Commatology 101
The WT argues that the expression on Luke 23:43 should be rendered: "Truly I tell you today, You will be with me in paradise."
A great deal has been placed on this comma’s placement since the traditional understanding of this verse is in direct contraposition with the Watchtower teachings.
Since commas are not included in the original language, our understanding of this passage is conditioned to our beliefs and the subsequent implications that may arise from it’s interpretation.
By arguing that the correct rendering is "Truly I tell you today,…" the WT implies that Jesus used this phrase regularly and was a rutinary saying of Jesus since otherwise it makes no sense adding 'today' on this particular occasion. Since similar phrases are found all over the gospels we can verify the it’s usage by Jesus and hopefully be able to have a pattern that help us into resolving the dilemma.
In the WT’s Comprehensive Concordance we can track the usage of the expression ‘Truly I tell you', ‘Truly I say to you’ and others that basically have the same structure.
Jesus is quoted in the gospels 80 + times, according to the New World Translation, with expressions following the same formula.
Here is a list of the places in the gospels where Jesus is quoted using the phrase or one of it’s variations: (You can verify them by using your Comprehensive Concordance book or look them up in your personal copy on the NWT, all are encouraged to add or substract as they do their own personal research)
Matthew:
1) 5:18
2) 5:26
3) 6:2
4) 6:5
5) 6:16
6) 8:10
7) 10:15
8) 10:23
9) 11:11
10) 13:17
11) 16:28
12) 17:20
13) 18:3
14) 18:18
15) 18:19
16) 19:23
17) 19:28
18) 21:21
19) 21:31
20) 23:36
21) 24:2
22) 24:34
23) 24:47
24) 25:12
25) 25:40
26) 25:45
27) 26:13
28) 26:21
29) 26:34
Mark
30) 3:28
31) 8:12
32) 9:1
33) 9:41
34) 10:15
35) 10:29
36) 11:23
37) 12:43
38) 13:30
39) 14:9
40) 14:18
41) 14:25
42) 14:30
Luke
43) 4:24
44) 4:25
45) 7:26
46) 9:27
47) 12:37
48) 12:44
49) 12:50
50) 13:3
51) 13:5
52) 18:17
53) 18:29
54) 21:3
55) 21:32
56) 23:43
John
57) 1:51
58) 3:3
59) 3:5
60) 3:11
61) 5:19
62) 5:24
63) 5:25
64) 6:26
65) 6:32
66) 6:47
67) 6:53
68) 8:34
69) 8:45
70) 8:51
71) 8:58
72) 10:1
73) 10:7
74) 12:24
75) 13:16
76) 13:20
77) 13:21
78) 13:38
79) 14:12
80) 16:20
81) 16:27
82) 21:18
Out of these 80+ times ONLY 3 TIMES does some kind of fixed time follows the preceding expression ‘I truly say to you’ or one of it’s variants.
These are:
Matthew 26:34 "Truly I say to you, On this night before a cock crows you will disown me three times." (NWT)
Mark 14:30: "Truly I say to you, You today, yes , this night before a cock crows twice, even you will disown me three times". (NWT)
And:
Luke 23:43 "Truly I tell you today, You will be with me in Paradise." (NWT)
Notice that out of these three, two of them are rendered with the familiar formula "Truly I say to you’ separated from the rest of the sentence and only one includes the word TODAY into the expression by using the NWT punctuation.
Again, out of 80+ times that Jesus used this phrase or something along the same line, ONLY three times did he used an immediate time reference along the phrase and only ONE time does the punctuation used by the NWT includes something different from the otherwise standard phrase used by Jesus.
Jesus repeatedly used 'I truly say to you' and as far as I know NEVER used the word TODAY along his frequenly used saying.
Coincidentally Luke 23:43 is the only place where the WT doctrines are challenged by the interpretation of said phrase.
Active Witness, Are you still so sure of the correct rendering of this bible passage and the location of the famous comma?
Caveat