THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST

SPREADING THE SOUL-SAVING MESSAGE OF JESUs

Soul-Saving Lessons

“The Thief on the Cross”

Introduction by narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:

THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. Spreading the soul-saving message of Jesus. And now, Ben Bailey.

The Scriptures are abundantly clear on God’s teaching concerning baptism. Over and ov­er again we are taught throughout Scripture that in order to be saved, a person first must be baptized. There is no salvation in God’s plan of salvation without baptism. A multitude of passages teach this. For example, in Mark 16:16 Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” Notice that belief and baptism are both done prior to salvation. Je­sus taught in John 3:5, “Unless a man is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” A person cannot get to Heaven, Jesus said, without being baptized. Peter made it so clear in 1 Peter 3:21 when he said, “Baptism does now also save us.” The Scripture says that “baptism saves.” Think about the accounts of conversion in the Book of Acts. In Acts 2:37 the Jews cried out, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” The answer was, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). Think about Paul’s own account of his conversion. He was told to go into Damascus, and he would be told what he must do. What was essential for Paul to do? Acts 22:16 tells us when it says, “Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”

When pressed with the biblical evidence on baptism, many people (because of a precon­ceived idea or because of the simple fact that think they are saved, yet with the Scriptures’ teaching conflicting with their belief) will throw out various arguments. One of the most pop­ular arguments against baptism for the remission of sins is the thief on the cross. Here is how the argument goes. The thief was saved. In Luke 23:42 Jesus said, “This day you shall be with Me in Paradise.” The thief was never baptized. Therefore, a person may be saved without being baptized.

Is the thief a good example of salvation in the New Testament with­out baptism? Is this an example for us to follow today? This example is not at all proof that baptism is not essential. Rather, it is an assumption based upon an example of Old Testament salvation while Jesus was still alive and had the power to forgive sins anyway He wanted. You can see the accounts of the thief in Matthew 27:38ff., Mark 15:27ff., and Luke 23:39ff. Here is what we know about this argument, and why it will not hold water. The whole argument is based on a false assumption that the thief was never baptized. Where does the Scripture say that? Where is the passage that says that the thief who said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom,” and to whom Jesus said, “Today you will be with Me in Par­adise,” was never baptized? There is no such passage. Thus, this is not a logical argument upon when a person can base his salvation. Rather, it is merely an assumption. To say that the thief was never baptized is to say more than the Bible says. Are we going to affirm that the thief was baptized? The Bible does not say either way. But we certainly cannot base our salvation upon an assumption. That is not the way Christians work. Christians never assume anything. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 that our mindset should be to “prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” Where is the proof that the thief had never been baptized? There is none. In fact, we could come a lot closer to proving that the thief was a religious man who might have been baptized, than we could to proving that he had nev­er been baptized. Let me illustrate. The thief’s knowledge suggests that he was a religious man. He wasn’t the average common criminal. The information we are given in Scripture suggests that the thief knew more about Christ and His kingdom than some of Jesus’ own disciples. Luke 23:40 teaches us that this was a man who recognized the existence of God. We are not talking about an atheist or an agnostic. The thief was a man who believed in God. He said to the other thief who had reviled Jesus, “Do you not even fear God, seeing that we are under the same condemnation?” This was a man who recognized the existence of God, and who recognized God’s power, sovereignty, and handiwork right up to the point of his death. This was a man who had a standard. Whether or not he followed it may be debatable, but this was a man who had a standard of right and wrong. For example, in Luke 23:41 he said to the other thief, “We indeed, justly, for we receive the due reward of our deed.” The man was saying that the two thieves were getting what they deserved because they had broken the law and had violated a standard of right and wrong. Thus, what they were going to get would be what they deserved. The man obviously believed in God. He also recognized a standard of right and wrong. Plus, he believed that Christ was a King. In Luke 23:42 the thief said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your king­dom.” Can you have a kingdom without a king? Absolutely not. This man realized that Je­sus was a King. Revelation 19:16 tells us that Jesus is “King of kings, and Lord of lords.” In 1 Timothy 6:12ff. we see that Jesus is the Great Potentate or Supreme Ruler. The thief knew certain things about Christ.

The thief also knew certain things about the kingdom that Jesus’ disciples did not even understand. He believed that death would not stop Christ’s kingdom. What was the disci­ples’ view of Christ’s kingdom? In Acts 1, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, they asked, “Lord, will You now restore the kingdom to Israel?” They had a worldly, physical mindset. Yet this man said, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” This man and Jesus both knew that people did not come down from crosses alive. Yet he asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom. What does that imply? The thief believed that death would not stop the kingdom of Christ. He believed that there would be remembrance on the other side (“Lord, remember me….”). He knew that the grave was not the end (something the Sadducees did not even understand). He knew that there was more to life than what is seen in just the physical.

The thief also knew of the perfection of Christ. In Luke 23:41 he said, “This Man has done nothing wrong.” He knew Christ was perfect. He was “tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). This was something about Christ that a lot of people in the thief’s day did not understand. The thief also knew about the resurrection. He said, “Lord, remem­ber me when You come into Your kingdom.” If people did not come down from crosses alive, but this man wanted Jesus to remember Him in His kingdom, then he knew something about the resurrection and the kingdom of Christ that exists beyond this world (and that would come into existence in Acts 2). So when we look at this man’s background, we see that he might well have been a follower of John or even of Christ at one point. We cannot be sure. But the evidence suggests that the thief was a man who understood many things that even Jesus’ disciples did not comprehend.

What does all of this mean? This helps us to understand that he was not the average crim­inal. Rather, he was a man who had some sort of religious background. We could say that while there is no proof either way, there would be more evidence to suggest that the thief might have been baptized than to suggest that he had not been. In Matthew 3:5-6, Mark 1:4-5, and John 4:1-3 the Bible records that “all Jerusalem, Judea, and the regions round about went out to John to be baptized by him.” We cannot affirm that the thief was one of those people. But he might have been. He had a religious background (with even more knowl­edge than the disciples, at times). If all Jerusalem and the regions round about went out to be baptized by John, and if this man had a religious background, how could anyone know that he was not one of the people whom John had baptized? The point is that we cannot know either way. If we were going to go one way or the other, the evidence seems to sug­gest that he was a religious man who could have been among the crowd who went to John for baptism. But the point is that we do not know either way. Are you going to base your salvation upon an assumption? The idea that the thief had never been baptized cannot be proved. It is only an assumption that is pivotal to the whole argument, yet it cannot even be proved! That does not make an argument, but instead a supposition. If people base their salvation on such a supposition, there is going to be a rude day of awakening on the Day of Judgment. The thief may or may not have been baptized. We simply have no way to know. No one should base his salvation upon a “best guess” or what someone “thinks” might have happened.

The thief also is not a good example of salvation today because he lived and died under the Old Covenant. Are people who lived under the Old Covenant examples of salvation for us? Would you say that Noah is an example of salvation for men and women today? No. We are not going to build an ark or offer animal sacrifices. What about Moses? He, too, is not an example of salvation for us. Abraham is not. David is not. King Hezekiah is not. Solomon is not. Why are those men not good examples of salvation? It is because they lived and died under the Old Covenant. The thief would fit into the same category as Noah, Moses, and Abraham because he lived and died under the Old Covenant.

God gave the Mosaic Law beginning in Exodus 20. Then came the cross—the point at which the New Covenant came into existence (see chart below). Today we are under the New Law. Hebrews 9:15-17 says that a covenant comes into effect after the death of its testator. If Jesus’ death on the cross represented the time and point when the New Law first became effective (it was first preached in Acts 2), then from the cross toward today would represent New Tes­tament salvation. In the New Testament, we would find examples of salvation under the New Covenant.

 

Where would the thief fall? Would he fall on the New Testament side or on the Old Testa­ment side? The thief and Jesus both would fall on the Old Testament side. Jesus lived and died under the Old Law. His death is what brought about the New Law. Thus, if the thief lived under the Old Law, then we should not look to him as an example of our salvation any more than we would look to the examples of Noah, Abraham, or Moses. Colossians 2:14 makes it clear that the Old Law was nailed to the cross: “Having wiped out the hand­writing of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” When Jesus died, He nailed the Old Law to the cross, and from that time forward people began living under the New Covenant. The thief fell on the Old Testament side of God’s covenant. Thus, we cannot use him as an example of New Testament salvation.

Think about this, too. While Jesus was on Earth, He had the power to forgive sins in any manner He chose. Notice Mark 2:10-11, which says, “‘But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins,’ Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.’” Jesus had the power to forgive sins in any man­ner He wanted while he was on Earth. But when Jesus died, then His testament went in­to effect. Jesus is no longer on the Earth in a physical form. He died, and His testament went into effect. We will be judged by the New Covenant of Christ. We no longer live under the Law of Moses. John 1:17 tells us that “the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” We will be judged by the words of Jesus. John 12: 48 says, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him —the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” What do we learn from the argument about salvation based upon the thief on the cross? That argument is based solely on assumptions. It is not possible to prove one way or the other whether the thief was baptized. He may have been, or he may not have been. But we do not build arguments on mere assumptions when it comes to the salvation of people’s souls. Also, the thief is not an example of New Testament salvation. Just like others under the Old Law, the thief lived and died under the Old Covenant.

To find information on New Testament salvation, we look at God’s teaching in the Book of Acts. Matthew through John tells us about the life of Christ—how He lived, what He did for us, and His teachings. When Jesus died at the end of the Gospel accounts, the Book of Acts then explains to men and women what they must do to become Christians. Acts answers the great question, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:31). If we want to see examples of salvation today, we must turn to the Book of Acts and see what the peo­ple mentioned there did.

The thief is not a good example of salvation because while Jesus was alive, the Scripture says that He had power on Earth to forgive sins. When Jesus died, His New Covenant went into effect. We will be judged by the words of Christ. Those words are our standard and guide. We need to be sure not to move either to the right or to the left (Josh. 1:7). We need to be careful not to add to or take away from the teachings of the New Testament.

Now that we have dealt with the argument based on the thief on the cross, let’s deal with what the Scriptures say concerning baptism. Let’s refresh our minds concerning what New Testament passages teach on the matter of what a person must do to be saved. Notice first Mark 16:16—“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not be­lieve will be condemned.” Jesus clearly taught here that there are two requirements a per­son must meet in order to be saved. First, Jesus taught that a person must believe in order to be saved. Most religious people who believe in Christ admit that if a person does not believe in Jesus, he will be lost. Second, Jesus joined baptism to belief in such a way that the two are inseparable. If a person does not meet both of those requirements, he cannot be saved. It is like saying, “He who eats and drinks will be filled.” A person must meet both requirements. If a person “just eats,” he will not be filled.” If a person “just drinks,” he will not be filled. Not until a person does both will he be filled. The same is true concern­ing baptism. Someone might say, “But Jesus did not say, ‘He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe and is not baptized will be condemned.’ Jesus only said, ‘He who does not believe will be condemned.’” If a person does not believe, is he even a candidate for baptism? Of course not! It would be redundant (if not ridiculous!) for Jesus to say, “Even if you don’t believe, if you’re not baptized, you’ll be condemned.” If a person does not believe, then it logically follows that he certainly is not going to be baptized. Mark 16:16 makes it clear that belief and baptism are both essential to salvation.

Now let’s look at Acts 2:38, where Peter said, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Peter was preaching on the Day of Pentecost so that the Law could “go forth from Jerusalem” (Is. 2:3-4). Peter proclaimed Jesus as the way of salvation. He told the Jews that they had killed the Messiah. They then cried out, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” They wanted to know how they could overcome the sin of having killed the Messiah. Peter did not say, “Don’t do anything; Jesus has done it all for you.” Peter did not say, “Say ‘the sinner’s prayer.’” Peter did not say, “Believe only and you will be saved.” In­stead, Peter said, “You need to repent, and you need to be baptized for the remission of your sins.” Why is that important? Remember that it is sin that separates us from God. In Isaiah 59:1-2 the Scripture says, “The Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; or His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God.” Sin severs the relationship between God and man. If we know the exact point in time when sins are forgiven, then we can know when God and man are rejoined, and when salvation occurs. When are sins remitted? Peter said, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.”

Someone might say, “I know that’s what the Bible says, but the word ‘for’ in Acts 2:38 means ‘because of.’” That is not true. And here is how you can know that for certain. In Matthew 26:28 we find the same Greek syntax as occurs in Acts 2:38. Jesus said, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Was Jesus saying that His blood was shed “because of” the fact that sins had already been forgiven? It is the same Greek syntax as is found in Acts 2:38. We know that Jesus was saying that His blood was going to be shed so that people could receive the forgiveness of sins. And we know that baptism is for (looking forward to receiving) the forgiveness of sins.

Let’s think about another example. Notice what the Scripture teaches in Acts 22:16. Ana­nias was speaking to Saul, and said, “Why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” What did Saul have to do to get right with God? Remember that he was wreaking havoc on the church. Jesus confronted Saul on the road to Damascus and asks, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Saul asked, “Who are You, Lord?” Jesus said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” Saul then asks, “Lord, what would You have me to do?” Jesus told Saul to go into Damascus, and there he would be told what he needed to do (Acts 9:4-6). Acts 22:16 tells us what Saul had to do. If sin separates us from God, then the moment that sins are washed away is the moment that we are saved. Acts 22:16 says, “Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” If bap­tism is the point in time when our sins are washed away, we cannot be saved a moment before that occurs.

Someone might say, “All a person has to do is ‘call upon the name of the Lord’ as Acts 2:21 teaches.” Acts 2:21 does indeed say, “Who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” But let’s allow the Bible to be its own best interpreter. Acts 22:16 says, “Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” How does a person “call on the name of the Lord,” biblical speaking? A person does what God has com­manded concerning baptism. That is what it means to “call on the name of the Lord.”

Someone might say, “That’s all well and good, but are you saying that baptism saves?” We are saying that is what the Bible says! Notice the words of 1 Peter 3:21—“Baptism does now also save us.” Baptism alone is not what saves. But baptism, combined with hearing, believing, repenting, and confessing “does now also save us.” However, notice what the Scripture does say in 1 Peter 3:21—“Baptism does now also save us.” How much clearer could God have stated the matter than that? Does a person have to be baptized to go to Heaven? That is what Jesus said. In John 3:5 Jesus said, “Unless a man is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” A person cannot get into Christ’s kingdom (which ultimately will reside in Heaven) unless he obeys God’s plan of salvation when it comes to water baptism.

Salvation is found only “in Christ” (2 Tim. 2:10). All spiritual blessings are found only “in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). If salvation is found only in Christ, and if all spiritual blessings are found only in Christ, then the obvious question is: How does a person get into Christ? Galatians 3:27 tells us, “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Look at that clear teaching. If salvation and all spiritual blessings are found only “in Christ,” and if a person gets “into Christ” by being baptized, then that person cannot be saved until he has obeyed what God has commanded regarding baptism. In every account of salvation in the Book of Acts (e.g., Simon the sorcerer, the Ethiopian eunuch, Lydia, the Corinthians, etc.) baptism is the integral point at which one stops being a sinner and becomes a child of God.

I want to ask you today if you have submitted to God’s teaching on baptism. The Scriptures are undeniable. The “major argument” against the essentiality of baptism (the thief on the cross) is not an argument at all, but is only an assumption. Do not base your salvation on what some people “think” the account of the thief on the cross “might” mean. Instead, base your salvation upon the Word of God. Have you heard that Word? Are you willing to submit to it? Romans 10:17 says that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Are you willing to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the world? In Acts 8:36-37 the Ethiopian eunuch said, “Here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” Have you believed in Jesus as the Son of God? Are you willing to repent of your sins and turn from them so they can be blotted out (Acts 3:19)? Will you make the good confession that the Ethiopian eunuch made when he said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God”? Then, are you willing to be baptized in water for the forgiveness of your sins? Do not buy into the idea that baptism is merely “an outward sign of an inward grace.” The Bible teaches that baptism is something that a person must do prior to his or her salvation. It is the point at which a person contacts the blood of Jesus (Rom. 6:1-4). If you have not been baptized, then I want to say to you as kindly and loving as possible that you are not saved. You are still in your sin, and will perish eternally if you do not make it right. We plead with you today to be baptized for the remission of your sins. God wants you to, but the decision is yours.

Narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:

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STUDY QUESTIONS FOR “the thief on the cross”

1. According to Mark 16:16, what did Jesus have to say about the importance of baptism?

2. What does 1 Peter 3:21 tell us about baptism?

3. According to Acts 2:38, what is one purpose of baptism?

4. According to Galatians 3:27, what is another purpose of baptism?

5. According to the material presented in this lesson, which would be easier to establish —that the thief on the cross had some religious training, or that he was irreligious?

6. Explain the argument that sometimes is used by those who appeal to the case of the thief on the cross as an example of why a person can be saved without baptism.

7. If someone was to suggest that the thief on the cross had never been baptized, what would be wrong with that suggestion?

8. Give one good reason why the example of the thief on the cross not a good example to use when discussing what people today need to do to be saved?

9. What can be properly inferred from the thief’s statement to the other thief who was be­ing crucified along with him—“We receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong”?

 10. According to Matthew 3:5, who was going to John the Immerser to be baptized?

 11. Under which covenant did the thief on the cross live—the Old Covenant or the New Covenant?

 12. Explain the significance of your answer to question #11 above.

 13. According to Colossians 2:14, when did the Old Covenant pass away?

 14. According to Hebrews 9:16-18, what must happen before a testament can take effect?

 15. Considering your response to question #14 above, at what point in history did the New Covenant supersede the Old Covenant?

 16. According to Acts 22:16, how does one “call on the name of the Lord”?

 17. What does Mark 2:10-11 tell us that Jesus had the power to do while He lived here on Earth?

 18. Judging by the manner in which the word “for” is used in both Acts 2:38 and Matthew 26:28, when Peter said in Acts 2:38 that baptism is “for the remission of sins,” does that indicate that a person has already received forgiveness of sins prior to baptism, or that a person is undergoing baptism to receive forgiveness of sins?

THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, 607 McLish Ave., Ardmore, OK 73401; (580) 223-3289; www.thegospelofchrist.com