se; therefore it is not possible that he made a
promise to the thief on the day of his crucifixion, that he should be with
him _that_ day in paradise.

But further, the day of the crucifixion was the day before the Sabbath;
and it was not lawful to leave criminals on the cross during that day.
John 19:31. If they were still living when the time came to take them from
the cross, they were taken down, and their legs were broken to prevent
their escape. The soldiers on this occasion broke the legs of the two
thieves, because they were still alive; "but when they came to Jesus and
saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs." Verses 32, 33. The
thief therefore lived over into the next day.

Thus there are two absolutely insuperable objections against allowing the
adverb, "to-day," to qualify Christ's promise, "Thou shalt be with me in
paradise:" (1) Christ did not go to paradise that day; and (2) The thief
did not die that day. Before these facts the conscious-state argument
built upon this incident, vanishes into thin air. Just place the comma (a
punctuation mark not invented till 1490) after "to-day" instead of before
it, and let that word qualify the verb "say" and emphasize the time when
it was spoken, and all is harmonious. The thief's request did not pertain
to that day, but looked forward to the time when Christ should come into
his kingdom; and Christ's promise did not pertain to that day, but to the
time in the thief's request; so he did not falsify it by not going to his
Father for three days afterward. The thief is quietly slumbering in the
tomb; but Christ is soon coming into his kingdom. Then the thief will be
remembered, be raised from the dead, and be with Christ in that paradise
into which he will then introduce all his people. Thus all is as clear as
a sunbeam, when the text is freed from the bungling tinkering of men.

The strongest texts and incidents which are appealed to in defense of the
conscious-state theory, have now been examined. If these do not sustain
it, nothing can be found in the Bible which will sustain it. All are
easily harmonized with these. Thus in Paul's desire to "depart and be with
Christ" (Phil. 1:23), he does not there tell us _when_ he will be with
Christ; but he does tell us in many other places; and it is at the
resurrection and the coming of Christ. Phil. 3:11; 1 Thess. 4:16, 17. When
he speaks of our being clothed upon with our house from heaven (2 Cor.
5:2), he tell