Matthew 4:17

Context

After John the Baptist is imprisoned (Matthew 4:12), Jesus withdraws to Galilee and settles in Capernaum. The Gospel of Matthew presents this as the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy (4:14–16) and then records that "from that time" Jesus began to preach. The verse summarizes Jesus' first public proclamation to the people of Galilee: "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." It is followed immediately by the call of the fishermen to be his disciples (4:18–22).

The proclamation is identical, word for word, to the cry of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:2). The phrase "from that time" appears again in 16:21, and some scholars use these two occurrences as the basis for dividing the Gospel of Matthew into three parts.

Interpretation

The Greek verb metanoeō, translated "repent," means a turning of one's mind and heart. The prevailing scholarly view is that "the kingdom of heaven" refers to God's reign rather than to a place one goes after death. The parallel scene in Mark (1:15) reads "the kingdom of God"; Matthew's use of "the kingdom of heaven" is commonly explained by the Jewish custom of avoiding direct use of God's name.

• Lutheran and Reformed readings: In the first of his Ninety-five Theses, Martin Luther appealed to this saying in writing that the entire life of believers should be one of repentance. John Calvin regarded repentance as a fruit of faith and connected it with lifelong sanctification (the process of being made holy).
• Wesleyan reading: John Wesley is said to have likened repentance to "the porch of religion," faith to "the door," and holiness to "religion itself." Methodist and Holiness churches have emphasized repentance as the first response that precedes justification (being declared righteous by God).
• "Already and not yet" reading: Many evangelical scholars read "is at hand" to mean that the kingdom of God has already begun in Jesus but will be consummated at the Second Coming.
• Dispensationalist reading: Traditional dispensationalism views this proclamation as the offer of the kingdom promised to Israel and has held that, because Israel rejected the offer, the earthly realization of the kingdom was postponed.

Debates and Issues

• The meaning of "is at hand": The verb is in the Greek perfect tense, and eschatological discussion has therefore long continued over whether it means that the kingdom of God has already arrived or that it will come soon.
• Translation issues: The Latin Vulgate rendered the command as paenitentiam agite ("do penance"). In the Middle Ages this was sometimes read in connection with satisfaction (acts of reparation for sin) in the sacrament of penance. Erasmus pointed out that the original term means "a change of mind," and this observation is said to have influenced the debates of the Reformation.
• Citation out of context: Some observe that the verse is often used solely as a warning of imminent judgment. Matthew, however, calls the same proclamation "the gospel of the kingdom" (4:23) and presents it as good news accompanied by a ministry of healing the sick.

In the Korean Church

In the Korean church, the word cheonguk ("kingdom of heaven") is widely used to mean the afterlife. Consequently, this verse is often understood as referring to "the place one goes after death," and theologians and preachers have called for recovering its original sense of God's reign. The phrase "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" commonly appears on placards and banners used in street evangelism. It is also frequently quoted in Lenten sermons and at revival meetings.

Related Passages

• Matthew 3:2
• Mark 1:15
• Matthew 4:15–16
• Luke 11:20
• Acts 3:19