Appendix B: Today

Appendix B

Today Thou Shalt Be With Me In Paradise

And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:42-43)

Although I dealt with this briefly in part three of our essay, I feel that it is necessary to give more attention to this expression by our Lord. Many scholars and Bible teachers correctly separate hell into two compartments. This is based on the passage in Luke 16:22-24:

And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

Cults and some Christian groups that attempt to deny the Biblical teaching of hell would have us to believe that the story the rich man and Lazarus is nothing more than a parable. The story above cannot be a parable for the following reason: When Jesus told parables He made it clear that this was exactly what he was doing. He did not make such an indication in this story. On the contrary Jesus starts the story by saying, "There was a certain rich man ..." The word is used to talk about something that is assured, reliable, and something that can be proven. So the above is a true story and hell is a real place.

It also proves that during the time that Abraham and Lazarus dwelled there, hell did have two compartments: One being a place of torment and the other being a place where Old Testament saints awaited the promises of the Savior. I agree 100% with this interpretation. Where I question many scholars and Bible teachers is that they refer to the compartment of Abraham's dwelling as Paradise.

Luke did not record any statement by Jesus in which he referred to this compartment as Paradise. He referred to it as Abraham's Bosom. Luke was well aware of the place called Paradise because he is the only one of the gospel writers who records Jesus' mention of this place to the thief on the cross. Yet, in his record of Jesus' true story concerning the rich man and Lazarus, Jesus does not refer to the place that Lazarus went to as Paradise. He calls it Abraham's Bosom. If Abraham's bosom is supposed to be Paradise, wouldn't Luke have told us since it was he who recorded Jesus' words to the thief on the cross next to his?

Furthermore, there is nothing in the Scriptures that ever indicates that Paradise was ever a compartment of hell. Every place in the New Testament (KJV) that mentions Paradise refers to heaven (2 Cor. 12:1-4 ; Rev 2:7). Never once does it mention that Paradise was a compartment in hell.

Many theologians and Bible teachers say that Jesus moved Paradise from hell (Hades) to Heaven. Many of them refer to Eph. 4:8-10:

Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

By leading captivity captive, it is implied that the Old Testament saints were held captive in the compartment of Hades called Paradise (which I state again that Jesus never called it Paradise. He referred to it as Abraham's bosom). When Jesus ascended, it is said that he took the captives with him, thus moving Paradise from Hades to heaven. This is the interpretation that many give to this passage.

Yet, this does not even seem to give the slightest hint that Jesus moved the location of Paradise from Hades to heaven. It simply says that He led captivity captive. I cannot understand why many in the church interprets this passage in the way that it has been. Even the majority of Faith Teachers interpret it this way. I do not believe that such an interpretation helps their case. Instead it hinders it. I believe that the well known Greek scholar, Marvin Vincent, offers us an alternative that would better support the Word-of-Faith teaching on Christ's descent into hell. Read what he says in his word studies:

Confirming by Scripture what has just been said. When He ascended, etc. Quoted from Psalm lxviii. 19 (Sept. lxvii. 18). The Hebrew reads: "Ascending to the height thou didst lead captive captivity, and received gifts in man." So Sept. Paul changes thou didst lead, didst receive, into he lead and he gave. The Psalm is Messianic, a hymn of victory in which God is praised for victory and deliverance. It is freely adapted by Paul, who regards its substance rather than its letter, and uses it as an expression of the divine triumph as fulfilled in Christ's victory over death and sin.

Ascended. The ascent of Jehovah is realized in Christ's ascent into heaven. Captivity. Abstract for the body of captives. See on Luke iv. 18. The captives are not the redeemed, but the enemies of Christ's kingdom, Satan, Sin, and Death. Compare on Col. ii. 15, and 2 Cor. ii. 14. Gave. In the Hebrew and Septuagint, received or took; but with the sense received in order to distribute among men. Compare Gen. xv. 9, take for me: xviii. 5, I will fetch for you: Exod. xxvii. 20, bring thee, i.e., take and present to thee: Acts ii. 33, "Having received of the Father, etc., He hath shed forth." Thus Paul interprets the received of the Old Testament. His point is the distribution of grace by Christ in varied measure to individuals. He confirms this by Scripture, seeing in the Jehovah of this Old-Testament passage the Christ of the New Testament - one Redeemer under both covenants - and applying the Psalmist's address to Christ who distributes the results of His victory among His loyal subjects. These results are enumerated in ver. 11 sqq.[1]

Vincent does not see this passage as teaching that Christ led the saints from Abraham's Bosom (or Paradise as many believe was synonymous with Abraham's bosom). He does not see this as Christ moving a specific location from one place to another. Other Bible translations and paraphrases agree with Vincent's understanding of Eph. 4:8. I quote from the ones that seem to bring this out more clearly:

That's why the Scriptures say: "When he went to the highest place, he took captive those who had captured us and gave gifts to people." (God's Word to the Nations)

For this reason he says, He went up on high, taking his prisoners with him, and gave freely to men. (The Bible in Basic English)

Therefore it is said, When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive [He led a train of vanquished foes] and He bestowed gifts on men. [Ps. 68:18] (The Amplified Bible)

The text for this is, "He climbed the high mountain, He captured the enemy and seized the booty, He handed it all out in gifts to the people." (The Message by Eugene Peterson)

Larry Richards, in his Victor Bible Background Commentary (New Testament), makes this comment:

A more satisfying suggestion is rooted in the imagery of a conqueror's triumph. Christ the Victor returns to heaven with the captives in His train. Then enthroned in glory, He shares with His followers on earth the spoils which He has won. The OT and NT thus look at a common event, Christ's triumph and emphasize two different but harmonious consequences. The Victor receives the spoils – and generously distributes them to His followers.[2]

Craig S. Keener, in his Bible Background Commentary seems to agree with Richards to a certain extent: "Paul's point is in harmony with the image of the psalm, although he changed its language; once a conqueror had received tribute and plunder from the defeated (as in Ps. 68:18), he distributed most of these spoils to his soldiers (as here).[3] In case the reader believes that Vincent, Richards, and Keener are in the minority on this, allow me to cite some other well known commentaries on this same passage:

captivity--that is, a band of captives. In the Psalm, the captive foes of David. In the antitypical meaning, the foes of Christ the Son of David, the devil, death, the curse, and sin (Col_2:15; 2Pe_2:4), led as it were in triumphal procession as a sign of the destruction of the foe. (Jaimeson-Fausset-Brown)[4]

Eph 4:8 - Wherefore he saith - That is, in reference to which God saith by David, Having ascended on high, he led captivity captive - He triumphed over all his enemies, Satan, sin, and death, which had before enslaved all the world: alluding to the custom of ancient conquerors, who led those they had conquered in chains after them. And, as they also used to give donatives to the people, at their return from victory, so he gave gifts to men - Both the ordinary and extraordinary gifts of the Spirit. Psa_68:18. (John Wesley)[5]

he led captivity captive; which is expressive of Christ's conquests and triumph over sin, Satan, the world, death, and the grave; and indeed, every spiritual enemy of his and his people, especially the devil, who leads men captive at his will, and is therefore called captivity, and his principalities and powers, whom Christ has spoiled and triumphed over; the allusion is to the public triumphs of the Romans, in which captives were led in chains, and exposed to open view F19: (John Gill)[6]

When he ascended up on high] The whole of this verse, as it stands in the psalm, seems to refer to a military triumph. Take the following paraphrase: Thou hast ascended on high: the conqueror was placed in a very elevated chariot. Thou hast led captivity captive: the conquered kings and generals were usually bound behind the chariot of the conqueror, to grace the triumph. Thou host received gifts for (Paul, given gifts unto) men: at such times the conqueror was wont to throw money among the crowd. Even to the rebellious: those who had fought against him now submit unto him, and share his munificence; for it is the property of a hero to be generous. That the Lord God might dwell among them: the conqueror being now come to fix his abode in the conquered provinces, and subdue the people to his laws. (Adam Clark)[7]

Theodore Epp seems to be more adamant in his commentary on this passage as he explains his disagreement with the more popular teaching of this passage:

The words "He led captivity captive" (Eph. 4:8) have commonly been understood as teaching that Christ led believers from Hades to heaven at the time of His resurrection. It is commonly thought that before the cross Hades consisted of two compartments – one for the righteous dead and one for the unrighteousness dead. The account of Luke 16:19-31 supports this. Inasmuch as Christ entered hades at the time of His death, it is thought that He led the righteous dead from the one compartment and took them to heaven to be with Himself. The words "He led captivity captive" have been commonly used to imply that the righteous who were held captive were now taken captive by Christ and led to heaven.

Although this view has merit, upon further research I do not believe that this is what is being taught in Ephesians 4:8. The key reason for not thinking so is that the context does not support it. A particular verse or phrase must be interpreted in the light of its context. The context of Ephesians 4:8 has to do primarily with victory and gifts. As has been indicated, Psalm 68:18 is a parallel passage...

It was the custom in biblical times for an army to return home from victory following its leader in triumph. After the triumphal procession with the captives and spoils that had been taken, the military leader would distribute gifts, which included the spoils. The Apostle Paul would have been well acquainted with this custom and in Ephesians would have been referring to the victory of Christ in defeating all His foes and then giving gifts to His own people.[8]

Based on the above quotes from the major commentators and Bible teachers the reader should note that I am not offering a new interpretation of Ephesians 4:8. The interpretation I recommend is the same held by men from a variety of Christian background and traditions. Even without the commentaries or the other Bible translations, if one were to read Ephesians 4:8 in the KJV without having been preprogrammed to believe that it taught that Christ moved Paradise from Hades to heaven would never come to this conclusion.

Now I do believe that the Old Testament saints whose spirits were in the section of Hades called Abraham's Bosom most certainly arose after our Lord's resurrection and are now in truly in Paradise which according to the New Testament is heaven. In spite of what some cults and some erroneous Christian groups teach about soul-sleep, Matthew 27:52-53 teaches us that the OT saints did arise after Christ Himself was resurrected. Yet, we find nothing in the Scriptures about Christ taking a place called Paradise from Hades and moving it to heaven. The Scriptures seem to teach that Paradise was always in Heaven. It seems to teach that Paradise is synonymous with Heaven.

So what do I do with Jesus statement to the penitent thief on the cross next to his. Let us read this statement again:

And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:42-43)

In the King James Version, and about 98% of all of our English translations, we have the comma (,) before the word "today" with no punctuation whatsoever afterwards. We are told by George Ricker Berry, Ph.D., who was a professor of Semitic languages: "There is no authority anywhere for the punctuation. There are few or no points in the ancient copies, and editors naturally differ in their system of pointing. We have been obliged to punctuate for ourselves as we judged best."[9]

In an Appendix 173 of The Companion Bible, E.W. Bullinger makes this statement directly concerning Luke 23:43: "The interpretation of this verse depends entirely on punctuation, which rests wholly on human authority, the Greek manuscripts having no punctuation of any kind till the ninth century, and then it is only a dot in the middle of the line separating each word."[10]

Quite often experts will who give us translations are already bias in their theological beliefs. It often shows not only in how a word or phrase will be translated but also where and how they will punctuate a verse and what punctuation will be used. One pastor was talking to a translator in Israel. He asked him what he would do if while in the process of translating a verse, he discovered the Greek or Hebrew contradicted his theology? The translator said that he would go with his theology.[11]

Reading enough commentaries by experts from so many backgrounds who have a vast knowledge of the original Bible languages is enough to confirm this statement. Its amazing to me that so many men with the same level of education and knowledge will come to so many different conclusions concerning the Scriptures. I have no doubt that translators will punctuate based on theological bias.

Therefore, if one were to punctuate Luke 23:43 differently then one would come to different conclusions concerning this passage. An example of this is found in The Emphasized Bible by J.B. Rotherham:

And he went on to say-Jesus! remember me, whensoever thou shalt come into thy kingdom. And he said unto him Verily, I say unto thee this day: With me, shalt thou be in Paradise. (Luke 23:42-43 - Rotherham)

Notice that Rotherham puts a colon (:) after "this day" (The Greek word "semeron" is translated "to day" or this day" depending on the translator). The thought conveyed here is that Christ is making the promise on this particular day that He and the thief will be together in Paradise. However, Christ is not promising that this will take place that very day.

Some translations, such as The Concordant Literal New Testament put a comma (,) after the word "today" to show a different thought being conveyed. Other respected Christian scholars who have translated Luke 23:43 in a way similar to that of Rotherham and the CLNT are: Dr. William Cureton, George M. Lamsa, James L. Tomanek, Charles A.L. Totten, and Bruce M. Metzger.[12]

Often such a translation is used to support false doctrines taught by cult groups such as the Jehovah Witnesses or even some legitimate Christian groups who believe in "soul sleep," a doctrine which I believe comes from a distorted teaching of Scripture that speaks of the dead Christians as being asleep. To deal with this doctrine is not within the scope of this paper. What I want to show here is that well respected Christians scholars would agree with the way Rotherham and others have translated this passage. Rotherham himself and the others mentioned would not advocate any part of Jehovah Witness teachings.

One of the scholars whom I have referred to often in these essays is A.T. Robertson. Robertson believed that the evidence for teaching that the thief went to Paradise with Christ on that very day is weak:

However crude may have been the robber's Messianic ideas Jesus clears the path for him. He promises him immediate and conscious fellowship after death with Christ in Paradise which is a Persian word and is used here not for any supposed intermediate state; but 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. (2Co_12:4; Rev_2:7), in both of which the reference is plainly to heaven. Some Jews did use the word for the abode of the pious dead till the resurrection, interpreting "Abraham's bosom" (Luk_16:22 f.) in this sense also. But the evidence for such an intermediate state is too weak to warrant belief in it.[13]

Albert Barnes, in his well known commentary seems to believe that Christ was simply letting the thief know that His prayer was answered on that very day:

Today, future period when the Messiah would rise or would return; but Jesus told him that his prayer would be answered that very day, implying, evidently, that it would be immediately at death. This is the more remarkable, as those who were crucified commonly lingered for several days on the cross before they died; but Jesus foresaw that measures would be taken to hasten their death, and assured him that that day he should receive an answer to his prayer and be with him in his kingdom. [14]

Barnes takes the approach that the prayer was being answered that day but not necessarily that He and Christ would accompany each other there on that exact day. Barnes goes on to say:

The plain meaning of the passage is, "To-day thou shalt be made happy, or be received to a state of blessedness with me after death." It is to be remarked that Christ says nothing about the p1ace where it should be, nor of the condition of those there, excepting that it is a place of blessedness, and that its happiness is to commence immediately after death (see also #Php 1:23|) [15]

Therefore, we see that Barnes is another respected Bible teacher who did not necessarily accept the interpretation that "Paradise" and "Abraham's Bosom" were synonymous with one another.

Even those who believe that Abraham's Bosom and Paradise are (or were) the same place do not believe that it is necessary to interpret the passage as if Christ went to this place with the thief at the very moment of their deaths. W.B. Godbey is one who takes this different approach to this interpretation:

The reader would do well here to exchange this book for Volume 2, and read the Commentary on 1 Peter 3:19. It takes in this whole subject, and corroboratively expounds this Scripture. When our Savior expired on the cross, his human soul descended into hell (Acts 2:31); the herald of his own victory achieved on Mount Calvary having triumphed over the pandemonium, he crosses the chasm (Luke 16:26) impassable to all finite beings, enters the intermediate paradise, called Abraham's bosom, meets the thief according to promise (Luke 23:43), and all the Old Testament saints there awaiting the verification of the Abrahamic covenant by the sufferings of Christ; on the third morning, abolishing the intermediate paradise, leads them all up, receives his body out of the sepulcher, all the mighty hosts of Old Testament saints accompanying him during his forty day on the earth, invisible because disembodied, and ascend with him into heaven from Mount Olivet; constituting his triumphal procession, as seen by the prophetic eye of David (Psalm 24), they enter the glorified city of God amid the shouts of angels, archangels, and redeemed spirits. "Christ, the first-fruits of them that slept," must lead the way into heaven, throwing wide the pearly gates for every disembodied saint in all coming ages to sweep with a shout.[16]

Certainly Godbey would disagree with most of the approach I am taking here but I reference his comment to specifically point out that even this scholar does not seem to believe that Christ went directly to Abraham's bosom right away. He believes that Christ first went to hell to proclaim his victory (while Faith Teachers believed that Christ went there to further suffer the pangs of death) and then Christ crossed the gulf over to Abraham's Bosom and led the saints into Heaven.

As we can see there is so much interpretation surrounding this one passage of Scripture. It is truly beyond all of my reasoning abilities to try to understand why the critics of the Faith Teachers have chosen a certain interpretation and presented it to the rest of Christianity as if their's was the only one.

The conclusions I have come to from this study is this: Though there is sufficient evidence in the Bible that a separate compartment in Hades was reserved for the righteous saints before Christ's sacrifice, there is no Biblical evidence that this was the place called Paradise. If it were, then Jesus would have called it this as relayed the true account of the rich man and Lazareth (Luke 16:19-31).

Therefore, it is not necessary to say that Christ moved Paradise to heaven upon His resurrections. The only Scripture used to make such a claim (Ephesians 4:8) does not make such a claim clear in any type of way. This could be used to teach that Christ led the righteous captives to heaven with Him but the best interpretation should be that He led a parade of His own captives which would be Satan and his minions. Certainly the righteous OT saints were released from Abraham's bosom upon Christ's resurrection (Matt. 27:52-53), and of course are now residing with Him in Paradise. Yet, nothing states that He moved the so called Paradise in Hades to the third heaven.

Finally, it is not necessary for us to staunchly state that Christ and the thief went to Paradise together on the very day that they died. Certainly the thief is in Paradise with Christ at this very moment, yet it is not necessary to say that they both went there that day. Depending on how one punctuates Luke 23:43, we could easily come to the conclusion that Christ was telling him that on that day the promise was being made that they will be with each other in Paradise. More than one Christian scholar has affirmed this interpretation. Even the great Methodist founder John Wesley has said, "In paradise - The place where the souls of the righteous remain from death till the resurrection. As if he had said, I will not only remember thee then, but this very day."[17]

One should be able to agree or disagree with the Faith Teachers and anyone else in the body of the Messiah. The problems occur when one group attempts to make another one out to be a cult, heretical, or even abberational based on their own biased research and Bible interpretations. We should be able to disagree with one another in love and we should be able to discuss these things without the harshness and cruelty often prevalent amongst the critics of the Faith Teachers.

Vincent, Marvin, Vincent's Word Studies (Online version available at http://www.godrules.net)
Richards, Lawrence O. The Victor Bible Background Commentary (New Testament) (Wheaton, Ill: Victor Books, 1994), pp. 473, 474
Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary (New Testament) (Downers Grove, Ill: Inter-Varsity Press, 1993), p. 547
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) Available at Crosswalk.com
Wesley, John Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible (Online version available at http://www.godrules.net)
Gill, John John Gill's Exposition of the Bible (Paris, AR: The Baptist Standard Bearer), The New John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible Modernized and adapted for the computer by Larry Pierce of Online Bible. All Rights Reserved, Larry Pierce, Winterbourne, Ontario. Available at Crosswalk.com
Clarke, Adam Adam Clarke's Commentaries (Online version available at http://www.godrules.net)
Epp, Theodore H. Living Abundantly: Studies In Ephesians (Lincoln, NE: Back To The Bible, 1973), pp. 163, 164
Berry, George Ricker The Interlinear KJV: Parallel New Testament In Greek And English (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House) p. ii
Bullinger, E.W. The Companion Bible, Appendix 173. This can be found online at http://www.heavendwellers.com
A story told by H. Roy Elseth in his book Did God Know? A Study of the Nature of God? (St. Paul, MN: Calvary United Church, Inc., 1977), p. 169
Excellent research on this can be found at http://users.eggconnect.net/noddy3/Luke%202343.htm . This author quotes from the writings/translations of the various scholars mentioned. He supports their translation of Luke 23:43 while refuting the Jehovah Witness doctrine. I cannot support the author totally in all of his conclusions but I reference his site because of the excellent scholarship shown in his research on this subject and that the reader may have more proof showing that not everyone in the church shares the interpretation of Luke 23:43 that the critics of JDS share.
Robertson, A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures In The New Testament (Online version available at http://www.godrules.net)
Barnes, Albert Barnes New Testament Notes (Tempe, AZ, The CrossWire Bible Society), The Sword Project Bible Software which can be downloaded for free at http://www.crosswire.org
Ibid.
Godbey, William Baxter Godbey's New Testament Commentaries Volume IV – Corinthians-Galatians (Paul, The Champion Theologian) (Spokane, WA: Holiness Data Ministry).
Wesley, John Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible (Online version available at http://www.godrules.net)

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