This is not exactly the structure I am looking for. Although it contains the temporal qualifier it is not preceded by the idiom "truly I tell you." Keep looking though. Maybe we can find a better example.
Hope I have all these references inserted correctly, if you end up on some verse that seems off the wall, let me know, or I'm sure you can search for the exact ones.
The
other rooster verse (22:34) doesn't contain the exact idiom with the word "amen", but it does contain the preceding "I say to you".
Note that the position of the words "to you" and "I say" are backwards between the Luke 22:34 rooster and Luke 23:43 thief, for whatever that means.
This rooster verse (22:34) doesn't contain "amen" according to
Luke.
But Matthew's account (26:34) does include "amen". Also, Luke uses the word "today", and Matthew uses the words "during this night".
Luke does not record Jesus use of "hoti" in this scene, but Luke does use it of himself in 22:61, in an unrelated part of the verse for a different reason, to note Jesus's entire words as a statement rather than Jesus giving a statement, and Matthew does include Jesus using "hoti" to indicate a statement.
Luke does record Jesus use of "hoti" in other places, and I believe if Luke had written "[hoti] today you will be with me in paradise" that it would have meant the thief goes now.
In other words, if Luke had used [hoti] in the thief verse, he would have recorded that " Jesus said quote - 'today you will...' "
But he didn't, and he does know how to use that conjunction to specify a statement within a statement.
Additionally, they both (Luke 22:34 rooster and Luke 23:43 thief) also include a preceding "and He said", one with "to him" and the other without.
For what that's worth.
I believe the "amen" is to solidify the truth of Jesus's statement, whichever version of the conclusion is correct.
If the KJV comma
is correct
or not, here's a new question -
did the thief because of earnest repentance and faith, enter paradise on that day, in his heart,
before he died and slept?
Did he, being in the church of "Ephesus", that is, having been an "overseer" - evidenced in his previous ministry to the other rebellious thief, and having repented and done the former works - evidenced by his state of heart while hanging to die...
...for a short time on earth, "overcome and eat from the tree of life in the midst of the paradise of God" in his spirit, before he actually gets to physically?
Either way, did Jesus give him peace on earth before he died, and if not, why speak on earth instead of just letting him die and find out for himself?
Sorry bout that theological injection, for me it's so difficult to separate grammar.
In short, check out the greek Matthew 26:34 and see if that is closer to what you are looking for, though it's a different author.