The thief on the cross wasn’t baptized, and Jesus said he’d be in paradise that day. Doesn’t that mean baptism isn’t required?
They quote this
King James Version
And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
NRSVUE
One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Our explanation
This is the verse. They assume he was unbaptized, and they assume paradise means heaven.
How we read it
Luke never says this man was unbaptized. That is their insert. He calls Jesus Lord and asks to be remembered in His kingdom — so he already knew who Jesus was. Mark 1:5 is the picture they skip: Judea and Jerusalem going out to John. And “today in paradise” is not “today at the Father’s throne.” After Easter Jesus still told Mary He had not ascended (John 20:17). Peter says He preached to the spirits in prison (1 Peter 3:19). The verse is mercy on a dying man. It is not a repeal of baptism for people who can still get in the water.
The Bible answers
King James Version
John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.
NRSVUE
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And the people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him and were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins.
Our explanation
The Gospels’ own picture: Judea and Jerusalem went out to John and were baptized.
King James Version
And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.
NRSVUE
And all the people who heard this, including the tax collectors, acknowledged the justice of God, having been baptized with John’s baptism. But by refusing to be baptized by him, the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves.
Our explanation
The people took John’s baptism. The Pharisees refused it. The man who called Jesus Lord is not in that refusing group.
King James Version
Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
NRSVUE
Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Our explanation
After Easter He still had not gone to the Father. Paradise that Friday was not the throne.
King James Version
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
NRSVUE
For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison.
Our explanation
Peter already says where He went: He preached to the spirits in prison.
The Book of Mormon answers
2 Nephi 31:5–7
And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptized by water, to fulfil all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized, yea, even by water! … Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments.
Our explanation
The Lamb was baptized. They still hung Him as a criminal. Baptized and crucified already sat on the middle cross.
Alma 40:11–12
Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection… the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.
Our explanation
Paradise is a state in the spirit world while they wait for resurrection — not the Father’s throne.
Doctrine and Covenants 138:18–19, 29–30
While this vast multitude waited and conversed, rejoicing in the hour of their deliverance from the chains of death, the Son of God appeared, declaring liberty to the captives who had been faithful; And there he preached to them the everlasting gospel… And as I wondered, my eyes were opened, and my understanding quickened, and I perceived that the Lord went not in person among the wicked and the disobedient who had rejected the truth, to teach them; But behold, from among the righteous, he organized his forces and appointed messengers… and commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness, even to all the spirits of men.
Our explanation
He organized the preaching to the dead. That is the Friday trip.
Dead Sea Scrolls and related extra-biblical texts that illuminate the same pattern the Restoration restores.
Augustine, On Baptism, Against the Donatists 4.22
Augustine will not pretend the Gospels record the thief’s baptismal history. He treats the case as conversion of heart when water was no longer possible — not as proof that people who can still walk to the water may skip it.
The oldest Christian file on this verse does not say ‘he was unbaptized, therefore baptism is optional.’ It says we do not know, and that Christ can save a dying man. That is not a repeal of John 3:5.
Josephus, Jewish War — lēstai as rebels
Rome crucified lēstai: bandits and insurgents, enemies of the state, not petty pickpockets. Matthew and Mark use that word for the two beside Jesus. Luke calls them kakourgoi — evildoers. Barabbas, a lestēs, was in for insurrection.
The Bible never says this man was a thief in the English sense, and it never says he was unbaptized. Both claims are later guesses.
Scriptural Mormonism
Robert S. Boylan / Jeff McFadden
The whole objection starts with a fact the Gospels do not give: that this man had never been baptized. Mark 1:5 is the picture they skip — Judea and Jerusalem going out to John. He called Jesus Lord and knew He had a kingdom. Jesus Himself was baptized, then crucified as a criminal. If crucifixion proves you skipped the water, it proves it of the Lord first. And even if this man had never been in the Jordan, he died before the risen Lord commanded baptism of all nations (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38). One dying man under the old covenant is not the repeal of John 3:5.
See also Mark 1:4-5—who can really say the thief on the cross was never baptized in the first place?
Guide to the Scriptures / Gospel Topics
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Paradise in Luke 23:43 is the world of spirits, not the Father’s throne. Jesus told Mary after the resurrection that He had not yet ascended to the Father (John 20:17). Peter says He went and preached to the spirits in prison (1 Peter 3:19). Alma 40 and D&C 138 fill in that map: paradise is a state in the spirit world while they wait for resurrection. The Church’s Spirit World topic is the short public teaching. ‘Today in paradise’ is not ‘today in heaven, baptism cancelled.’
Paradise is also used in the scriptures to mean the world of spirits (Luke 23:43).
Faithful voices only. Most of these are independent — not official Church productions unless marked as such.
Be the first to tell us if this case is strong.
