GerhardEbersoehn
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- Jan 14, 2014
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If there was no punctuation, it could be read both ways, whichever suits your personal theology. If you don't believe that Jesus and the criminal went to Paradise the day that they died, then you will but the comma after the today. If you believe that they did, you will put the comma after "thee".
I probably put the comma in the wrong place contrary to my personal belief that Jesus and the criminal went to Paradise that very day they died.
Of course, those who don't believe that Jesus was telling the truth when He said, "It is finished" and that for some unknown and unBiblical reason He had to undergo some sort of torture from the devil after taking on Himself the whole wrath of God in the three hours He hung on the cross, then one would put the comma after "today", making it appear that they would be together in Paradise at some future time after Jesus went through His extra torture by the devil in hell.
It is interesting that the difference between truth and heresy/blasphemy consists in the placement of a comma!
Thanks for your A+ post— from a logical point of view, all depending on the meaning one give to the concepts of 'Paradise' and 'Kingdom'.
In Luke 23:42 the one crucified malefactor said to Jesus, "remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom", and in verse 43 Jesus had answered him, "Today shalt thou be, with Me in paradise."
The conclusion is "kingdom" and "paradise" are synonymous.
Certain other facts are also pertinent about the "kingdom".
(LP - Last Passover of Jesus)
Kingdom
MT 10 LP 1 MK 2 LP 0 LK 5 LP 3 JH 0 OT many
Kingdom of My Father
MT 1 LP 1 MK 0 LK 0 JH 0 OT 0
Kingdom of God
MT 5 LP 0 MK 11 LP 2 LK 28 LP 4 JH 3 LP 0 OT 0
Kingdom of Heaven
MT 29 LP 0 MK 0 LP 0 LK 0 LP 0 JH 0 LP 0 OT 0
The use of the word "kingdom" as in this summary, shows,
exclusive NT use
by Jesus virtually exclusively
the most poignant instance of its use is a LP incidence
which Jesus used with clear reference to when and how He would SUFFER and DIE.
These truths force me to believe Jesus' entering into LP Suffering was his Entering into "Paradise" onto the Battlefield in "the Kingdom of My Father".
So as they were speaking to each other, Jesus assured the thief on the cross that he would "be with Me", Jesus, IN HIS SUFFERING AND DEATH, "TODAY", and that he would that very day be saved eternally.
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