Volume 38   Number 1                                                                                   September 1995

Whenever we talk with our religious friends about baptism being necessary for salvation, they tell us that since the thief on the cross was saved without baptism, they can be, too. We usually then take the approach that he was saved under the Jewish law, the Old Covenant. The New Covenant, the law of Christ, didn't begin until after His death and resurrection, proclaimed first in Acts 2, therefore it didn't apply to the thief, but it does apply to all of us today.

But perhaps we should take another look at this question. Who knows that he was not baptized? We agree that there is no scripture that ever says he was, but there is also no scripture that says he was not. Notice what is said in

Luke 23:39-43. "And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other rebuked him, saying, Dost thou not fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise:."

But also in John 6:60, 66; we are told,

"many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him:"

Jesus often spoke words that were hard to be understood by His disciples, because they were thinking only in physical terms. Could not this thief have been one of Jesus' disciples at one time, but among those who walked away? If he were, then he would have been baptized by John the Immerser, or perhaps one of those baptized by Jesus' own disciple (John 4:1-2).

Remember that many people were looking for an earthly ruler, a mighty leader who would raise an army to destroy the Romans. They pictured this Messiah setting up an earthly kingdom, ruling the world, and they wanted to play an important part in the takeover. When Jesus made no effort to do this, they were disappointed and left to find someone who would do it, and became members of Barabbas' band. During a battle with the Romans, this thief was finally captured, and now paying the penalty for his crime. Could this not be a feasible scenario?

Look at what the thief said, "This man has done nothing amiss;" How did he know this about Jesus? Does not this infer some personal contact with Jesus before this time? How else could he attest to His character, to know that Jesus had done nothing wrong, to not be worthy of this terrible death? When so many others, including the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish court, had cried out, "Crucify him!" who is this man to say these great Jewish leaders were wrong?

Notice the thief also said, "Remember me when you come into your kingdom:" Even Jesus' own apostles thought that all hope of Him restoring the kingdom was gone now. But here is one dying man saying, in essence, to another dying man, "I still think you will enter into your kingdom"! This is not something that he would say from just listening to Jesus casually, without any really deep attention.

Something had convinced this man that Jesus was the Messiah, and even His death on the cross would not hinder Him from coming into His kingdom. All of Jesus' disciples had fled and returned to their former occupations. Their hopes faded and died when Jesus was captured and crucified. But the thief professed faith in Jesus as the Messiah, and in His coming kingdom, even when there were no other voices on earth proclaiming it, and under conditions beyond rational acceptance, while he was dying.