Neville Goddard on Mark 1:15

Executive Summary

In his interpretation of Mark 1:15, Neville Goddard focuses on the true meaning of the word “repent.” He explains that these first words attributed to Jesus in the earliest Gospel are not a call for remorse or regret. Instead, the original Greek word, “metanoia,” signifies a radical and fundamental change of mind. This mental shift is the key to believing the “good news” or Gospel: that the time is fulfilled and God’s act of redemption is already complete and available to all.

Key Concepts

• The word “repent” does not mean to feel remorse or regret for past actions.
• Its true meaning comes from the Greek “metanoia,” which translates to a radical change of mind or attitude.
• This change of mind is the ability to mentally enter into and accept as true the very opposite of what your physical senses perceive.
• The phrase “The time is fulfilled” means that God’s act of redemption is already complete for all of humanity.
• To “believe the gospel” is to accept this good news of a finished salvation, which is accessed through repentance (a change of mind).

Detailed Explanation

Neville Goddard asserts that the common understanding of repentance as feeling sorry for one's sins is a complete misinterpretation of the term used in scripture. He points to the Greek origin of the word, “metanoia,” defining it as a radical, fundamental change of attitude and mind. This is not a moral correction but a mental transformation. It is the power to consciously and deliberately alter your inner perspective, regardless of external facts.

This act of “metanoia” is a practical, creative process. It is the individual’s ability to turn away from the evidence of the senses—the unwanted circumstances of life—and subjectively appropriate a new reality. To repent is to enter into the feeling of the opposite state. For example, if one sees lack, they repent by assuming the mental state of abundance. This is the test of one's ability to live mentally in the state of the wish fulfilled.

This command to change one's mind is directly linked to the announcement that “the time is fulfilled” and “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Neville explains this to mean that the work of salvation is a finished act. God has already completed redemption for every person. The “good news” (the Gospel) is that this salvation is not a future event to be earned, but a present reality to be accepted. By radically changing one's mind, one can experience this pre-existing, redeemed state.

Important Quotes

The word “repent” does not mean to feel remorseful. It hasn’t a thing to do with regret. The word is “metanoia,” which means, by literal translation, a radical, radical change of attitude; a radical change of mind, which tests the individual’s ability to enter into the very opposite of what he sees

— Question And Answer

It’s the Greek “metanoia,” a radical, but radical, change of attitude, a radical change of mind.

— Power

He tells the whole vast world, “Repent,” but believe the story – the Good News, which is called the Gospel. Believe the good news of salvation, for it has come to the world,

— Question And Answer

Related Concepts

• Imagination / Assumption: The act of “metanoia” is the practical application of imagination. It is the conscious decision to assume a new state of being is true, which is the core of Neville's teaching on how reality is created.
• States: To “enter into the very opposite of what he sees” is to move from one state of consciousness into another. Repentance, in this view, is the mechanism for consciously changing states from the unwanted to the desired.
• I AM: The source material identifies the power speaking in Mark as “Christ.” It also states that God “became all” and completed redemption. This connects the power to change one's mind (to repent) to the divine consciousness or “I AM” within the individual.

Common Misunderstandings

• The primary misunderstanding is believing that “repent” means to feel guilty or remorseful for past actions. Neville explicitly corrects this, stating it has “not a thing to do with regret” and is purely a change of mind.
• Another potential error is thinking that salvation is a future event that must be earned. Neville’s interpretation of “the time is fulfilled” is that redemption is an already completed act by God, available now to anyone who will change their mind and believe it.

Practical Applications

To apply this teaching, an individual must first decide on a desired outcome that is the opposite of their current reality. The practice of repentance is then to perform a “radical change of mind” by ceasing to mentally entertain the unwanted situation. One must subjectively appropriate the desired state by thinking and feeling from that new reality as though it were already an objective fact. This is not a single act of remorse, but a sustained mental discipline of inhabiting the new state of consciousness.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Neville Goddard say 'repent' means in Mark 1:15?

He states it does not mean feeling remorseful. It is the Greek word 'metanoia,' which means a radical change of mind or attitude.

How does one practice this form of repentance?

By subjectively appropriating the feeling of your wish fulfilled, which is to mentally enter into the very opposite of what your physical senses currently perceive.

What is the 'good news' or 'Gospel' mentioned in the verse?

According to the source material, the good news is that salvation and redemption are already completed acts by God, and this reality is available to everyone now.