Hey nairalanders! I'm a bit confused about what Jesus christ said in this verses that I quoted
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" But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared. " - Mark 10:40
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" Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” - Luke 23:43

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I don't know if He was contradicting himself because the first quote looked as if He didn't have the power to decide who goes up with him . . . maybe to heaven or paradise as He puts it!
The second quote is stating otherwise.

To sit on the right hand and the left hand is what He said it will be for him it is prepared. That is different from the person to make it to heaven.
He corobborated he can do the latter by saying , But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins, " Mark 2:10

Mark 10:40
But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared

We have a choice and a right to obey and disobey , it is not by predestination. It's mans faithfulness that grants him a place .

1 Corinthians 9:27
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Luke 23:43
Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.

Paradise being referred to here is not heaven . This paradise was in he'll as at that time , Jesus didn't go to heaven that day but he went to hell rather. And there were 2compartments. One was for the wicked and it's a place of suffering. The second place was for righteous men who had been held there. They were not suffering there but they didn't have their freedom as yet.

Joagbaje confused the matter even the more. Why corinthians, when we are talking about jesus as if the 4 gospels are not enough?

if Jesus said out of his own power he can do nothing, is that not obvious enough that he did not have real power? Or is that part of the confusion; have power and don't have power?

Alhamdulillah. Not that all muslims will go or enter hell, as the liars will make verse 71 of Surah Maryam. But then, Joe is saying Jesus was in hell and so were even good people who are not given their freedom, yet, but didn't suffer in the hell like the evil people who will be kept in there for eternity, suffering.

For me, I see to much confusion in a book that they say "the Author" is not the author of confusion. How is Jesus saying another comforter will hear from God and simply repeats what he hears, suddenly becomes God Himself hearing from God and then only repeats it [silently since it becomes holy ghost in form of flamed tongue not burning the heads of those it rested on, but confusing them to speak strangely] to man.

How does the non verbal ghost tell people that Jesus was the christ, led to all truth, correct mistakes on ground when it arrived just so soon after the master have taught excellently good students for 3 years straight [Imagine if the forgot or made mistakes so soon, is it possible that their statements could be reliable much later?], reminded them of what Jesus have said, except they had forgotten and or added lies to it, teach them new thing [since Jesus said they couldn't bear all that he need to say then].

Jesus said he will be returning just one time before the disciples passed. But every christian is expecting him, even there is no disciple alive.

@op i don't see any contradiction.
from the second verse,
1. the man was dying and likely to be dead before the end of that day
2. He had repented and approached the Way, Truth and Life and so qualified to enter paradise
3. Jesus was going to paradise, He knew that
4. there wasn't any decision there, Jesus was stating the plain facts, as a matter of fact, if a disciple or anyone else was there at the conversation and was sure that the thief genuinely repented, and had understanding, He could have spoken the same thing to the thief.- Surely, you will be in paradise with Jesus tonight

there is no contradiction there at all!!!!

whenever you hear the words "christianity,bible",the next that come are "contradiction,confusion".na wa O! even christians are evidently now coming out to complain and question.Thank God! 

wikitruth:


He corobborated he can do the latter by saying , But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins, " Mark 2:10

OK! I roger that now. Thanks wikitruth!

Joagbaje:

Mark 10:40
But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared

We have a choice and a right to obey and disobey , it is not by predestination. It's mans faithfulness that grants him a place .

A double thanks for the insight! I think I understand perfectly now.

Knight1:

@op i don't see any contradiction.
from the second verse,


there is no contradiction there at all!!!!

I thought there was.

LagosShia:

whenever you hear the words "christianity,bible",the next that come are "contradiction,confusion".na wa O! even christians are evidently now coming out to complain and question.Thank God! 

Yeah, of course, we must complain and ask questions to the things we have little or less knowledge on so we can learn more.
Remember this wisdom quote.
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A prudent question is one half of
wisdom.
- Francis Bacon

Some Christians are sincere. It is demonstrated in this question. How many muslims will dare come to nairaland and ask questions about the quran. There is nothing wrong, when you do not understand a particular verse and you ask questions. I still ask questions too. The knowlegde about the Bible is wide. It takes a lot of research, meditations, prayers and revelations to understand some deep scriptures. Only the deep calleth to the deep. That is why people go to Bible school or school of theology to learn more about the scriptures.It is normal. Now, to the question, "But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared." and " Verily i say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise". The first statement Jesus was talking to the disciples (James and John), the second statement, Jesus was speaking to the thief on the cross. Two different kind of people; the disciples and the thief on the cross. The disciples had already become a follower of christ, they are practically candidates of heaven, but to sit on the right and the left hand of Jesus was not yet determine, because the Kingdom had not yet come, that is why Jesus said" it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared". Only God could decide. It is also in harmony with the second coming of our Lord Jesus christ, Mark 13:32." But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no,not the angels which are in heaven, neither the son, but the father" which means that The father had certain rights that the son did not have. The second statement had already been explained by Joagbaje, you may not undestand, the paradise here is the one in the lower part of the earth, not the one in the third heaven, it is true that if one went into this paradise where the righteous went before christ captured them and took them to heaven, he would also go to the paradise in heaven. See what happened in Luke 16:23. You may need to learn what i call principles of interpretation of scriptures. God bless you. God2man.