Luke 5 32

Luke 5:32 kjv

I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Luke 5:32 nkjv

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

Luke 5:32 niv

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Luke 5:32 esv

I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."

Luke 5:32 nlt

I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent."

Luke 5 verses

Luke 5 32 Meaning

Luke 5:32 reveals Jesus' profound mission and character: He declared His purpose was not to summon those who consider themselves righteous, but rather to call sinners to a life-transforming change of mind and direction, known as repentance. This statement directly challenged the prevailing religious views that sought to exclude rather than embrace.

Luke 5 32 Context

Luke 5:32 occurs immediately after Jesus calls Levi, a tax collector (also known as Matthew), to be one of His disciples. This unconventional act is followed by Jesus accepting Levi’s invitation to a large feast where "a great crowd of tax collectors and others" (Luke 5:29) are present and reclining with Jesus and His disciples. This scandalous association provoked a direct question from the Pharisees and their scribes to Jesus' disciples: "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" (Luke 5:30). Luke 5:32 is Jesus' direct and authoritative response to their complaint, articulating the theological basis for His controversial association with those deemed 'unclean' or 'sinful' by the religious establishment. It encapsulates His mission in contrast to their rigid, exclusivist interpretations of the law.

Luke 5 32 Word analysis

• οὐκ (ouk) – not: A strong, absolute negative particle, indicating a definitive denial. It emphasizes that the purpose Jesus states is absolutely not what some might assume.
• ἦλθον (ēlthon) – I came: A past tense verb, referring to a specific, decisive arrival or mission. This highlights Jesus' divine initiative and intentional purpose in His incarnation. It points to His active role in the salvation plan.
• καλέσαι (kalesai) – to call/summon: More than just an invitation; it implies an authoritative summoning, a personal appeal with a specific purpose. It signifies a divine call that demands a response, not a mere suggestion.
• δικαίους (dikarious) – righteous ones: Refers to those who consider themselves righteous based on their strict adherence to the Law and religious rituals. In this context, it primarily refers to the self-righteous, such as the Pharisees and scribes, who believed they needed no salvation. Biblically, "righteousness" can also refer to God's inherent justice or imputed righteousness through faith, but here, it contrasts with the "sinners."
• ἀλλὰ (alla) – but/on the contrary: A strong adversative conjunction that creates a sharp contrast. It completely shifts the focus from the preceding negation to the positive statement of purpose.
• ἁμαρτωλοὺς (hamartōlous) – sinners: Those who acknowledge or are identified as having fallen short of God's perfect standard. In the Jewish society of that time, this often included social outcasts, Gentiles, tax collectors, prostitutes, and those who neglected Mosaic Law rituals, contrasting sharply with the "righteous" who upheld these norms. It encompasses those aware of their spiritual illness and need for a divine physician.
• εἰς (eis) – into/to/unto: A preposition indicating direction, purpose, or result. Here, it signifies the goal or objective of the "calling."
• μετάνοιαν (metanoian) – repentance: A profound change of mind (from meta - "after, with" + noia - "mind, thought"), leading to a change of heart, and resulting in a fundamental redirection of life away from sin and toward God. It is not merely sorrow for past sins but a transformative shift in one's life perspective and behavior, aligning with God's will.

Words-group analysis:

• "I came not... but...": This common rhetorical structure emphasizes Jesus' counter-cultural and specific mission. It directly refutes assumptions about His purpose, stating what He didn't come for to highlight what He did come for.
• "to call the righteous... but sinners": This direct antithesis highlights Jesus' radical departure from the religious norms of His day. The "righteous" were often the self-satisfied who felt no need for spiritual change, while "sinners" were often those aware of their spiritual plight and thus more receptive to His message of grace.
• "to repentance": This phrase defines the ultimate purpose of His calling. It's not just to associate with sinners, but to bring about their fundamental change and restoration through genuine repentance, which opens the way for forgiveness and a relationship with God.

Luke 5 32 Bonus section

While Luke 5:32 concisely states the purpose of Jesus' coming (calling sinners to repentance), the parallel accounts in Matthew 9:12-13 and Mark 2:17 add the illustrative metaphor of a physician: "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick." This metaphor underscores that Jesus did not come to affirm their unrighteousness but to offer a cure for it, akin to a doctor healing the unwell. It reinforces the idea that genuine repentance is the necessary precursor to spiritual healing, a recognition of one's "sickness" is essential to seeking the "Physician." This verse also highlights a fundamental tension between Jesus' inclusive, grace-centered ministry and the exclusive, law-focused religious practices of His time, showing that true righteousness in God's eyes is not found in external legalistic observance but in a heart transformed by repentance and faith.

Luke 5 32 Commentary

Luke 5:32 is a pivotal statement from Jesus, clearly defining the nature of His mission and exposing the core difference between His understanding of God's heart and that of the religious elite. By stating He "came not to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance," Jesus profoundly articulated that His focus was on those who recognized their spiritual sickness and their need for a spiritual physician (as explicitly mentioned in parallel accounts like Mark 2:17). The "righteous" He refers to are those who were self-assured of their own merit before God, believing their strict adherence to the Law exempted them from the need for repentance or divine grace. This attitude made them impervious to the true liberating message of the Kingdom. Conversely, "sinners" (including the socially outcast tax collectors and prostitutes, as well as those less religiously observant) were often keenly aware of their brokenness, their spiritual need, and their desperate condition, making them receptive to the transformative call of Christ. Jesus’s mission was thus not for those who saw themselves as whole, but for the sick; not for the self-satisfied, but for the lost and penitent. His embrace of sinners was not an affirmation of their sin, but a demonstration of His radical love and a pathway to their salvation through genuine repentance. This verse undergirds the Gospel's message of grace for the broken and is foundational to understanding the New Covenant's inclusiveness for all who acknowledge their need for God's forgiveness.

Examples:

• Practical usage: This verse encourages believers to avoid spiritual pride, recognizing their own ongoing need for repentance, and to reach out to those who are aware of their sin, rather than judging them from a distance.
• It clarifies that true faith begins with humility and an acknowledgment of one's shortcomings before a holy God.