The Criminal on the Cross

"The thief on the cross" is traditional, but Luke uses kakourgos, a broader term for a criminal or wrongdoer. His precise crime is not stated. The man accepts the justice of his own sentence while saying Jesus has done nothing wrong, fitting Luke's emphasis on Jesus' innocence. Biblical remembering can involve action rather than mere mental recollection. The man asks Jesus to act for him when the kingdom comes. The man speaks of Jesus' kingdom while Jesus outwardly appears defeated and dying. He attributes future royal authority to Jesus despite what he sees. The man asks only to be remembered. Jesus promises something greater: "today you will be with me in paradise." Sēmeron is an important Lukan word and repeatedly appears when salvation becomes present. Early Greek manuscripts lacked modern punctuation. Some therefore propose: "Truly I tell you today: you will be with me in paradise." The traditional reading, "Truly I tell you: today you will be with me in paradise," fits Jesus' normal formula more naturally and aligns well with Luke's salvation use of "today." Paradeisos has a history as a word for a garden or park and is used in the Greek Old Testament for Eden. Later Jewish and Christian usage can refer to a blessed state with God. Perhaps the most important element is not a geographical map of the afterlife but "with me." The man asks to be remembered later; Jesus promises presence. Luke 23:43 does not by itself answer every question about the intermediate state, resurrection, and the world to come. The text does not say the man is baptized, and he has almost no practical opportunity for new good works. Jesus' promise clearly does not follow a long record of newly accumulated achievements. At the same time, this extreme situation should not by itself settle every later theological question about baptism and salvation. Repentance may elsewhere involve attempting to repair harm. This man has no such opportunity, yet his inability to repair the whole past does not make turning to Jesus meaningless. The story gives strong grounds for hope even when someone turns late. It should not become a guarantee that a person can deliberately postpone everything until the final moment.

Independent English translation from the Greek text, using SBLGNT as the primary Greek edition. The punctuation question surrounding "today" in verse 43 is discussed below.