有時，我們聽傳道人勸基督徒說：您可以侍奉主如抹大拉的馬利亞一樣；您可以奉獻金錢如亞利馬太城的約瑟一樣；您可以講道如保羅一樣；您可以為主做見證如撒馬里亞婦女一樣。有時，我們聽傳道人勸非基督徒說：您應該閱讀《聖經》聆聽神的話；請您信靠耶穌得永生；您可以得救如十字架上的強盜一樣。其實，基督徒應該侍奉主，應該奉獻金錢給主，應該為主講話。是的，非基督徒您應該閱讀《聖經》，應該信靠耶穌。但是，按照經訓，今天的人不能得救如十字架上的強盜一樣。請思考以下的說明：
一．耶穌基督生死在摩西律法之下
1．《聖經》的三個時代：
1）列族時期；
2）摩西時期；
3）基督徒時期 （或基督時期）
2．耶穌降生在律法之下（加拉太書4:4-5）。耶穌在世的時候，是摩西時代的末期，但是耶穌生活、行走、講道在摩西律法之下；耶穌遵守了摩西律法。
3．耶穌基督的死亡和復活是基督時期的基礎。耶穌復活了以後才是“基督時期”的開始。當耶穌基督復活，升天以後（再加四十天），就是使徒行傳第二章所記載的，就在那時候，神建立了他的教會。當天就是基督時期的開始。
二．耶穌在世時，他擁有權柄赦免人的罪
1．馬可福音2:5：耶穌治好癱瘓病者之前，先赦免他的罪
2．路加福音7:47-50：耶穌赦免女罪人
三．耶穌在十字架上時，他赦免了二位強盜其中一位的罪
1．路加福音23:43：耶穌告訴強盜說：“今日你要同我在樂園裡了”
2．耶穌拯救此強盜的方法，和他赦免癱瘓病者以及那位女罪人的方法，沒有兩樣：耶穌憑着他的身份和權柄直接地赦免了他們，拯救了他們。癱瘓病者前往耶穌那裡是為了能夠走路；他沒有請求耶穌為他赦罪。不貞潔的女人表示愛和信心；耶穌對他說，“你的信救了您”。他們得了救，但是在那時候耶穌還沒有流出他的寶血。耶穌也沒有要求他們受洗。強盜的情況是一樣的。（當時，約翰早就為人施洗；耶穌的門徒也為人施洗，但是耶穌還沒有受難，還沒有復活。 ）
3．這三位都生活在十字架的“那”邊（耶穌未死之時）；他們都生活在耶穌逝世之前
1）耶穌拯救癱瘓病者和那位女罪人都是耶穌去世的前幾個星期或前幾個月
2）耶穌拯救那位強盜是耶穌斷氣的前幾分鐘
四．耶穌復活了以後，他吩咐他門徒要往普天下去，傳福音，為人施洗（施浸）：
1．馬太福音28:18-20：”天上地下所有的權柄都賜給我了。 19 所以，你們要去，使萬民作我的門徒，奉父、子、聖靈的名給他們施洗。20 凡我所吩咐你們的，都教訓他們遵守，我就常與你們同在，直到世界的末了。”
2．門徒傳福音的對象都生活在耶穌十字架的“這”邊——耶穌復活以後的人（包括我們今天的人）。
3．使徒們實行耶穌的吩咐，把福音傳揚給非基督徒時，他們所傳的福音的內容都包括：相信，悔改，受洗（浸）等，就如耶穌在以上的馬太福音28章所吩咐他們的一樣。（請參看使徒行傳，歸主的事例。）難怪，使徒彼得告訴他的聽眾說：”你們各人要悔改，奉耶穌基督的名受洗，叫你們的罪得赦，就必領受所賜的聖靈； 39 因為這應許是給你們和你們的兒女，並一切在遠方的人，就是主我們神所召來的”（使徒行傳2:38-39）。
4．掃羅（使徒保羅）就是一個例子：雖然耶穌親自向掃羅（保羅）顯現，但是連他都要受洗。（參看使徒行傳9章，22章， 26章。）如果連保羅都要受洗，何況您和我！
5．結論：今天的我們也生活在耶穌基督十字架的“這”邊，所以我們不能跟那位癱瘓病者一樣，我們不能跟那位女罪人一樣，我們又不能跟十字架上的強盜一樣。他們不必要受洗（浸），但是今天的我們要跟使徒行傳所記載的那些人一樣：要相信主，要悔改我們的過失（聖經所說的“罪”），要受洗。當我們這樣順服主時，神就用耶穌的聖血赦免我們的罪，把我們加入到他自己屬靈的家裡（就是他的教會）。
（請參閱：馬太福音27:38-44; 路加福音23:32-43；馬太福音28:18-20）
How Was the Thief on the Cross Saved?
Can we today be saved just like the “thief on the cross” was?
Matthew 27:38-44; Luke 23:32-43; Matthew 28:18-20
©By Edward Short / 謝德華
Sometimes we hear a preacher encourage Christians to serve the Lord like Mary Magdalene, contribute money like Joseph of Arimathea, preach like Paul and witness for Jesus like the woman in Samaria. Sometimes we hear a preacher encourage non-Christians to read the Bible and hear the words of God, believe and rely on Jesus and receive eternal life, and be saved like the thief on the cross. In fact, Christians should serve the Lord, contribute money and speak good words on behalf of the Lord. It is also true that non-Christians should read the Bible, and believe in Jesus. However, according to Bible teaching, people today cannot be saved like the thief on the cross. Please consider the following explanation…
I. Jesus Christ was born and died under (during) the Law of Moses
1. Three periods (dispensations) of Bible history:
1) Patriarchal Age;
2) Mosaic Age;
3) Christian Age (or Age of Christ)
2. Jesus was born under the law (Galatians 4:4-5). The period while Jesus was on earth was at the end of the Mosaic Age, but Jesus lived and preached under (during) the law of Moses; Jesus kept (obeyed) the law of Moses.
3. The foundation of the Age of Christ is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Christian Age did not begin until after Jesus died and was resurrected. Jesus was resurrected and ascended to heaven; after another forty days God established his church, as recorded in Acts chapter two.
II. When he was on earth, Jesus had authority to forgive sins
1. Mark 2:5: Before Jesus healed the paralytic, he forgave the man’s sins
2. Luke 7:47-50: Jesus forgave a sinful woman
III. When on the cross, Jesus forgave one of the two robbers
1. Luke 23:43: Jesus told the thief: Today you will be with me in Paradise
2. The way Jesus forgave (saved) the thief was no different from the way he forgave the paralytic and the sinful woman: Jesus forgave them directly, based on who he was and on this authority. The paralytic went to see Jesus in order to walk; he did not ask Jesus to forgive him. The impure woman expressed love and faith; Jesus told her, “Your faith has saved you.” These people were saved, but Jesus had not yet shed his blood. Jesus did not tell them to be baptized. The thief was the same situation. (At that time, John had already baptized and Jesus’ disciples baptized, but Jesus had not yet suffered, died and been raised.)
3. These three people all lived the “that” side of the cross; they lived prior to death of Jesus
1) Jesus saved the paralytic and the sinful woman a few weeks or months before his death
2) Jesus saved the thief a few minutes before his death
IV. After Jesus was resurrected, he instructed his disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel and baptize people:
1. Matthew 28:18-20: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
2. The people to whom the disciples preached lived on “this” side of the cross (including us today).
3. When the apostles put Jesus’ command into effect and preached the gospel to non-Christians, the content of the gospel that they preached included: believe, repent, be baptized, etc, just as Jesus had told them in Matthew 28. (Please see all the examples of conversion in the book of Acts.) No wonder, then, that the apostle Peter said (in Acts 2:38): “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off–for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
4. Saul (the apostle Paul) is an example: Even though Jesus appeared to him personally, even he was baptized. (See Acts chapters 9, 22, 26.) If Paul should be baptized, what about you and me?
5. Conclusion: Today, we too live on “this” side of the cross, so we cannot be like the paralytic, the sinful woman or the thief on the cross. They did not need to be baptized, but today we are like those people as recorded in the book of Acts. We should: believe in the Lord, repent of our sins, be baptized. When we obey the Lord in this way, God uses the holy blood of Jesus and forgives our sins, and he adds us to his spiritual family (the church).
十字架上的強盜如何得救？
Salvation of the Thief on the Cross
作者：謝德華 ©By Edward Short