Subject: An interesting discussion/question |
Bible Note: Another key event wherein Jesus' words contradict Soul Sleep is when He spoke to the repentant thief on the cross (see Luke 23:39-43). Following the thief's confession and appeal to Him for mercy, Jesus answered, "Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." This statement begs the question of the Soul Sleep position. What did Jesus mean by "today you will be with me." if the thief would have no conscious life when he died? Some have argued that translators have misrepresented the passage by placing a comma between the word "you" and "today." Their view is that since the original Greek text had no punctuation it could just as well correctly be read, "Truly I say to you today, you will be with me in Paradise" (a promise of the resurrection). This interpretation seems unlikely, however. Jesus used the phrase "Truly I say to you" many times as recorded in the Gospels as a validation of His divine authority. In no instance did He ever attach to it any temporal conditionality such as "today." Clearly the term "today" in the context was to be attached to the promise--that day the thief would be with Jesus in Paradise. - Tal Davis, NAMB, SBC, Website 4truth.net |