Why would it matter if the thief died before or after Jesus?

[tell sackett]

Do not condemn. If we don’t judge how do we decide who the hogs and dogs are? Jo.7:24

 

[Madman]

I beg to differ. God has not, does not change. Man destroyed the fellowship.

God never changes, he has always been in pursuit of his creation, so much so that he donned flesh and dwelt among us.

 

[gordon 2]

James 21-24
Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

I think it's important that we read more than one verse or more than one passage.
Maybe the evil doer on the cross's actions were his words spoken to Jesus. As mentioned perhaps repentance is a type of work. The evil doer had no time left to perform any physical actions as mentioned by James.

James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. KJV

James 4:3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. NIV

 

[tell sackett]

God never changes, he has always been in pursuit of his creation, so much so that he donned flesh and dwelt among us.

Yes, He did, in order that we might be brought back into fellowship with Him.

 

[Madman]

Yes, He did, in order that we might be brought back into fellowship with Him.

He called us back, “while we were yet sinners”.

 

[Artfuldodger]

Speaking of Him calling;
Abraham was a sinful heathen who grew up in an unbelieving and idolatrous society. We do not know exactly how or when God first made Himself known to Abraham, but he was raised in a home that was pagan.
God sovereignly condescended to call Abraham out of paganism and idolatry in order to bless him and the world through him. He may have had higher moral standards than his friends and neighbors, but this was not the reason God chose him. God chose him because He wanted to choose him. And when God spoke to him, he listened; when God promised, he trusted; when God commanded, he obeyed.

 

[gordon 2]

Speaking of Him calling;
Abraham was a sinful heathen who grew up in an unbelieving and idolatrous society. We do not know exactly how or when God first made Himself known to Abraham, but he was raised in a home that was pagan.
God sovereignly condescended to call Abraham out of paganism and idolatry in order to bless him and the world through him. He may have had higher moral standards than his friends and neighbors, but this was not the reason God chose him. God chose him because He wanted to choose him. And when God spoke to him, he listened; when God promised, he trusted; when God commanded, he obeyed.

Quote {The Bible states that Abraham was raised in “Ur of the Chaldeans” (Ur Kasdim). Most scholars agree that Ur Kasdim was the Sumerian city Ur, today Tall al-Muqayyar (or Tall al-Mughair), about 200 miles (300 km) southeast of Baghdad in lower Mesopotamia.} end quote.

Except for rare cases no society we might term pagan has ever been without some believers, just as in societies which we might term Christian or Jewish have within them pagans, idolaters and non-believers.

 

[Artfuldodger]

Quote {The Bible states that Abraham was raised in “Ur of the Chaldeans” (Ur Kasdim). Most scholars agree that Ur Kasdim was the Sumerian city Ur, today Tall al-Muqayyar (or Tall al-Mughair), about 200 miles (300 km) southeast of Baghdad in lower Mesopotamia.} end quote.

Except for rare cases no society we might term pagan has ever been without some believers, just as in societies which we might term Christian or Jewish have within them pagans, idolaters and non-believers.

It is likely that Abraham knew about God, so did Paul.