Luke 23:39–43 (ESV)
One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
I looked something up, and I don’t understand it. Luke 23:39–43 describes the thief on the cross saying some nice things to Jesus, but it’s nowhere near what you say is needed to confess faith as per Romans 10:9. Yet Jesus says to him, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Why does this guy get in? He doesn’t confess Jesus as Lord—he only asks to be remembered—and he sure as heck doesn’t believe in the resurrection.
Great question. You’re right; we know, beyond any doubt, that he was saved. Our understanding of saving faith has to include him.
So, what was his faith? What did he believe? How does his faith meet your standards?
We know a number of things about the thief’s faith from this passage:
1) He knew that Jesus was innocent.
2) He knew of Jesus’s reputation, including the power to free all three of them.
3) He knew that Jesus was a king.
4) He knew that crucifixion wouldn’t prevent Jesus from coming into His kingdom.
5) He knew that after he died, Jesus “remembering” him would be significant.
6) He “preached” these things to the other thief.
I suppose that numbers 3–6 take care of the confession part of Romans 10:9, but how could he have believed that Jesus would be raised from the dead?
He didn’t. That detail doesn’t apply to this guy. It doesn’t apply to John the Baptist either. The mechanism by which Jesus would come into his kingdom isn’t the issue; it’s that He will—or, for later believers, that He did.
After the resurrection, anyone who knows who Jesus is has to believe in His resurrection. His Lordship and His resurrection go hand-in-hand. As I said before, if Jesus was raised, He is Lord. If He wasn’t raised, He isn’t Lord (He isn’t anything).
But before that event, the faith couldn’t be in specifics that they didn’t know about. That’s why we say that the Old Testament believers had the same saving faith. They didn’t know certain details, but they pledged (and practiced) fealty to the Lord.
The simplicity of the thief on the cross’s faith is a thing of wonder. I love to study (and write about) complex doctrines, but I should be careful not to overvalue them. Simple faith is saving faith, and the first century Christians had simple faith.
Those simple Christians are the ones Jesus chose to spread His gospel to the ends of the Earth. We could use a few more like them.
Okay, but there’s one bit I don’t understand. Where is the paradise that Jesus says He will be with him be in?
I talked about heaven a bit earlier, but there’s one thing I need to nail down—heaven is created. This is made crystal clear by Revelation 21:1.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. (ESV)
The creator’s fundamental self-existence is not in a place. God created the concepts of “in” and “place” when He created space and time. Scripture consistently describes the heavens as created. For example, see Genesis 1:1.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (ESV)
So, paradise is the same as heaven?
Yes. We see that in 2 Corinthians 12:2–3, which equates them.
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows (ESV)
So, Christians believe in life after death and they will get to see things they can’t see now, right?
Right. I’ve already used the King James version of 1 Corinthians 13:12, but it’s sublime.
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. — 1 Corinthians 13:12 (KJV)
What does that even mean?
Yeah, this is another one of those topics which we must admit we’re not going to fully comprehend. Heaven is massively different, and our eyes will be opened—somehow.
But, the idea that we’ll be completely outside of any creation is too insanely abstract to even be pondered—and it’s absolutely not supported by scripture.
I suppose. See you tomorrow.
