Misconceptions:

Today you will be with me in paradise

As many know, our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified between criminals. One of them hurled insults at him, but was rebuked by another, who said to him, "Don't you fear God", and went on to say, "We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." Then he turned to our Lord and said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" to which our Lord replied, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Because of this last statement, many Christians believe that this criminal was immediately transported to heaven upon death. However, that is not the case. Many may be somewhat taken aback by such a bold statement, but such a bold statement can be made quite simply because our Lord Himself was not taken to heaven upon His death.

First of all, before His death, our Lord stated: "Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Matthew 12:40). Thus our Lord Himself stated that He was to spend the time between His death and resurrection in "the heart of the earth".

Also, just after His resurrection He told Mary. "Do not hold on to me." And the reason He gave her for not doing so was, "For I have not yet returned to the Father." Thus He had not ascended into heaven.

These two statements alone show that our Lord had not returned to heaven during the period between His death and His resurrection, and the Apostles' Creed acknowledges this also, when it says that He "died and was buried, he descended to the dead . On the third day he rose again, he ascended into heaven."

The Apostles' Creed I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again; He ascended into heaven; He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

So, what causes the problem?
The problem is caused by a little comma! In Luke 23:43 the translators have placed the comma in the wrong place! There is no punctuation in the Greek and each individual translation can put in whatever punctuation it thinks best. If we move the comma one word, the result would be: "I tell you the truth today, you will be with me in paradise." In other words our Lord was promising the criminal paradise, but not that day.

I tell you the truth today!
Now the expression, "I tell you the truth today" was a common expression, used to emphasise what the person was saying, as we might say to someone, "I'm telling you now, I'm going to apply for a new job ". We are not saying "now (at this moment) I am going to apply for a new job". We make the expression "I'm telling you" more emphatic by placing "now" on the end. And it is the same in the Bible. "Today" or "This day" is used in many places at the end of a variety of expressions. For instance they are used 42 times in Deuteronomy alone. Consider the following from Deuteronomy 4:25-26:

After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time—if you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol, doing evil in the eyes of the LORD your God and provoking him to anger, I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed.

Here there is no punctuation. However, we can see that "this day" clearly goes with what has gone before, i.e. "I call upon heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day." Moses was most definitely not saying, "this day you will quickly perish from the land". That judgment might fall upon them sometime in the future, if they became corrupt and made idols and did evil. It is the same in Luke 23:43. The Lord is not saying to the criminal, "Today you will be with me in paradise." Rather, for emphasis, He says, "I tell you the truth today", and what He emphasises is that sometime in the future the criminal would be with the Lord in paradise.

More examples
Deuteronomy 5:1 states: "Moses summoned all Israel and said: 'Hear, O Israel, the decrees and laws I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them.'" Here, the punctuation is correct. Moses was not saying: "Today learn them and be sure to follow them." They were to follow them all the days of their lives. The expression "Today" is added to a statement to give it emphasis, to make it a solemn statement. This is just what our Lord did in Luke 23:43.

Deuteronomy 6:6 states: "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts." Again, even though there is no punctuation we can see that "today" goes with "These commandments that I give you today", rather than "today" the commandments "are to be upon your hearts". He wanted the commandments to be upon their hearts every day throughout their lives, not just 'today'.

And there are many more such examples; e.g. Deuteronomy 7:11 & 8:1.

Conclusion
Neither our Lord nor the criminal entered paradise on the day that they were crucified. Our Lord spent the next three days and nights in the earth. Then came His resurrection and forty days later He ascended into heaven. The criminal still awaits his resurrection, an event which takes place when Christ returns.