“Now the poor man died and was carried away by the … In Luke 2:34, Simeon had prophesied that Jesus was appointed for the rising and falling of many. 26 Besides all these things, a huge chasm is fixed between us and you, so that those wanting to cross over from here to you is unable; neither could they go over from there to us!’ 27 Then he said, ‘Then I ask you, father, that you send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—that he would warn them, so that they do not come to this place of torment!’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. However, I have read the contexts, and the excerpts accurately reflect their views. 4. Let’s quote eighteen prominent commentators, in chronological order. Luke 16:19-31 contains the story of a rich man who lived a life of luxury. He then goes on to say that the rich man experiences the hellish life that Lazarus experienced on earth, but greater and irreversible in Hades. It means that that the conversations are simply part of the story’s literary means to depict the great chasm in the afterlife between the righteous in paradise and those in Hades. Second, if Jesus knew Lazarus, then why didn’t he help and heal him? . How does this post help me grow in Christ? It is so with the Jews today. Therefore, the details of this parable are purposed to highlight the powerful reversal that happens from this life to the afterlife. There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. In his comment on the word torment (v. 23), he says the following: Although many aspects of the parable do not have a corresponding reality, the reality being taught by the parable would be meaningless unless it [torment] were true (p. 424). But the quotations from their books are conclusions based on their extensive arguments. (p. 393). He clearly states that this is only a parable and not to be taken as something that really happened. In other words, the lesson is about generosity here on earth and general judgment. Joseph A. Fitzmyer (SJ), The Gospel according to Luke (X-XXIV), The Anchor Bible, (Doubleday, 1985). If Jesus had heard of him from a distance, then why didn’t he send a team of disciples to help and heal him (Luke 9:1-6; 10:1-12, 17-24)? 2. 19 “A rich man clothed himself with purple cloth and fine linen, celebrating each day in ostentatious luxury. It is, rather, an adaptation of a well-known folk-tale, projecting the rich / poor divide of the present on to the future in order to highlight the present responsibility, and culpability, of the careless rich. Although Luke does not expressly state that this is a parable, and although the Saviour has given the beggar a name, it is by no means necessary to assume that we have here the story of something that really happened and not a parable. 11. The parable of Lazarus and the rich man, long used by mainstream ministers to teach the reality of "hell," really has nothing to say about punishment or reward in the afterlife. It is therefore inappropriate to use it as prima facie evidence for Jesus’ own sketching (or Luke’s portrait of Jesus’ sketching) of a standard post-mortem scenario. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. (C) Even the dogs came and licked his sores. Luke 6:20-26), (2) the reality of future judgment based on one’s decisions in this life, (3) the futility of even a resurrection to persuade those who persist in rejecting God’s revealed word. In his comment on v. 22, the part that says angels carried up the body or soul, he cautions against over-interpreting the details theologically. 8. . The translation is mine. N.T Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God (Fortress, 2003), I stressed in the earlier volume that the parable of the rich man and Lazarus is to be treated precisely as a parable, not a literal description of the afterlife and its possibilities [see Jesus and the Victory of God, above]. So we cannot take in a literal sense the description given here of “carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom” (p. 428), 7. The rich man’s cry is for self. … The name Lazarus is a Greek form … “God has helped.” The sick beggar was in the highest sense one who, being totally neglected by the privileged fellow-men, was yet helped by God (with the rich gift of eternal salvation). Rather, the better explanation of annihilationism says that people will be punished in hell, but their punishment will not be eternal. (p. 991). Today many Christians believe that the story of the rich man and Lazarus is a historical account of two individuals’ literal experiences in the afterlife. 2 (Baker, 1996). Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. He discusses the Jewish and Egyptian sources, but he adds that Greco-Roman thought and even popular thinking believed in punishment in the afterlife (pp. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. The rich man also died and was buried. He is the scholar who said that popular folktales circulating at the time say that the rich guy will “get his” in the afterlife. Jesus may have simply adopted well-known imagery but then adapted it in a new and surprising way (qtd. 437-38). However, the problem is that the parable nowhere says it is “eternal.” And he says it is a story about hardheartedness with money, which puts the rich man at fatal risk. He further writes: “in all this Jewish imagery, we are not given anything resembling a ‘topography of hell’; besides, it is a description of the intermediate state before the Last Judgment” (pp. And the poor and miserable will be comforted in the age to come. Eventually, they both died. The rich man also died and was buried. The parable begins by calling attention to the fact that often life isn’t fair. …, [W]e should not regard the parable as a literal historical occurrence, or Abraham had died like other people and only his spirit is in the abode of the bliss—not until after the resurrection at the second coming will his spirit and glorified body be united. In his comments on vv. 19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. They should listen to them!’ 30 Then he said, ‘No, father Abraham! 6. Artist Dirck Volkertsen Coornhert. They all acknowledge that Jesus adopted and adapted Jewish and Egyptian stories and even folktales about the rich guy getting his just punishment. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. 9. And a certain poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. For him it is a parable. (Attic, 1974). Joel B. So his second point says that in general terms judgment and justice is taught in the parable, but it does not offer the details about the afterlife. 22 “And it happened that the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s side. I find it interesting that Abraham says the living brothers should heed Moses and the Prophets, yet the Old Testament says little to nothing about Hell or Heaven. Lk 16:19-31). The other person is a gift . Recall that Paul even quoted from pagan authors to make some points (Acts 17:28;  1 Cor. Some may object that the excerpts from the following commentators may be taking them out of context. The Parable of the Rich man and Lazarus has long been viewed as a proof text for the doctrine of eternal punishment in hell fire. 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