Mark 1:15
Mark 1:1515“The time is fulfilled,” He said, “and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe in the gospel!”
Jehovah's Witnesses emphasise "the Kingdom of God has drawn near" as supporting their understanding that Jesus came primarily to announce Jehovah's Kingdom — a literal government that would eventually replace all human governments. "Repent" is understood as changing one's conduct to align with Jehovah's requirements, including accepting the Watchtower's authority as God's earthly channel. "Believe in the good news" is connected to the preaching programme: the good news is about the Kingdom, and exercising faith means actively sharing that message through field service.
Jesus pairs repentance and faith as two aspects of a single response to the gospel: "Repent and believe in the good news." This matches the apostolic pattern of — "repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." Repentance (metanoia) is not a separate work added to faith but the turning side of the same coin — you cannot turn toward Christ without turning away from self-reliance. The kingdom Jesus announces is not merely a future political arrangement but a present reality breaking into the world through his ministry (, "the Kingdom of God is in your midst"). The good news is not primarily a message to be distributed door-to-door but a person to be trusted: Jesus himself. The simplicity of the gospel call — repent and believe — stands in sharp contrast to the Watchtower's multi-step programme of knowledge, obedience, organisational association, and field service.