No. Jesus did not say the criminal would be in Paradise with him “Today” in Luke 23:43…
One of the most debated topics in the New Testament is what happens once we die. As part of this debate, people often quote Luke 23:43, where Jesus speaks to the repentant criminal on the cross. Some interpretations suggest that Jesus told the man, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” However, a closer examination of the Greek text, punctuation, and other biblical passages suggests a different reading of Luke 23:43: “Truly, I say to you today, you will be with me in paradise.”
The Issue of Punctuation
Ancient Greek manuscripts had no punctuation—no commas or periods. This means that the placement of the comma in some English translations is a matter of interpretation rather than direct textual evidence.
Other translations support an alternative reading, few examples are below:
- The Emphasized Bible by Joseph B. Rotherham: “Verily I say unto thee this day: With me shalt thou be in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
- Concordant Literal New Testament: “Verily, to you am I saying today, with Me shall you be in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
- 2001 Translation – An American English Bible: “I tell you this today; you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
- E.W. Bullinger’s Lexicon: “Verily, to thee I say this day, with Me shalt thou be in the Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
These renderings show that the phrase “this day” could be referring to when Jesus was making the statement, rather than when the event of going to paradise would occur.
The Issue of Greek Grammar
In Greek, adverbs like “today” (σήμερον) typically modify the verb that they are closest to.
Here in Luke 23:43, “σήμερον” is placed immediately after “λέγω σοι” (I say to you), making it natural for it to modify “I say” rather than “you will be with me in paradise.”
If Luke wanted to emphasize “you will be in paradise today,” he could have written:
μετ’ ἐμοῦ σήμερον ἔσῃ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ (placing σήμερον closer to “you will be with me”).
Since Luke did not do this, it suggests that “today” qualifies the act of Jesus speaking.
“I Tell You This Today”?
In today’s language, the biblical phrase “this day” (σήμερον in Greek or הַיּוֹם in Hebrew) often functions as an emphasis marker rather than a reference to a literal 24-hour period. A more natural modern rendering could be:
- “I tell you right now”
- “I assure you today”
- “Mark my words today”
- “I’m telling you this very moment”
Jesus was a Jew, and in biblical speech, “this day” or “today” often serves to highlight the urgency and certainty of a statement. For example:
- Deuteronomy 30:15 – “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.” (Not referring to an event happening that day, but emphasizing the moment of decision.)
- Deuteronomy 8:19 – “I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish.” (The warning is given at that moment, but its fulfillment is not immediate.)
Thus, in Luke 23:43, when Jesus tells the criminal “I tell you today, you will be with me in paradise,” He is emphasizing the certainty of His promise, not the timing of when it will be fulfilled.
Did Jesus Go to Paradise That Day?
If Jesus was telling the criminal that both of them would be in paradise on that very day, it contradicts other clear biblical teachings:
- Jesus Was in the Grave for Three Days
- Matthew 12:40 – “For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
- Jesus did not go directly to heaven but was in the grave (Sheol/Hades) for three days.
- Jesus Had Not Yet Ascended After His Resurrection
- John 20:17 – Jesus tells Mary Magdalene, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.”
- If Jesus had already gone to heaven on the day of His crucifixion, He would not have said this.
- Jesus Descended to Sheol (the Grave)
- 1 Peter 3:18-20 – “He was put to death in the body but made alive in the spirit. After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits.”
- This passage indicates that Jesus descended into the realm of the dead before ascending to heaven.
- This aligns with the Apostles’ Creed, which states: “He descended to the underworld.”
- Paradise wasn’t ready yet: Jesus said, “I go and prepare a place for you… I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:3). However you interpret this, one thing is clear: the place isn’t ready yet—which means it wasn’t yet prepared for the criminal either.
The Meaning of ‘Paradise’
The Greek word παράδεισος (paradeisos) refers to a place of future blessing associated with the future restoration of all things, the New Jerusalem, not necessarily an immediate location upon death:
- Revelation 2:7 – “To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”
Conclusion: Jesus Was Making a Promise, Not a Time Statement
Rather than saying the criminal would be in paradise that very day, Jesus was making a solemn declaration: “I tell you today, you will be with me in paradise.” This promise assured the criminal that he would ultimately be with Jesus, but not necessarily on that exact day.
✔ The lack of punctuation in Greek allows for a different reading.
✔ Jesus went to the grave (Sheol), not heaven, immediately after death.
✔ Jesus explicitly said He had not yet ascended to the Father after His resurrection.
✔ The Bible’s concept of paradise refers to a future, restored state of being with God.
Therefore, Luke 23:43 should not be used to argue that people immediately enter heaven upon death.
