有时，我们听传道人劝基督徒说：您可以侍奉主如抹大拉的马利亚一样；您可以奉献金钱如亚利马太城的约瑟一样；您可以讲道如保罗一样；您可以为主做见证如撒马里亚妇女一样。有时，我们听传道人劝非基督徒说：您应该阅读《圣经》聆听神的话；请您信靠耶稣得永生；您可以得救如十字架上的强盗一样。其实，基督徒应该侍奉主，应该奉献金钱给主，应该为主讲话。是的，非基督徒您应该阅读《圣经》，应该信靠耶稣。但是，按照经训，今天的人不能得救如十字架上的强盗一样。请思考以下的说明：
一．耶稣基督生死在摩西律法之下
1．《圣经》的三个时代：
1）列族时期；
2）摩西时期；
3）基督徒时期 （或基督时期）
2．耶稣降生在律法之下（加拉太书4:4-5）。耶稣在世的时候，是摩西时代的末期，但是耶稣生活、行走、讲道在摩西律法之下；耶稣遵守了摩西律法。
3．耶稣基督的死亡和复活是基督时期的基础。耶稣复活了以后才是“基督时期”的开始。当耶稣基督复活，升天以后（再加四十天），就是使徒行传第二章所记载的，就在那时候，神建立了他的教会。当天就是基督时期的开始。
二．耶稣在世时，他拥有权柄赦免人的罪
1．马可福音2:5：耶稣治好瘫痪病者之前，先赦免他的罪
2．路加福音7:47-50：耶稣赦免女罪人
三．耶稣在十字架上时，他赦免了二位强盗其中一位的罪
1．路加福音23:43：耶稣告诉强盗说：“今日你要同我在乐园里了”
2．耶稣拯救此强盗的方法，和他赦免瘫痪病者以及那位女罪人的方法，没有两样：耶稣凭着他的身份和权柄直接地赦免了他们，拯救了他们。瘫痪病者前往耶稣那里是为了能够走路；他没有请求耶稣为他赦罪。不贞洁的女人表示爱和信心；耶稣对他说，“你的信救了您”。他们得了救，但是在那时候耶稣还没有流出他的宝血。耶稣也没有要求他们受洗。强盗的情况是一样的。（当时，约翰早就为人施洗；耶稣的门徒也为人施洗，但是耶稣还没有受难，还没有复活。 ）
3．这三位都生活在十字架的“那”边（耶稣未死之时）；他们都生活在耶稣逝世之前
1）耶稣拯救瘫痪病者和那位女罪人都是耶稣去世的前几个星期或前几个月
2）耶稣拯救那位强盗是耶稣断气的前几分钟
四．耶稣复活了以后，他吩咐他门徒要往普天下去，传福音，为人施洗（施浸）：
1．马太福音28:18-20：”天上地下所有的权柄都赐给我了。 19 所以，你们要去，使万民作我的门徒，奉父、子、圣灵的名给他们施洗。20 凡我所吩咐你们的，都教训他们遵守，我就常与你们同在，直到世界的末了。”
2．门徒传福音的对象都生活在耶稣十字架的“这”边——耶稣复活以后的人（包括我们今天的人）。
3．使徒们实行耶稣的吩咐，把福音传扬给非基督徒时，他们所传的福音的内容都包括：相信，悔改，受洗（浸）等，就如耶稣在以上的马太福音28章所吩咐他们的一样。（请参看使徒行传，归主的事例。）难怪，使徒彼得告诉他的听众说：”你们各人要悔改，奉耶稣基督的名受洗，叫你们的罪得赦，就必领受所赐的圣灵； 39 因为这应许是给你们和你们的儿女，并一切在远方的人，就是主我们神所召来的”（使徒行传2:38-39）。
4．扫罗（使徒保罗）就是一个例子：虽然耶稣亲自向扫罗（保罗）显现，但是连他都要受洗。（参看使徒行传9章，22章， 26章。）如果连保罗都要受洗，何况您和我！
5．结论：今天的我们也生活在耶稣基督十字架的“这”边，所以我们不能跟那位瘫痪病者一样，我们不能跟那位女罪人一样，我们又不能跟十字架上的强盗一样。他们不必要受洗（浸），但是今天的我们要跟使徒行传所记载的那些人一样：要相信主，要悔改我们的过失（圣经所说的“罪”），要受洗。当我们这样顺服主时，神就用耶稣的圣血赦免我们的罪，把我们加入到他自己属灵的家里（就是他的教会）。
（请参阅：马太福音27:38-44; 路加福音23:32-43；马太福音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 / 谢德华
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).
十字架上的强盗如何得救？
Salvation of the Thief on the Cross
作者：谢德华 ©By Edward Short