Comma, Comma, where does the Comma go? Part 1

Can you spot the difference in these two translations from Luke 23:43?

1. "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

2. "Truly I tell you today, you will be with me in Paradise."

Exactly—the moving of the comma changes both the structure and the meaning of the sentence.

Luke 23:43 in the New World Translation (NWT) follows Example #2 above. All other reliable translations follow Example #1.

In other words, the single point of disagreement is whether "today" belongs with "truly I tell you today," or "today, you will be with me in Paradise." To rephrase it as a question, does the comma belong before or after the word "today"?

This may seem unimportant, but it is crucial for the JWs to translate it as they have in order to support their doctrine. Like some other controversial groups, the JWs believe that at death human beings cease to exist as persons. That is, they deny that there is an immaterial soul or spirit which can exist as a personal being apart from the body. This position is obviously contradicted by Jesus' promise to the thief that he would be with Him in Paradise "today." By changing the position of the comma, however, "today" is shifted away from "you will be with me in Paradise" and placed alongside "truly I tell you." Thus the idea that Jesus and the thief went to Paradise immediately after their deaths is eliminated and JW doctrine remains intact.

The words "Truly I tell you" is an introductory expression or formula Jesus used only when introducing a truth that is very important and perhaps hard to believe. In the Gospel of John, it is "Amen, amen I say to you." It is rather like the Old English expression, "Hear ye!" An even more appropriate parallel is the Old Testament expression, "Thus says the Lord." Therefore, "Truly I tell you today" would be just as unlikely an expression as "Hear ye today!" or "Thus says the Lord today."

Of the 76 times the expression “Truly I tell you” occurs in the Bible, the NWT places a break immediately after it 75 times; Luke 23:43 is the only exception. Below are just 16 of the 76 times the expression “Truly I tell you” is used. The commas all line up in the WT concordance except one time—Luke 23:43. Why?

Matthew 5:18    “Truly I tell you, till heaven and earth pass away . ”
Matthew 5:26    “Truly I tell you, you will not get out . . .”
Matthew 6:2     “Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.”
Matthew 6:5     “Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.”
Matthew 10:15   “Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable . . .”
Mark 8:12       "Truly I tell you, no sign will be given . . ."
Luke 4:24       “Truly I tell you, a prophet is not without honor . ”
Luke 11:51      “Truly I tell you, it shall be required . . . ”
Luke 13:35      “Truly I tell you, you will not see me . . . ”
Luke 18:17      “Truly I tell you, whoever shall not receive . . . ”
Luke 23:43      “Truly I tell you today, you will be with me . . .”
John 3:3        “Truly I tell you, unless a man . . .”
John 3:11       “Truly I tell you, we speak . . . ”
John 5:19       “Truly I tell you, the Son can do . . .”
John 5:24       “Truly I tell you, whoever hears my . . .”
John 5:25       “Truly I tell you, a time is coming . . .   ”

Unless there is overwhelming evidence from the context that Luke 23:43 is an exception to the above pattern, it should be translated according to Jesus' normal usage of the expression.

Why do the JW’s make the change at Luke 23:43? JW’s often interpret a biblical text inductively rather than deductively. That is, they usually base their interpretation on what they have already concluded must be true ("inductive" reasoning) rather than examining all of the relevant material in Scripture before drawing a conclusion ("deductive" reasoning).

It's true Jesus could have said, "Truly I tell you today, . . ." But there is no record of him in his entire public life having done so. Those who want the comma moved realize that if Jesus used the phrase in Luke 23:43 as he did in all the seventy-five other occasions their theology is in jeopardy.

Those like the Jehovah's Witnesses cannot have Jesus going to Paradise the day he died or a huge part of their theology collapses, so they move the comma and put in Jesus' mouth a phrase he has never before used. In order to do this they have to rework the phrase he did use seventy-five times. And the only version I know that goes along with their decision is the one they published themselves—"The New World Translation."

Here is Part 2.