The Repentance of the True Israel and the End of Exile

Can we speak properly of the repentance of Jesus Christ, the One whom the Scriptures say knew no sin nor was deceit ever found in his mouth? Can we hope in him as the faithful Israel of God without doing so?

According to Deuteronomy 30:1-3, the only way for Israel to return from exile and enjoy renewed fellowship with Yahweh is for them to repent with all their heart and soul. But as Jeremiah demonstrates, Israel is constitutionally incapable of this repentance. How then will exile ever end? In this episode of Greystone Conversations, we feature a presentation by the Rev. Dr. Matthew Patton recently delivered as part of our online Postgraduate Seminar Series. Aware of the often lively debates on this subject in theology and biblical studies, Dr. Patton shares his research into how the prophet Jeremiah engenders hope for a new Israel which is capable of genuine repentance. This includes exploring how this hope is realized in both Christ and his Church which, in union with one another, comprise a new Israel whom God has decisively delivered from exile.

The Rev. Dr. Matthew Patton is pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Vandalia, Ohio, a congregation of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, and a personal friend of many here at Greystone. Pastor Patton graduated from Westminster Theological Seminary with an MDiv in 2009 and then went on to get a Ph.D. at Wheaton College in Biblical Theology and Old Testament, which he earned in 2014. At Wheaton, he had the great privilege of studying under the Old Testament scholar, Daniel Block. Pastor Patton is also a co-author of Basics of Hebrew Discourse: A Guide to Working with Hebrew Prose and Poetry (Zondervan, 2019), and he is currently working on a commentary on Jeremiah, which work is reflected in today's episode presentation. 

This lecture, as well as all of Greystone's recorded Postgraduate Seminar Series lectures, is available on Greystone Connect for free for all Greystone Members. The current Postgraduate Seminar Series is still ongoing and registration is open here.