WHAT ABOUT THE THIEF AFTER DEATH? QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

WHAT ABOUT THE THIEF ON THE CROSS?

The Lone RooMay 21, 2016 at 5:06 PM

Did the thief go to heaven? John 3:13 No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.

As I said in my reply, thank you for your question. This is a good question, because it relates to not only death--the afterlife, but the promise of God for eternal life by believing in Jesus Christ.

I'm going to include some exegesis here, because the question deserves proof from the Scriptures.

The question: "did the thief go to heaven?" My answer is that he has a Jesus Christ's promise that he will. 

Please follow my answers below for the Scripture proof.

Apparently the second question is related to that--what about the statement in John 3: 13? That raises a host of good questions.

Jesus said, "today you will be with me in paradise."

38	And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39	And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
40	But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41	And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42	And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43	And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

kai; e~legen, #Ihsou', mnhvsqhtiv mou o&tan e~lqh/ß eijß th;n basileivan sou.

43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

kai; ei\pen aujtw'/, #Amhvn soi levgw, shvmeron metj ejmou' e~sh/ ejn tw'/ paradeivsw/.

THE MAIN POINT OF THIS BLOG WAS THAT THE ROBBER NEVER HAD AN OCCASION OR NEED TO DO ANYTHING BUT ACCEPT THE OFFER OF SALVATION FROM OUR SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. AND THIS EVENT DOES THAT. HOWEVER, it's amazing how easy error gets inserted. ESCHATOLOGY: THE FINAL DAYS is something very important--check out my blog:"FINAL DAYS"

Verse 42 In thy kingdom (eiß thn basileian sou, text of Westcott and Hort or en tei basileiai sou, margin). Probably no difference in sense is to be found, for eiß and en are essentially the same preposition. The robber refers to the Messianic rule of Jesus and begs that Jesus will remember him. It is not clear whether he hopes for immediate blessing or only at the judgment.

Verse 43 Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise (Shmeron met emou esh en twi paradeiswi). However crude may have been the robber's Messianic ideas Jesus clears the path for him. Jesus promises the robber immediate and conscious fellowship after death with Christ in Paradise Paradise (twi paradeiswi ) which is a Persian word and is used heret the very bliss of heaven itself. This Persian word was used for an enclosed park or pleasure ground (so Xenophon).  The word occurs in two other passages in the N.T. (2 Corinthians 12:4; Revelation 2:7), in both of which the reference is plainly to heaven.

2 CORINTHIANS 12:4 That he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

o&ti hJrpavgh eijß to;n paravdeison kai; h~kousen a~rrhta rJhvmata aJ; oujk ejxo;n ajnqrwvpw/ lalh'sai.

REVELATIONS 2:7 7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

oJ e~cwn ou\ß ajkousavtw tiv to; pneu'ma levgei tai'ß ejkklhsivaiß. tw'/ nikw'nti dwvsw aujtw'/ fagei'n ejk tou' xuvlou th'ß zwh'ß, o& ejstin ejn tw'/ paradeivsw/ tou' qeou'.

One reason that I examine the Greek words is that the New Testament was written in Greek. This was a common Greek, or koine Greek. One reason that the inscription put on the cross was Latin Greek and Hebrew was that that's what the people understood.

One thing to remember about the thief on the cross was that he could not done anything to go to heaven or paradise. All he did was trust in Jesus Christ.

Relating to John 3:13, the Scripture says that no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man who is in heaven.

13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

kai; oujdei;ß ajnabevbhken eijß to;n oujrano;n eij mh; oJ ejk tou' oujranou' katabavß, oJ uiJo;ß tou' ajnqrwvpou.

Verse 13 But he that descended out of heaven (ei mh o ek tou ouranou katabaß). The Incarnation of the Pre-existent Son of God who was in heaven before he came down and so knows what he is telling about "the heavenly things."  There is no allusion to the Ascension which came later. This high conception of Christ runs all through the Gospel and is often in Christ's own words as here.