Why does Paradise = Heaven? What is Paradise? Luke 23:43?

Question

While Jesus was dying he said to the repentant sinner:

"And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43)

Look up some bibles and the footnote for Paradise will say something like: "In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, this word (Paradise) is used for the Garden of Eden."

If Luke uses a word that is referring to a LITERAL garden like paradise, similar to the Garden of Eden, then why have people twisted scriptures like this to mean Heaven or some "happy waiting place"?

Why have people added their own translation to a perfectly clear statement in Greek?

Why have people added their own ideas and speculations that are not found in the bible?

Thanks for your answers so far, however, the question still hasn't been answered from the bible.

Luv&Rockets - I don't beleive that the word "paradise" has been renderd incorrectly. Of the 20+ translations of the bible I have looked at so far, every single one of them says "Paradise". Are you saying that the ancient Greek manuscript is wrong? Are you going to disagree with Greek scholars and editors of the Greek text? Even the KJV says "paradise" and not "world of the spirits". Saying that this text should be rendered "world of the spirits" instead of "paradise" is just pure speculation.

Can anyone show me from the bible where it states that Sheol/Hades (Hell) or any part of it is a paradise that brings a person pleasure? Can anyone show me from the REAL bible where it says that paradise is "the state that the dead are in (in peace and happiness)"?

I have found the opposite to be true; Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10 says that those who are in Sheol (rendered "Hell" or "world of the dead") “are conscious of nothing at all.”

loufedalis - It is true that the key word in that scripture is "today". You are obviously correct in saying that Jesus was not in paradise that day, for he went to "the grave" (Hell) for 3 days. So should we speculate on what Jesus meant? Or look closer at the original Greek text?

It's amazing how grammar can easily change the meaning of a sentence. Unfortunately, the original Greek text doesn't have grammar like we do. Therefore, when translating Greek into English you need to look at the whole sentence (or context) and decide WHERE the comma should go.

Look at the translation of that sentence without the grammar:

Jesus answered him "Truly I tell you today you will be with me in paradise"

Does it make sense to say that today the sinner would be with him, if Jesus was going to be dead for 3 days?

No, therefore, this scripture should be rendered:

Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you today, you will be with me in paradise."

(Notice where the comma is).

loufedalis - I don't mean to sound rude or anything but what you said (about the trinity) doesn't make any sense. You're saying that Jesus IS God, and yet Jesus was dead for 3 days and the sinner went up to heaven to God? Just what do you mean by saying that Jesus IS God? They can't be the same person, for Jesus would have to raise HIMSELF up from the grave. And who was Jesus praying to when on earth, himself?

That is biblically untrue as well, for anyone to go to heaven they need to meet the requirements. You are saying that just because the sinner repented he was privileged with going to heaven. But the sinner didn't meat the requirements to go to heaven:

He was not “born again”—being neither baptized in water nor begotten by God’s spirit. Holy spirit was not poured out upon Jesus’ disciples until more than 50 days after the evildoer’s death.

Read these scriptures:

(John 3:3, 5; Acts 2:1-4)

allen t - So it doesn't matter if it's a garden or a cloud? It doesn't matter if you think that people go to heaven or paradise? I think that this scripture goes against a big doctrine that "every good person goes to heaven".

Answer 1

paradise - The place where the souls of the righteous remain from death till the resurrection.

“Concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me … that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, … are taken home to that God who gave them life. …

“The spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace.” (Alma 40:11–12.)

Answer 2

Hi Paul....I believe in the Bible, however I do have an open-mind on what was written. It's true that people or certain individuals have added their own interpretation or translation regarding the words that were written in the Bible. I imagine when one tries to translate from one language to another that certain wording had to be changed for others to understand. This is my opinion. People have the concept of what paradise means to where other individuals don't have the concept of heaven. To them heaven might just be the universe. Why did the Roman Catholic scholars and 'others' alike delete certain Scriptures and writings from the Holy Book? There are many more Scriptures and writings that weren't placed in the Holy Book so this is what I question. If God is the author of the Holy Book and inspired certain individuals to write the Book then why wasn't it written in the exact wording of God? Now I realize that in some languages that one can't put the exact word in it's meaning since there is no translation for some wording and one has to guess or use the best word that is similar. Maybe this was the case here. When they found the Dead Sea Scrolls for instance, they had come to find out that the scrolls were the entire O.T. except for the Book of Esther. Now I imagine it was hard to read due to it's age and the type of material that was used to write upon and also some parts were worn and dissolved due to the climate. So what does one do? Fill in the blanks so do speak? One can identify the Garden of Eden as a paradise but one can't identify heaven as a paradise since there is no one to speak concerning heaven. God had described the Garden of Eden in the Book of Genesis so we who read the Bible can get an idea what paradise is. But where is it written in the Bible what heaven looks like? Have I missed that part where it describes heaven? If so, please tell me. When I read the Holy Book I read it in the language that I understand in my way of thinking. I consider the era that it was written and what they wrote with my own concept and ideals. Have a blessed day!

Answer 3

A Persian word meaning a garden. It is not found in the O.T. In the N.T. it occurs in Luke 23: 43, 2 Cor. 12: 4, and Rev. 2: 7.
Paradise is that part of the spirit world in which the righteous spirits who have departed from this life await the resurrection of the body. It is a condition of happiness and peace. However, the scriptures are not always consistent in the use of the word. For example, when Jesus purportedly said to the thief on the cross, “To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23: 43), the Bible rendering is incorrect. The statement would more accurately read, “Today shalt thou be with me in the world of spirits” since the thief was not ready for paradise. Possibly 2 Cor. 12: 4 should also not use paradise in the sense of meaning the spirit world, as much as meaning the celestial kingdom.

Answer 4

When Jesus was on the cross he had not yet gave his life as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. Thus anyone dying until that time went to Paradise. Lets just hope you get to one or the other, We know since Jesus died on the cross as a perfect sacrifice that we can now say to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, at least for Christians, now if you are not a Christian then dying takes on a whole new outlook, and I am afraid it is a dark one. Jesus died for our sins, the wages of sin is death, So we must be born again or saved as some churches call it to make it to Heaven, If you would like to be saved just say this simple prayer beleiving in the only begotten son of God and you will be saved by grace, just say, Dear Jesus, I know and confess that I am sinner in need of salvation. I believe you died on a cross at calvery and arose from the grave to wash away my sins, I ask you right now to come into my heart and save me, I pray this Prayer believing in the name of Jesus Amen. If you prayed this prayer with a sincere heart you are now a child of God, rejoice that your name is written in the Lambs book of Life. If you have any questions just send me an email, God Bless YOU!!

Answer 5

Paradise and Heaven are not the same thing. Heaven is for God, Jesus, angels, and a small number of humans who are going to help rule paradise, which will be on Earth. Jesus will be ruling from Heaven, and the thief who talked to Jesus during the crucifixion will be in paradise. People have misinterpreted different parts of the Bible for thousands of years, mostly with the help of Satan. Satan certainly doesn't want us to know the truth, but he does want to destroy us. Here's a disturbing fact. Jesus told us to pray a certain way, "Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name..." How can we hallow it if we don't know what it is, and yet that name has been systematically removed from most modern translations of the Bible. Satan's sneaky, and he knows that if he can confuse us enough to doubt God, then he's got us.

Answer 6

The paradise is a site of rest, until the JESUS, is coming back to the Earth. Is a waiting place, excuse my English is poor. Look in your Bible catholic or evangelical, first of Tesaloniceses, Chapter 4:16. Said that they are sleeping.

On Apocalipsis chapter 22: He said, Im the Alfa and Omega, the first and end., and 22:20 "certainly I come soon, Amen, yes, come LORD JESUS. That is for faith and revelation of the HOLLY SPIRIT to your life. Study the Bible and pray HOLLY SPIRIT to enterpretour, I dont say, this verbs.

Saint John chapter 11:25 he said: ´´IM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE, AND WHEN THEY TRUST IN ME, THEY COME TO LIFE..

From PUERTO RICO

zaivet

Answer 7

God is Jesus, Jesus is God, God is the Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit is Jesus is God. They are not three seperate intities, but One in the same. (Water, Ice, Steam) Jesus, was God, sent to earth to atone for our sins so that we would be accepted to Heaven. The only one who can forgive sin is God, Jesus forgave the theif's sin while they were hanging on the cross. He did not need to be baptized because he had accepted Jesus as the Messiah and believed with all of heart he was in the presence of God.

Answer 8

Interesting question in the fact that Jesus was not , that day, in Paradise. Jesus went to hell for three days to pay for the sin of the world. He arose on the third day.

Jesus was speaking in terms of the Trinity. He and the Father were one. The converted sinner would not have to go to Hell with Jesus, he would go to Paradise to be with the Heavenly father.

Answer 9

I think you are trying to make something simple into something complex.

The important words in Jesus' statement are not "in paradise" but "you will be with me."

The penitent sinner receives salvation through the crucified Jesus.

Jesus' words to the penitent thief reveal Luke's understanding that the destiny of the Christian is "to be with Jesus."

With love in Christ.

Answer 10

Great Question, the Paradise is Heaven and eternal abode and it can be paradise here too if you choose but that is always your choice like Spidy says :)