“Today, you will be with me in paradise,” Jesus told the crucified thief.
I too believe that the dead are in heaven. Although when Jesus said “Today, you will be with me in Paradise”, Jesus didn’t go to Paradise - he went to Hell.
I have thought about that before and never really investigated it. I wonder if the translation is more like “Because of your belief today...”
Also - the day when a person becomes a believer is the day they join the Kingdom of Heaven, so perhaps it means that?
My old man thought his parents were looking over him and he would have “conversations” with them (I’m not sure one would call it prayer.)
I believe that he and my mom are too focused on Jesus in Heaven to worry about the things on this earth.
Bad punctuation. Jesus said, “I tell you today (right now), you will be with me in paradise.”