Are you 100% sure The Thief On the Cross was not Baptised? Read Below PLEASE?

Question

Many are so high minded about the OPINION that "Thief not being baptised" pertaining to Luke 23:40-42.

According to the bible, it never says weather the theif was or never baptised, The theif is assumed to have not been baptised by most Christians claiming that Baptism isn't nessecary.

The man had honesty and courage as seen in his rebuke of the other robber, he appeared to fear God, acknowledged his guilt. accepted his deserved punishment, showed respect for Jesus, defended Jesus' innocence, and had some knowledge of Jesus' kingdom (Luke 23:40-42).

The day Jesus died, he DID NOT go to Heaven, Scripture says he went to Hell (Acts 2:31) so this means that the Thief also went to hell but it was a different part. According to history, it was understood in the past ages that hades was divided into two parts‑first, paradise, the unseen abode of the embodied spirits of the righteous and, secondly, tartarus, the unseen abode of disembodied spirits of the wicked (cf. Luke 16:19-31).

Jesus was on earth for 40 days after his resurrection. This is proven in (John 20:16) She turned herself, and said unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father”,

So can you say that the Theif was in Heaven THAT DAY? No Paradise is where Abraham and the rest of the righous are until the coming of the Lord. Its not Heaven but a place of rest.

The Thief cannot be assumed to have not been baptised, Their was much time for the Theif to be baptised before he was convicted of a Crime.

John the Baptist and the Apostles could have baptised him in one point or another. Their is a 50/50 chance of him being baptised or not.

PLEASE DON'T ASSUME HE WAS BAPTISED. and don't try to use it as an argument to try to prove that baptism isn't nessacary. Its not a valid argument.

SITES TO CONSIDER READING: The This cannot be assumed to have not been baptised nor assumed to have been.

http://www.trustingodamerica.com/Thief.htm

http://astudent.wordpress.com/2007/04/06/the-thief-on-the-cross-was-baptized/

http://www.bibleweb.com/content/thief.htm

http://www.thywordistruth.com/questions/qa004.htm

http://www.sjchurchofchrist.org/thief.shtml

http://www.bible.ca/eo/ba/ba_05.htm

DID THE THIEF REPENT?
Just like the baptism, YOU CANNOT BE SURE, so you cannot jump to conclusions as to say "He wasnt".

We have also repented of our sins but dont we still sin at times?

The Thief also sined but does that mean that he never repented? NO

Answer 1

The thief was still under the Old Covenant (since Jesus had not yet died) just as David was.

The thief on the cross was saved because Jesus spoke his sins forgiven
(Luke 23:43). Jesus had power while on earth to remit sins (Matthew 9:1-8).

When the thief was hanging on the cross with Jesus, they were both still living under the law of Moses. Since Jesus hadn't yet died, the new testament was not yet in effect. The thief demonstrated his faith in God through his statement to Jesus on the cross. This faith allowed God to overlook his sin, just as the sins of untold numbers of people prior to him were overlooked. However, just as with those before him, his sin was not yet forgiven. When Jesus died, the sins of the thief and of all who had faith in God through the prior centuries were forgiven. His faith allowed Jesus to state, "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise."

Answer 2

We do noy know whether he was baptised or not, and as you say, we cannot assume anything. He believed in Christ and probably would have been baptised if he could, but not in his situation on a cross, nearing death. Baptism is necessary and God wants all to "repent and be baptised" (Act. 2:37). He demands that you do it if you can, but He does not demand from us the impossible,.
Even if he was not baptised with water, he had the baptism of desire and so received saving grace. That´s how many non-Christians may be saved, in a way "known to God only" (CCC).
On the other point. Many use the "today you will me in paradise" to try to prove that Jesus did not go to hades, but as you say Act. 2:31 and also Eph. 4:9 and 1 Pet.3:9 say he did. However we cannot assume that the thief went with him. How could he go to hades and have the thief in paradise the same day? We have to remember that for God all time is present as "a thousand years is like a day" (2 Pet. 3:8)

Answer 3

Pastor Billy says: Hi Jack, I picked spiritoroamin but one of things we fail to ask (and many Evangelicals and those who say baptism isn't important also do this) is where is this paradise? The thief was not promised heaven by Jesus and we know no one enters heaven before Jesus who rises to the father in heaven later on. Was the thief under the new law or still under the old law?

Answer 4

Are you trying to say that a person can not have salvation until they are baptised? I believe that Baptism is just an outward sign to the world that you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior before I was baptised. If I had died before being baptised are you saying that I would not have salvation, even though the signs of a new life in Christ Jesus were already being manifested?

Answer 5

I agree. There is also baptism by desire, which you just referred to when you said "The man had honesty and courage as seen in his rebuke of the other robber, he appeared to fear God, acknowledged his guilt. accepted his deserved punishment, showed respect for Jesus, defended Jesus' innocence, and had some knowledge of Jesus' kingdom"



Great point, BTW. :)

Answer 6

there is no information that the thief on the flow ever grew to become right into a follower of Christ or that he grew to become into baptized. this could have been an impossibility mutually as on the flow. He in simple terms known his sinful nature, have faith that Jesus grew to become into the Messiah and asked for forgiveness. the key to understanding how he went to heaven right this moment after dying without baptism relies upon upon the dispensations. ahead of Christ's dying Jews lived under the dispensation of the regulation and baptism for salvation grew to become into no longer required. concept grew to become into the sole standards mandatory for salvation. in spite of the undeniable fact that, after Christ's dying whilst the veil interior the Temple grew to become into torn in 2 that ushered interior the dispensation of Grace wherein guy ought to flow directly to the throne of God and repent without the clergymen. No human intersession grew to become into required. The words of Jesus are very sparkling whilst He advised His disciples, "15 And he suggested unto them, flow ye into each and all the international, and pontificate the gospel to each creature. sixteen He that believeth and is baptized would be stored; yet he that believeth no longer would be damned." Mark sixteen:15, sixteen This command grew to become into to achieved after He resurrected and ascended into heaven, no longer in the previous. In Christ, gatita_63109

Answer 7

After all that... there is one and *only* one requirement to enter Heaven... that you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Having said that.. Don't think that you can "Walk the Isle" at 15 and spend the rest of your life in deep sin and expect to get into Heaven... It doesn't work that way.

Answer 8

Baptism is a sign of repentance. The thief on the cross did not repent until he was on the cross. He had no opportunity to be baptized while he hung on the cross. He would NOT have been baptized before the cross because he was not repentant.

Answer 9

It doesn't matter since Christian baptism would not have been available to him.