Doesn't the good thief prove sola fide?

[kdmathers]

I am having a dialog with my Baptist brother. During our discussion, we were talking about faith & works, etc. He brought up the Criminal on the cross next to Jesus, who Jesus told, “Today you will be with me in paradise”, etc,
My brother said, “That guy wasn’t baptized with water, he didn’t do any “good works” nailed to the cross”, as though that proves Sola Fide is right and we are wrong.

How to answer that?

Thanks,
Paul Mathers

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Hi Paul,

The good thief, as he is often called, had baptism of desire by the fact that he wanted to identify with Jesus. Jesus didn’t send him immediately to heaven, although He could have. He let him suffer his temporal punishment for the wrong he had done. Such certainly qualifies as works.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.