FRIDAY:
Luke 23
42 And he was saying, “Jesus
, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!”
43 And He said to him, “
Truly I say to you today you shall be with Me in Paradise"
SUNDAY:
John 20
16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
17 Jesus saith unto her,
Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
Jesus did not say he was going to paradise that same day - nor did the Thief die when Christ died - for he had to be taken down and his legs broken.
Paradise is where the throne of God is - according to Rev 2 and Rev 22.
Paul says in 2Cor 12:4 that it is in the "third heaven".
We can make stuff up about it being in hades no matter what the Bible says to the contrary - but that is not a safe path for doctrine.
Hey Bob,
If you believe the comma should go after "today", so that Jesus was saying that he was telling the truth that day, why would he bother to say that he was telling the truth that day? Didn't He always tell the truth?
The comma should go before "today", so that it reads:
"Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43, ESV, colour and bold emphases mine).
There are no commas in Greek.
42 And he was saying, “Jesus
, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!”
The request itself - sets the future context for the event.
41 Truly I say to you today - you WILL be with Me in Paradise.
Jesus said that this was the hour for the power of darkness - and yet in that hour He claims to still have the right to give eternal life and to save the lost. His response to the thief on the cross makes note of the fact that on the very day where He cries out "My God My God why have you forsaken Me" - he STILL has the power to save.
It may seem like an obvious point - but I think it bears repeating.
in Christ,
Bob