loversofthetruth.net

loversofthetruth.co.uk

Important Questions

Scriptural Answers to important Qustions

Was Jesus the Son of God and God the Son?

The scriptural evidence,
John ch. 1.1 In the beginning was the Word,
The Word was with God and the Word was God,
Gen. ch. 1.26 : God said let us make man in our image,
The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us,
John 20.28 Thomas: “My Lord and my God”,

Were the Apostles Wrong?

Were the Apostles wrong about the immenent return of Christ?
Early statements: Paul exppects to live unto the return.
1 Thes. 4 We who are alive and remain,
Rom. 16 God shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.
Later. 2Tim. the time of my departure is at hand. Paul is about to die.
Was he mistaken?

Where are the Dead?

Job ch. 14
If a man die shall he live again?,
Man lieth down and riseth not,
Daniel ch. 12 .2 many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
John 5.28,229 all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth

Luke 23.43 “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee
“To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise”.

The question which is asked is this, did the thief go to “paradise” that day to be with Christ? Almost without a moments hesitation many Christians would answer “yes” but is that indeed what happened? Let us look carefully at the facts.

The thief’s request was “Lord remember me when thou comest into Thy kingdom”. The thief was no doubt an Israelite and as such knew well the promises of the Old Testament regarding the Messiah and the kingdom He would reign over. He had read the superscription written over the Saviour’s head “This is Jesus of Nazareth the king of the Jews”. He had watched the Lord and listened to His words and realized He was indeed the King. The thief did not ask to be taken to heaven to be with the Lord when he died that day but for Christ to remember him when he came into His kingdom.

Our Lord’s answer to him was regarding that day when His kingdom will be set up on earth otherwise it had no relevance. He promised the thief that he would be part of it when it would come. Later, after His resurrection the Lord told Mary “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”. Surely these plain words of scripture are clear, Jesus had not at that point ascended into heaven.

The problem lies with the comma and where the translators have placed it in the verse. Greek scholars inform us that in the original greek there are no punctuation marks so it was at the discretion of the translators where they placed it. The words of Christ to the thief are easily understood when we recognize this important fact, He simply told him “I tell you today you will be with me in paradise”. The word “paradise” has the definite article and should read “The paradise“, not referring to heaven at all but the paradise of the kingdom set up on earth.

S omeone is sure to say that’s what the Jehovah Witnesses teach about this verse. We are not interested in what JW’S say and indeed recognize them as a false cult but we cannot change the true meaning of the verse just to get one over on them. The readers will see as we deal with other texts that it would have been scripturally impossible for the thief to go to heaven that day anyhow, but more on that later.