Lovers of The Truth

loversofthetruth.co.uk

Radio

A selection of short gospel messages by Paul Lutton
previously broadcast on Radio Star Country

2023

0416-Unfailing-Promise

The Dispensation of the Grace of God - 26th. March 2023

The Unsearchable Riches of Christ - 13th. February 20023

Justification - 29th. January 2023

New Things for a New Year - 1st January 2023

2022

The Place Called Calvary - 13th. Novmber 2022

The Longest Reign - 16th. Octpber 2022

The Greatest Love - 28th. August 2022

Biblical Dimentions - - 14th. August 2022

How Great this Man - - 26 June 2022

To You That are Troubled Rest With us - - 29th May 2022

The Best Known Verse - 13th. March 2022

Foolish People - 15th. January 2022

2021

The Deity of Christ - - 07 Novembver 2021

Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth - - 18th. Sep. 2021

The Simple Look - - 1st August 2021

Things Jesus was Made - 24th. January 2021

Imperatives - 16th. May 2021

A Shelter from te Coming Storm - first broadcast in 2015

Abundant Things - 4th. January 2021

2020

What Shall I do Then With Jesus? - 22nd November 2020

Preparing to Meet God - 15 November 2020

The Righteousness of God - 4th. October 2020

Things Near to Us - 30th. August 2020

The Glory, Grace, gospel and Gift of God - 21st. June 2020

The Salvation of God - 16th. June 2020

God is Able - 17th. May 2020

The Riches of His Grace - 3rd. May 2020

The Sufferings of Christ - 12th. April 2020

Barriers on the Way to to Being Lost - 1st. March 2020

The Saviour's Call - 23rd. February 2020

The A,B,C & D of the Gospel - 27th. January 2020

2019

1208-Sufferings-of-christ

1124-What-Think-ye-of-Christ

1006-What-a-Statement

0922-Abundance

0825-All-Important-Questions-1

0609-For-God-So-Loved-the-World

0512-What-is-Ypur-Life

0415-I-Love-the-Lord-Because-.-

0120Godoursaviour

0111-Iwillcomeagain

2018

0925-Lalmb-Lion-Life

0812-thenewbirth

0624thetimeisshort

0418-godislove

0325-theeternalChrist

0204-testimony

0119Sufferings-Glory

0922-Wounds

“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. Someone 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.

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.