Thank-you for the verses you've cited. However, if an honest look is taken at those verses, it should be self-evident that
NONE of them properly translated and taken in the proper context support the erroneous viewpoints you're espousing.
They all, in fact, support what Jesus actually and specifically said regarding paradise and heaven,
which are obviously two different places, and that the
ONLY Way to heaven
is to follow His Example of keeping God's Law at all times.
> Just a few additional passages in addition to what
@ToxicFemininitySucks posted. As mentioned, Jesus descended to Paradise in Hades to release the OT faithful and bring them into heaven with Him:
Eph 4:8 Therefore it says, “When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men.” 9 Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.
> That’s exactly why He made the statement He did to the thief on the cross. Those in Paradise ascended to heaven with Christ.
You're trying to put words in the mouth of Jesus which He
NEVER said, by choosing to cite and believe a very, very bad translation of the letters of Paul. Do you not realize the translators who do this are calling Jesus a liar, as are those choose to use such translations?
Not only did Christ-Jesus actually and specifically say the thief would be with Him in
PARADISE (not heaven), but the verse you've cited actually says
NOTHING about taking anyone with Him to heaven which, of course, would contradict what Jesus actually and specifically said in
John 3:13 and in
John 20:17, which you appear to be ignoring.
Please see the passages again, this time from the authorised King James version.
Ephesians 4:8-10 KJV
8Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high,
he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Captivity = enslavement. We are enslaved by sin.
John 8:25 Jesus answered them,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the prisoner of sin.
Leading captivity captive is to show people the
ONLY Way to free themselves from sin is by believing and following His Example and to
STOP SINNING (stop breaking The Law that God gave us). Christ cannot lead anyone who continues to be enslaved by sin/crime to heaven.
Can you really not see that verse 10 actually and specifically
confirms John 3:13, that
NO ONE except for Christ, who descended from heaven, has ever ascended to heaven, in fulfillment of the Scriptures (e.g.
Ps. 53:1-3,
Rom. 3:10-12)?
Other references to what was at that time the coming promise of Jesus and heaven:
1Pet 3:18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19 through whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison 20 who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.
1 Peter 3:18-20 KJV
18For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
20Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing,
wherein FEW, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
Do you see how your version
deceitfully truncates verse 20
to intentionally omit how few were actually saved?
THESE DAYS ARE JUST LIKE THE DAYS OF NOAH.
Acts 2:29 Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord…’ “
Acts 2:29-34 KJV
29Men
and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
30Therefore
BEING A PROPHET, and
knowing that
GOD HAD SWORN WITH AN OATH TO HIM, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ,
THAT HIS SOUL WAS NOT LEFT IN HELL, neither his flesh did see corruption.
32This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
33Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
34For
DAVID IS NOT ASCENDED INTO THE HEAVENS: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
How can people today consider themselves to be better than David, whom God made a prophet, king of Israel, and a promise that David would
NEVER lack a descendant of his to sit on the throne in Israel? Arrogance perhaps?
Heb 11:13 All these people [descendants of Abraham] were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.
Heb 11:37 They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated – 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains and in caves and holes in the ground. 39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40 God had planned something better for us so that only with us would they be made perfect.
Hebrews 10:15-18 KJV
15Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
16This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord,
I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR HEARTS, AND IN THEIR MINDS WILL I WRITE THEM; 17And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
18Now where remission of these
is, there is no more offering for sin*.
Sin is breaking The Law that God gave us to protect us from evil and to set and keep us free (
1 John 3:4-10).
Jn 6:28 Then they [the disciples] asked Him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” 29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent.”
> Being brought to repentance and faith IS a life-altering work of God, whether a person lives as a Christian for years or just a few days. That's the grace of Jesus Christ.
And anyone who is genuinely brought to repentance is no longer in open rebellion against God and His Law. One
CANNOT truly believe Jesus and continue to disregard His Example and continue to do the opposite of what He
COMMANDS us to do.
Matthew 7:16-20
7:16
Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
7:17
Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
7:18
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
7:19
Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into The Fire.
7:20
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Rom 12:3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
Why then to people today, knowing from Scripture that each generation will become
MORE evil than the previous one, actually believe they are better than God's Prophets or even than Christ's Disciples,
NONE of which are in heaven according to Christ?
The reason it's so important for "Christians" to believe in the
LIE that the thief on the cross next to Jesus supposedly went to heaven -- even when Jesus did NOT ever say that -- is so they can continue to mistakenly believe they can live an entire human lifetime in sin and that, upon their deathbed, they can be "converted" and "saved".
It simply doesn't work like that, as we are repeatedly told throughout Scripture, which is why, on Judgment Day, every single one of us will be judged
ACCORDING TO OUR WORKS to determine if we actually believed and followed Christ's True Teachings and Example.
Matthew 16:27
For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his WORKS.
Revelation 20:12-15
20:12 And I saw the "Dead", small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another Book was opened, which is [the Book] of Life: and the "Dead" were judged out of those things which were written in the Books,
according to their WORKS.
20:13 And the "sea" gave up the "Dead" which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man
according to their WORKS.
20:14 And death and hell were cast into the "Lake of Fire". This is the second death.
20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the "Lake of Fire".
Eph 2: 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:8-
10
8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:
it is the gift of God:
9Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Faith without works is
DEAD, being alone – see
James 2:17-25).
DO GOOD WORKS (not evil/sinful works). We will all be judged according to our works (
Matt. 16:27).
John 1:12 Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become the children of God – 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
John 1:12 KJV
12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe
on his name:
13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (see
John 3:3-7).
John 3:17 “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. 18 Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because He has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
John 3:17-21 KJV
17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, BECAUSE THEIR DEEDS WERE EVIL.
20For every one that doeth evil
hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
TRUE REPENTANCE = STOP SINNING/BREAKING GOD'S LAW. How can anyone receive the gift of the Holy Spirit while continuing to do evil?
2 Corinthians 6:14-18
6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?
6:15 And
what concord hath Christ with Wickedness? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
6:16 And what agreement hath The Temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the Living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in [them]; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
6:17
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you,
6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My [adopted] sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
John 14:21-24
14:21
He that hath my COMMANDments, and KEEPETH them, HE it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
14:22 Jude saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him,
If a man love me, he will obey my words: and my Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
14:24
He that loveth me not obeyeth not my sayings: and the Truth which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
Rom 10:11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 10:14
10:14 How then shall they call on Him in Whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent?
As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
10:16
But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
10:17 So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing
by the Word of God.
Paul, in this same letter to the Romans told us that he himself was living by The Law of God, which is Holy, Just and Good, and which he was establishing everywhere he went, because only
DOERS of The Law shall be justified.
Romans 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind (Being)
I myself serve The Law of God; but with the flesh (human) the law of sin.
Romans 7:12 Wherefore
The Law [is] holy, and the Commandment holy, and just, and good.
Romans 3:31 Do we then make void The Law through faith? God forbid: yea,
we establish The Law.
Romans 2:13 (For not the hearers of The Law [are] just before God, but
the DOERS of The Law (The Torah) shall be justified.