rwp - Luke:23:42-43

rwp@Luke:23:42 @{In thy kingdom} (\eis tn basileian sou\, text of Westcott and Hort or \en tei basileii sou\, margin). Probably no difference in sense is to be found, for \eis\ and \en\ are essentially the same preposition. He refers to the Messianic rule of Jesus and begs that Jesus will remember him. It is not clear whether he hopes for immediate blessing or only at the judgment.

rwp@Luke:23:43 @{Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise} (\Smeron met' emou esi en ti paradeisi\). However crude may have been the robber's Messianic ideas Jesus clears the path for him. He promises him immediate and conscious fellowship after death with Christ in Paradise which is a Persian word and is used here not for any supposed intermediate state; but the very bliss of heaven itself. This Persian word was used for an enclosed park or pleasure ground (so Xenophon). The word occurs in two other passages in the N.T. (2Corinthians:12:4; strkjv@Revelation:2:7|), in both of which the reference is plainly to heaven. Some Jews did use the word for the abode of the pious dead till the resurrection, interpreting "Abraham's bosom" (Luke:16:22f.|) in this sense also. But the evidence for such an intermediate state is too weak to warrant belief in it.