That’s interesting. We know that the Bible is the Word of God. We know that God is sovereign and that nothing that happens in the story of Jesus Christ as related in the NT is an accident. There is meaning upon meaning upon meaning.
Take the fact that women are the first witnesses to Christ’s Resurrection. What does that say?
Isn’t it a massive refutation of Jewish positive law? Women had been relegated to chattel status in violation of God’s Natural Law. God never gave that Law, yet the “law” became such. Women couldn’t be witnesses, yet here we have them witnessing the greatest event in history first and I believe intentionally.
This would continue the insult to the ruling elites. Jesus’ trial was wholly illegal, but their law was no longer God’s law was it? They abused Korban for selfish reasons, bought and sold the position of High Priest and due to all this and more didn’t recognize their God and eventually arranged his death.
Clearly Paradise doesn’t equal Heaven and the scriptures are very clear about the basic necessaries to Salvation. The thief doesn’t qualify for Biblical Salvation under those descriptions and his specific circumstances.
>>There is meaning upon meaning upon meaning.<<
That’s sort of true. I’ve noticed that it is very common for people to find meanings that are not there. I am reminded of the movie The Life of Brian, when he loses a sandal while being chased by his followers. One of them picks it up and gleans an “important message” from the event.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I believe everything written in the bible is there for a reason and there are layers and layers of meaning. Heck, I can read the same passage several times, read it again five years later and get completely new information. However, that very thing is a wedge used by folks like David Koresh, Joseph Smith and a host of other wannabe modern prophets.
If we still abided by Jewish law and stoned them when they are wrong, every early prophet of the mormon church would have died of severe physical trauma and concussion.