Replies

RE: “That the Rich man is in a most distressful situation, there is no argument.

Good, then we agree that the torment is real and the place is real and the consciousness is real.

Since the DURATION of the rich man’s situation is not mentioned, I can’t garner anything from this particular teaching.

RE: But he is not “burning in eternal hell fire.”

We don’t know if it is eternal or not, so we can speculate one way or the other. So, the above, for me, is speculation.

RE: That Lazarus is being comforted, there is also no argument, but neither is he presently basking in the sunshine of heaven.

Again, speculation. Simply making a statement does not de facto make it correct.

RE: The two main figures in this parable represent whole nations of people

They might represent whole nations, but nations are still made up of people and Lazarus and the rich man are presented as INDIVIDUALS.

RE: The situation looks particularly grim and bleak for the Rich man, but certainly not hopeless as is taught in the pulpits of mainstream Christianity.”

Again we don’t know if it is hopeless or not. All we know is that his requests were all DENIED. Any attempts to determine whether the rich man’s situation is eternal or not is speculation.

We know these:

* The rich man is in torment.

* The place is called Hades.

* The rich man is conscious.

* His requests were all denied.

RE: But he is not “burning in eternal hell fire.”

We don’t know if it is eternal or not, so we can speculate one way or the other. So, the above, for me, is speculation.

Interesting that you focused on one word, “eternal”. Take it out and you get to the core of what he was saying. Feel free to address THAT issue.

We know these:

* The rich man is in torment.

* The place is called Hades.

* The rich man is conscious.

* His requests were all denied.

You didn’t read the link. It addresses every single one of your questions, in spades, but I posted your list because actually we know a LOT more than that as outlined in the article I posted. Here is the author’s list:

THE RICH MAN

He was RICH ... Ver 19
He wore PURPLE & CAMBRIC ... Ver 19
He made MERRY (Gk: cheerful, & glad) SPLENDIDLY [like Angels-Acts 10:30] DAILY ... Ver 19
He had a nice HOUSE (”his gate”) Ver 20
He gave Lazarus FOOD [Gk. psichion, “a particle of food left over”-scraps] Ver 21 He DIED and was [Gk. entombed] Ver 22
He lifts up his eyes in [Gk. hades “the UNSEEN or IMPERCEPTIBLE] Ver 23
He is in TORMENTS ... Ver 22
He’s ALIVE with a BODY, “eyes,’ Ver 23
He desires a drop of WATER ... Ver 24
In life he got GOOD things ... Ver 25
He is respectful toward authority (”FATHER Abraham”) Ver 24
He was TORMENTED ... Ver 25
He could not cross the GULF ... Ver 26
Exhibits LOVE toward his family even while in torment (”I have five brothers”) Ver 28
PLEADS for their welfare (”Nay..”) Ver 30

LAZARUS

He was POOR ... Ver 20
Probably CRIPPLED (”was laid”) Ver 20
DISEASED (”full of sores”) Ver 20
HUNGRY (”desiring to be fed”) Ver 21
He DIED Ver 22
Is “carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom” Ver 22

He’s ALIVE with a BODY, “finger “Ver 24
In life he got EVIL things ... Ver 25
Was COMFORTED [Gk. parakaleo = “to comfort when in distress”] Ver. 25
He could not cross the GULF ... Ver 26