melancholy. A missed moment that likely occurred while one’s back is turned while pursuing their sin. One cannot be double-minded. You are either pursuing things in error for the wrong reasons or you are pursuing the correct things for the right reasons. 

Wherever metanoia is used it is used to express a fundamental change in thinking that leads to a fundamental change in behavior and/or way of living". In the time of Jesus, "repentance" meant "a fundamental change in thinking/living." In Christian thinking this change is a necessary component in accomplishing God's plan for salvation and communion. For everyone that live in unity as a community will be joined in the commonality of having all turned to the same exact target. All minds and action in the same direction. Christ. 

#sin #repent #change #archery#arrow