Where did the good thief go after death?

[brother_leo]

Why does Jesus say to the repentant thief: “Today you will be with me in Paradise?”
What about purgatory? After all, nothing unclean enters heaven. Is Jesus giving him a special grace?
Also, it takes Jesus 3 days to lead the souls out of purgatory…not 1.
Is Jesus promising him eternity?

 

[Karlo_Broussard]

The “paradise” that Jesus speaks of is what is referred to in the Jewish tradition as “Abraham’s Bosom” (see Lk 16:22). It is the “place” of the righteous in Sheol—the abode of the dead. This is the place that Jesus descended into after his death according to 1Peter 3:19.

The good thief would not have gone straight to heaven because heaven would not be open to humans until Christ’s ascension. St. Paul writes in Ephesians 4:8, “Therefore it is said, When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”

Now, to the question of whether Sheol is Purgatory, the answer is no. However, one can identify a state of existence among the righteous in Sheol as purification. Recall in 2Maccabees 12:46 Judas Maccabeus took up alms in order that his fallen comrades would be forgiven of their sins, implying a purification of sorts in Sheol.

Did the good thief have to be purified in Sheol or did he immediately experience the natural bliss of “Abraham’s bosom?” This is something that we simply do not know.

Here is a good video clip by Tim Staples addressing this question:
catholic.com/video/where-did-the-good-thief-go-when-he-died