Mr. thief on the cross believed when he realized, & believed till he died.
NO ONE can judge how many times he exercised his faith before he died, because scripture doesn't say.
Saying Mr. thief on the cross believed only one time is like saying there was only three wise men who visited baby Jesus.
Maybe you should apologize to everyone on the BDF for not studying your Bible. It would do ALL of our hearts good to see you FOR ONCE, humble yourself.
Stephen you are falling foul of yourself. I understand you are passionate about what you believe, just like others are.
I understand that you are passionate about doctrine that leads to Jesus, just like others are.
Your following quote to me is not humble.
You say it's not about two Christian groups and the say the other group isn't Christian at all and this side fights and bashes the other. I certainly hope I don't fall foul of that, and I am sure you hope you don't either. But to say to someone apologise to everyone for not studying your bible and humble yourself is fighting and bashing.
I have no wish to cause angst but should posting my observations
Folks think this is about two christian groups fighting over their doctrine..... not true.
One group isn't christian at all, but fallen away to false doctrine.
This is why this side constantly fights & bashes others..... such fruit doesn't belong to God.
Anyway With regards to the thief on the cross.
We read
Mark 15:31-32
31 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.”
Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.
Then we read
Luke 23:39-40
39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”
40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?
Its intersting.
I had a conversation with someone who believes baptism saves. No baptism no salvation.
Do I asked him about the thief on the cross and he said he would have been baptised by John and quoted the following verses
Mark 1:4-5
4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
His emphasis was on ALL OF THE LAND OF JUDEA, therefore the thief would have been baptised, therefore saved.
I don't know what your thoughts are on this, and I'm would like to hear them.
My thoughts were if a man had been baptised what on earth was he doing hanging on the cross? Obviously not truly repentant.
So he wasn't actually baptised at all.
That being the case then he only exercised faith when on the cross and not before that.
You say no one could judge how many times he exercised faith before he died but we know he died on the cross.
Surely at one point in time he exercised his faith, maybe he was baptised, the baptism of repentance and afterwards he went astray, I am just surmising here.
But the fact is on the cross he asked Jesus to remember me when you come into your kingdom.
Whether he placed faith in Jesus before hanging on the cross or on the cross what we do know is that it was a saving faith.
If the faith that saved him was before he hung on the cross given what we know about him that faith did save him.
Jesus said "Today you will be with me in paradise"
Not looking for an argument, just giving my thoughts.
Ps do,you believe baptism saves?