The thief who stole paradise: why one criminal became a saint on the cross

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Only one of the four Gospels records the story of the penitent thief, a man who secured his salvation in his final moments. Though unnamed in the Bible, he became a symbol of mercy, inspiring centuries of art, literature, and even modern prison ministries named in his honor.

The account of the penitent thief appears exclusively in the Gospel of Luke. While the Gospels of Matthew and Mark suggest both men crucified alongside Jesus mocked him, Luke 23:39–43 depicts a stark contrast: one criminal reviles Jesus, while the other rebukes his companion, acknowledges his own guilt, and asks Jesus to remember him upon entering his kingdom. Jesus responds with the promise that he will be with him in Paradise that very day. This interaction has sparked centuries of theological debate, particularly regarding the timing of the promise and the nature of the thief's salvation.

The thief remains unnamed in the canonical texts, but later traditions assigned him various identities. The name Dismas, likely derived from a Greek word for dying, appears in the late fourth-century Latin Gospel of Nicodemus. Other traditions offer different names, such as Demas in Coptic sources, Zoatham in the Codex Colbertinus, and Titus in the Arabic Infancy Gospel. The latter includes a legendary tale where Titus protects the Holy Family during their flight into Egypt, a narrative later expanded by the visionary Anne Catherine Emmerich, who claimed the thief was a child cured of leprosy by the water used to wash the infant Jesus.

The figure of the good thief has profoundly influenced Christian iconography and culture. In the Russian Orthodox tradition, the slanted footrest on a crucifix is said to point upward toward the penitent thief and downward toward the impenitent one. Beyond religious devotion, his legacy persists in secular culture, from the naming of towns like San Dimas, California, to his appearance in literature and film. Today, he remains a potent symbol of conversion in extremis, serving as the namesake for organizations like the Dismas Ministry, which provides religious support to incarcerated individuals across the United States.

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