Some Questions Considered

Notes

1. Note the faith of the dying thief. In this dark hour he saw in the One who was hanging on the cross the Redeemer of men; he saw Him as a King. He looked by faith into the future, and saw the Saviour a victor over every foe and in possession of His glorious kingdom. The thief asked that at that time, and not on the day upon which he made the request, he might not be forgotten.

That he was not with Christ the day he was crucified is apparent for several reasons. (1) Jesus did not ascend to Paradise that day (John 20:19). (2) There is no probability that the thief died that day, for Pilate marveled that Jesus was so soon dead (Mark 15:43, 44), and the legs of the thieves were broken for the purpose evidently that they might not escape when taken from the cross, which would have been unnecessary if they had been already dead. An error in punctuation which appears in the text, placing the comma before, instead of after, the word "to-day," is responsible for any apparent contradiction of other scriptures. Properly punctuated, the text would read as follows: "Verily I say unto thee to-day, thou shalt be with Me in Paradise." The following excellent note, taken from Rotherham's translation of the New Testament, in favor of this punctuation, makes the matter clear: "It is left for the reader to determine whether the words 'this day' should be joined (a) with the former part of the sentence, or (b) with the latter. In favor of (a) may be urged: (1) The fact that semeron, 'this day,' does not always stand first in the clause to which it belongs (see Luke 2:11; 5:26; 22:34; Acts 20:26; 22:3; 24:21; 26:29); (2) that being essentially a demonstrative word, it will bear any reasonable stress which may be laid upon it, whether it be placed before or after the words which it qualifies; (3) that it is far from meaningless if regarded as belonging to the opening words of asseveration, 'Thou dost ask to be remembered then; verily thou art assured now. As on this day of My weakness and shame, thou hast faith to ask, I this day have authority to answer;' (4) that the latter part of the verse is thus left free to refer to the very matter of the supplicant's request, 'Thou dost ask to be remembered when I come in My kingdom; thou shalt be remembered then, and with distinguished favor; thou shalt be in My kingdom; shalt be with Me in the very Paradise of My kingdom, in the garden of the Lord."

2. It is not stated that the fire will burn to all eternity, but simply that it is "unquenchable," a term used to signify only destructive fire. Being kindled by Jehovah, no power can extinguish it. It will burn until that upon which it preys has been consumed.

3. The expression, "worm dieth not," is a figure expressive of the most complete destruction. The word translated "hell" in the passage is from the Greek word gehenna, which is defined by Greenfield as follows: "Gehenna, the Valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, once celebrated for the horrid worship of Moloch, and afterwards polluted with every species of filth, as well as the carcasses of animals and dead bodies of malefactors; to consume which, in order to avert the pestilence which such a mass of corruption would occasion, constant fires were kept burning."

That which the fire did not consume, the worm would seize upon and devour. The figure here used is borrowed from Isa. 51:6-8; 66:24. Dr. Boothroyd translates Isa. 51:6-8 as follows:—

"Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die like an insect; but My salvation shall be forever, and My righteousness shall not be abolished. Fear ye not the reproach of men, and be not afraid of their revilings, for the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool, but My righteousness shall be forever, and My salvation from generation to generation." The figure here used denotes complete destruction and extinction of being.

4. The wicked truly will receive everlasting punishment. It will continue as long as the reward of the righteous. But the punishment is death, not eternal torture. We frequently speak of "capital punishment," meaning death. Their punishment will be the second death, a death from which there is no resurrection.

5. Note that this fire "devours," literally "eats up," the wicked. The terms "for ever and ever" here employed in no way contradict this. That they are sometimes used to denote absolute eternity there is no doubt. There is as little doubt that they are as frequently used to denote limited duration. See Jonah 2:6; Ex. 21:1-6; 1 Chron. 28:4; 2 Kings 5:27.

6. The spirit, or breath, of all, both righteous and wicked, are here said to return to God. If this meant a conscious existence, it would place all, both righteous and wicked, around the throne of God, which would be universal salvation. The spirit returns to God in the same sense in which it came from Him, and is no more a conscious entity after returning than before being received by man.

7. Christ here appeared in His glory as King. Elijah, who was translated (2 Kings 2:11), appeared as a representative of those who will be translated into the kingdom at the coming of the Lord. Moses was resurrected (Jude 9), and appeared as a representative of all who will be raised from the dead at the appearing of Christ. The Saviour here gave in epitome, a representation of His future eternal kingdom. 2 Peter 1:16-18.