It’s often claimed that Jesus was crucified with “common criminals.” This is significant because it affects how we view the famous “thief on the cross” and his conversion, as he trusted in Jesus and was assured of Paradise after death. More importantly, it can affect how we view Jesus himself. When we say that Jesus was “crucified with common criminals,” it places Jesus in a category with them, and may suggest that Jesus was viewed as a common criminal by the Romans.
The King James Version may contribute to the idea that Jesus was crucified with common criminals, since Matthew 27:38 says, “Then were there two thieves crucified with him.” “Thief” is a fairly mild term in modern English, especially compared to terms like “robber” or “burglar.” In one of my favorite shows, there is a comical scene that highlights the distinctions:
Henry: Something’s missing. I took something of yours, you need to figure out what it is.
Young Shawn: Dad, you robbed me?
Henry: No, robbery’s the taking of property by force or fear. I’m not afraid of anyone in this room.
Young Gus: So you’re a burglar then.
Henry: No, Gus, burglary involves breaking in. This is theft, pure and simple. You need to figure out what it is or you’re not getting it back.
Most modern translations now use the word “robbers,” suggesting that Jesus was crucified with two men who were forceful or violent thieves: “Then two robbers were crucified with him” (ESV).
A few translations use the word “bandits” (GNT) or “brigands” (NTFE), which is similar but more evocative. Perhaps I watched too many John Wayne movies as a kid, but I immediately think of masked gunmen robbing a stagecoach!
“Robbers” and “bandits” are certainly stronger words in modern English than “thieves,” but are they strong enough? Perhaps not. Gordon Fee and Mark Strauss explain,
The Greek word lēstēs … is used by the Gospel writers to describe the two who were crucified with Jesus. While the word can mean simply “robber” or “bandit,” its meaning was also extended to refer to those who robbed and vandalized in the context of trying to unsettle things in Palestine with the ultimate aim of overthrowing Roman rule. The context in this case, especially the fact that Barabbas was well known to the crowds, suggests that the two who were crucified were not simply “thieves” or “robbers,” but were brigands whose ultimate aim was insurrection.
Fee and Strauss suggest that the most accurate translation would probably be “insurrectionists,” though some Bible readers might not understand it. They even suggest that in some sectors “terrorists” would be closer to the truth than “thieves” or “robbers”!
Some modern translations have moved this direction. For example, the TNIV uses “rebels” while the NLT and NAB have “revolutionaries.”
These differences might seem small in the grand scheme of things, but how would it affect our view of Jesus if, for our whole lives, we had heard that Jesus was crucified with “revolutionaries” instead of “common criminals”? While Jesus came to bring a peaceful and nonviolent kingdom that is not of this world, he died as a true revolutionary. He called for dramatic change that threatened the religious and, yes, political establishment by exposing its injustice and hypocrisy.
How would it affect our view of Jesus if, for our whole lives, we had heard that Jesus was crucified with “revolutionaries” instead of “common criminals”?
Furthermore, how would it affect our view of the famous “thief on the cross” if we thought of him as an insurrectionist or terrorist who was saved instead of as a common criminal who came to Jesus? We preach that Jesus took the place of the murderer Barabbas, but we have no evidence that Barabbas himself trusted in Jesus and enjoyed the eternal benefits of his substitutionary atonement. It’s pretty incredible to think that one of Barabbas’s ilk may have done so. It reminds us that when we hear of people on the news who have robbed, destroyed, or even murdered, we should remember their humanity, pray for their eternal soul, and hope for their redemption. No one is beyond the reach of God’s grace, whether common criminals or violent insurrectionists.
