1)
"And he said to him: “Truly I tell you today, You will be with me in Paradise.” "
~ Luke 23:43 (New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures)
http://www.jw.org/en/publications/bible/nwt/...
Or...
# 2)
"Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” "
~ Luke 23:43 (New International Version)
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?sea…
For those of you who for whatever reason can't see the difference, the difference is in the position of the comma. Should the comma be placed AFTER the word "today" (# 1), or should it be placed BEFORE the word "today" (# 2).
The entire meaning of the scripture is affected by the comma placement.
When answering, please keep in mind that the Bible shows. reveals and teaches that after Jesus was executed he was dead for 3 days BEFORE he was resurrected to life.
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
Number 1. Supporting this, Abernathy stated:
(quote) It is the most "common" in that most Bible translations put the comma before the word "today." But Bible translation accuracy is not a democracy.
The original Greek did not have punctuation, and the original writer and readers wouldn't have had any problem understanding the verse. But today this placement of comma (required in English translations) is not so straightforward.
In favor of placing the comma before "today," I have only heard the explanation that it would have been superfluous for Jesus to tell the criminal that he was telling him something that day.
In favor of placing the comma after today, it is pointed out this was a common semitic idiom, used to show the certainty of something. A similar idiom is used some 40 times in the book of Deuteronomy.
The accusation that this is a JW specific issue is easily proved wrong. For example, the best manuscripts of the Sahidic Coptic version, perhaps made in the late 2nd century says this at Luke 23:43:
ϩΑΜΗΝ ϮϪШ ΜΜΟС ΝΑΚ ΜΠΟΟΥ ϪЄ ΚΝΑϢШΠЄ ΝΜΜΑΙ ϩΜ ΠΠΑΡΑΔЄΙСΟС
Truly I am telling you today that you will be with me in paradise.
The Coptic particle ϪЄ (je) means "that" and can function as a comma in Coptic. It is placed after, not before, "today." The Sahidic Coptic is the translation closest in time to when Luke was written, and reflects a translation similar to the NWT at Luke 23:43. (end quote)[1]
Trinitarianism however depends on Jesus not really sacrificing his life to provide a ransom, therefore it cannot except that Jesus was really dead,[2] as the link to the Trinitarian explanation that BibleChooser provided explains. Consequently, Trinitarianism must ultimately deny the ransom sacrifice. Therefore, the Insight article stands correct: "Jesus himself was dead and in the tomb until the third day and was then resurrected as "the firstfruits" of the resurrection. (Ac 10:40; 1Co 15:20; Col 1:18) He ascended to heaven 40 days later.--Joh 20:17; Ac 1:1-3, 9."
@ BenjaminTapia, hi there. Well, we're created with the power of reason (1 John 1:4) to be able to sort everything out. Others remain behind in the darkness, but Christ's true followers bear the distinctive emblem of light.
(quote) It is the most "common" in that most Bible translations put the comma before the word "today." But Bible translation accuracy is not a democracy.
The original Greek did not have punctuation, and the original writer and readers wouldn't have had any problem understanding the verse. But today this placement of comma (required in English translations) is not so straightforward.
In favor of placing the comma before "today," I have only heard the explanation that it would have been superfluous for Jesus to tell the criminal that he was telling him something that day.
In favor of placing the comma after today, it is pointed out this was a common semitic idiom, used to show the certainty of something. A similar idiom is used some 40 times in the book of Deuteronomy.
The accusation that this is a JW specific issue is easily proved wrong. For example, the best manuscripts of the Sahidic Coptic version, perhaps made in the late 2nd century says this at Luke 23:43:
ϩΑΜΗΝ ϮϪШ ΜΜΟС ΝΑΚ ΜΠΟΟΥ ϪЄ ΚΝΑϢШΠЄ ΝΜΜΑΙ ϩΜ ΠΠΑΡΑΔЄΙСΟС
Truly I am telling you today that you will be with me in paradise.
The Coptic particle ϪЄ (je) means "that" and can function as a comma in Coptic. It is placed after, not before, "today." The Sahidic Coptic is the translation closest in time to when Luke was written, and reflects a translation similar to the NWT at Luke 23:43. (end quote)[1]
Trinitarianism however depends on Jesus not really sacrificing his life to provide a ransom, therefore it cannot except that Jesus was really dead,[2] as the link to the Trinitarian explanation that BibleChooser provided explains. Consequently, Trinitarianism must ultimately deny the ransom sacrifice. Therefore, the Insight article stands correct: "Jesus himself was dead and in the tomb until the third day and was then resurrected as "the firstfruits" of the resurrection. (Ac 10:40; 1Co 15:20; Col 1:18) He ascended to heaven 40 days later.--Joh 20:17; Ac 1:1-3, 9."
@ BenjaminTapia, hi there. Well, we're created with the power of reason (1 John 1:4) to be able to sort everything out. Others remain behind in the darkness, but Christ's true followers bear the distinctive emblem of light.
Source(s):
[1] http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;…
Edit: [2] Slick, Matt. “The Trinity, the Hypostatic Union, and the Communicatio Idiomatum.”
http://carm.org/christianity/christian-d…
Regarding this, consider the conversation Jesus had with Peter recorded at Matthew 16:21-23 and at Mark 8:31-33. Here, Jesus made it very clear that he would be killed. But Peter rebuked him, saying: “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” (Matthew 16:22, NASB) Here, Trinitarianism appears to agree with Peter’s rebuke. But Jesus called such reasoning satanic, and thoughts of men alienated from God.
Edit: [2] Slick, Matt. “The Trinity, the Hypostatic Union, and the Communicatio Idiomatum.”
http://carm.org/christianity/christian-d…
Regarding this, consider the conversation Jesus had with Peter recorded at Matthew 16:21-23 and at Mark 8:31-33. Here, Jesus made it very clear that he would be killed. But Peter rebuked him, saying: “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” (Matthew 16:22, NASB) Here, Trinitarianism appears to agree with Peter’s rebuke. But Jesus called such reasoning satanic, and thoughts of men alienated from God.
LINK
Also note that even if the #2 example above is correct, that this could simply mean that the criminal was as good as being in paradise with Jesus that very day, that as far as he knew, it would appear that he was with Jesus that very day—even though it was not literally that day. This idiomatic way of speaking would in no way be insincere. (1 Peter 2:22) Thus, no matter how you slice it, Luke 23:43 does not support the immortality of the soul nor Trinitarianism.
See also:Appendix
Interlinear translation of the Sahidic Coptic Luke 23:43:
Compact:
ΠЄϪΑϤ ΔЄ ΝΑϤ ϪЄ
He said however to him,
ϩΑΜΗΝ ϮϪШ ΜΜΟС ΝΑΚ ΜΠΟΟΥ ϪЄ ΚΝΑϢШΠЄ ΝΜΜΑΙ ϩΜ ΠΠΑΡΑΔЄΙСΟС.
truly I say it to you today, you will be with me in the paradise.
Parsed:
| ΠЄϪΑϤ | ΔЄ | ΝΑϤ | ϪЄ. |
| he said | however | to him | , |
| ϩΑΜΗΝ | ϮϪШ | ΜΜΟС | ΝΑΚ | ΜΠΟΟΥ | ϪЄ |
| truly | I say | it | to you | today | , |
| ΚΝΑϢШΠЄ | ΝΜΜΑΙ | ϩΜ | ΠΠΑΡΑΔЄΙСΟС. |
| you will be | with me | in | the paradise. |
Also note that even if the #2 example above is correct, that this could simply mean that the criminal was as good as being in paradise with Jesus that very day, that as far as he knew, it would appear that he was with Jesus that very day—even though it was not literally that day. This idiomatic way of speaking would in no way be insincere. (1 Peter 2:22) Thus, no matter how you slice it, Luke 23:43 does not support the immortality of the soul nor Trinitarianism.
- Coptic John 1:1 and the New World Translation
http://jimspace3000.blogspot.com/2010/09/coptic-john-11-and-new-world.html - When will the evildoer be in Paradise? (Reasoning From the Scriptures)
http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1101989252#h=18
