Interpreting the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus: It's Really Good News!

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

TheLearner

Well-known member
Jan 14, 2019
8,176
1,573
113
68
Brighton, MI

TheLearner

Well-known member
Jan 14, 2019
8,176
1,573
113
68
Brighton, MI
Where is King David right now?
Heaven, in the Gospels OT saints were raised from the dead and went into the city. Eph 4, When Jesus ascended he led the prisioners to paradise in heaven. In short, he moved paradise to heaven where Paul was caught up to.
 

TheLearner

Well-known member
Jan 14, 2019
8,176
1,573
113
68
Brighton, MI
Figurative or literal:

Ezek 28:19: "All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more."
Why is ok for you to derail the thread?

2 Samuel 12:13-25
Easy-to-Read Version
13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

Nathan said to David, “The Lord will forgive you, even for this sin. You will not die. 14 But you did things that made the Lord’s enemies lose their respect for him, so your new baby son will die.”

David and Bathsheba’s Baby Dies
15 Then Nathan went home. And the Lord caused the baby boy who was born to David and Uriah’s wife to become very sick. 16 David prayed to God for the baby. David refused to eat or drink. He went into his house and stayed there and lay on the ground all night.

17 The leaders of David’s family came and tried to pull David up from the ground, but he refused to get up. He refused to eat with these leaders. 18 On the seventh day the baby died. David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the baby was dead. They said, “Look, we tried to talk to David while the baby was alive, but he refused to listen to us. If we tell David that the baby is dead, he might do something bad to himself.”

19 David saw his servants whispering and understood that the baby was dead. So David asked his servants, “Is the baby dead?”

The servants answered, “Yes, he is dead.”

20 Then David got up from the floor. He washed himself. He changed his clothes and got dressed. Then he went into the Lord’s house to worship. After that he went home and asked for something to eat. His servants gave him some food, and he ate.

21 David’s servants asked him, “Why are you doing this? When the baby was alive, you cried and refused to eat. But when the baby died you got up and ate food.”

22 David said, “While the baby was still living, I cried and refused to eat because I thought, ‘Who knows? Maybe the Lord will feel sorry for me and let the baby live.’ 23 But now the baby is dead, so why should I refuse to eat? Can I bring the baby back to life? No. Some day I will go to him, but he cannot come back to me.”

Solomon Is Born
24 Then David comforted Bathsheba his wife. He slept with her and had sexual relations with her. Bathsheba became pregnant again and had another son. David named the boy Solomon. The Lord loved Solomon 25 and sent word for Nathan the prophet to give Solomon the name Jedidiah.[a] So Nathan did this for the Lord.
 
Feb 7, 2022
646
75
28
Peter (along with the other 120 or so) at Pentecost (10 days after Jesus ascended from Olivet), under full influence and inspiration of the Holy Ghost, having come straight down from heaven, said:

Acts 2:29: "Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day."

Acts 2:34: "For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,"

Paul, later likewise said:

Acts 13:36: "For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:"
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
37,734
13,525
113
Having your name erased from a book is not the same thing as being taken out of existance.
God has several books.
not being found in the Lamb's book of life, for example, is clearly not non-existence, but is being outside of Christ.
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
37,734
13,525
113
agape is Greek for God's Love, I cor 13
agape is simply the noun form of the verb agapao.
scripture universally equivocates the noun & the verb.
God commands us to love ((agapao)) and the epistles teach us about having love ((agape)) because He loved us ((agapao)) in the very same breath they remind us to love ((agapao)) one another.

they say love ((agape)) is the fulfillment of the law; whoever loves ((agapao)) has fulfilled the law, and the entire basis of the law is the command to love ((agapao)).

agape & agapao are universally equivalent in scripture, tho men may direct their love towards disparate things: the world, or to God.
 
Aug 3, 2019
3,744
507
113
scripture is absolutely not compatible with a monistic view of the nature of mankind.

what you are saying is you would rather call God a liar than give up your private interpretation.

this interests me: why is the idea of the cessation of your existence so important to you?
are you depressed, tele-person?

can you use PM's? if you want to talk real about your life, i am not your enemy. i'll start a PM with you if you're not able to.
I'd rather be Monastic and stick with the Word alone than a Pluralist who mingles paganism with Christianity".
 
Aug 3, 2019
3,744
507
113
Matthew 25:41 (NKJV)
41 Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:
Revelation 20:10 (NKJV)
10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.


Amen Jesus!
Bro, please...either change your font size or I'll just agree to disagree, OK?
 
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,691
113
While it is true that no murderer has eternal life, that does not mean that he ceases to exist. You just don't understand the meaning of death, which is conscious awareness in separation from God.
The weakness of your Bible interpretation regarding the definition of death is:

1. The Bible doesn’t seem to clearly use your definition of death anywhere.

2. You’re using a figurative or non-literal hermeneutic to interpret death where it isn’t clear that a non-literal definition is superior to the plain text of the scripture. I.e., God says the soul that sins will die, you’re saying the soul that sins lives forever. (Genesis 2:17, Ezekiel 18:20, etc)

3. You seem you apply subjective criteria to define death as not literally death, but do not use the same standard regarding other topics. I.e., death isn’t death, but eternal life is eternal life, forgiveness is forgiveness, sin is sin, etc.

4. Eternal conscious torment isn’t clearly stated anywhere in scripture.

All of that being said, you seem to be preaching a very common, yet false, doctrine that is running rampant through the Catholic and Protestant church.
 
Aug 3, 2019
3,744
507
113
w is the command to love ((agapao)).

agape & agapao are universally equivalent in scripture, tho men may direct their love towards disparate things: the world, or to God.
Look, if "agapeo" was derived from "agape", I would accept you claim that the wicked can partake of agape, because "apapeo" would incorporate the profound love of "agape", it being a derivative.

THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE.

"AGAPE" is derived from "AGAPEO" and takes on its OWN meaning - an immensely higher meaning - which the Greeks assigned as the highest form of love possible - which love can only be ascribed to God, and is why no one agrees with you that the wicked partake of this love. Bro, do you understand? No one agrees with you, nor does the Bible: you can't find a single verse where "agape" and "the wicked" are connected.

You have only this frayed thread of false equivalency in order that the "many" of Matthew 24:12 KJV can escape being identified for who they are: SAINTS who will go to hell for allowing their "agape" to grow cold and dead, while "he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Matthew 24:13 KJV).
 
Aug 3, 2019
3,744
507
113
8 Red X's? Are you stirring up trouble again? :D
I hear people will trip over the truth, fall down, pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and keep going...so what else can I do but keep throwing it down in front of them? LOLOL
 
Aug 3, 2019
3,744
507
113
Scripture clearly states it was Samuel not an imposter.

11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.
14 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.
15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.
16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?
17 And the Lord hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David:
18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day.
19 Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.
20 Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.
Do you not understand that Isaiah says we must compare "line upon line" and "precept upon precept"? Any clue what that means?

IF BOTH JOB AND SOLOMON says dead folks return not to the land of the living, that should be enough.

BUT, A WITCH OF ALL PEOPLE supposedly called up "Samuel" - do the devil's servants have power of prophets?

THAT WAS NOT SAMUEL, but a demon, which is why God told us not to have anything to do with spiritualism.
 
Aug 3, 2019
3,744
507
113
He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth ((AGAPAO)) Me
(John 14:21)
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth ((AGAPAO)) Him that begat loveth ((AGAPAO)) Him also that is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love ((AGAPAO)) the children of God, when we love ((AGAPAO)) God, and keep His commandments. For this is the love ((AGAPE)) of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.
(1 John 5:1-3)
Owe no man any thing, but to love ((AGAPAO)) one another: for he that loveth ((AGAPAO)) another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love ((AGAPAO)) thy neighbour as thyself. Love ((AGAPE)) worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love ((AGAPE)) is the fulfilling of the law.
(Romans 13:8-10)
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love ((AGAPAO)) thy neighbour as thyself.
(Galatians 5:14))
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love ((AGAPAO)) one another; as I have loved ((AGAPAO)) you, that ye also love ((AGAPAO)) one another.
(John 13:34)
I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father. And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love ((AGAPAO)) one another. And this is love ((AGAPE)), that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
(2 John 1:4-6)

love is the noun form of the verb to love.
AGAPE is equivalent to AGAPAO, all over the entire NT
Yep, not a single one of those verses apples "agape" to the wicked. Wonder why that is??? :unsure::ROFL::ROFL::ROFL:
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
17,097
3,683
113
Do you not understand that Isaiah says we must compare "line upon line" and "precept upon precept"? Any clue what that means?

IF BOTH JOB AND SOLOMON says dead folks return not to the land of the living, that should be enough.

BUT, A WITCH OF ALL PEOPLE supposedly called up "Samuel" - do the devil's servants have power of prophets?

THAT WAS NOT SAMUEL, but a demon, which is why God told us not to have anything to do with spiritualism.
Not according to the plain reading of inspired scripture. These are God‘s words not man. Whenever the Bible goes against your narrative, leave the Bible alone and change your narrative. Another example would be how you manipulate the thief on the cross passage.

God used this witch to bring up Samuel to warn Saul. God can do that you know.

Was dead Lazarus ”returned back to the land of the living”? Have there been others that were resurrected? Of course…but this as not Samuel I body form, but his soul that was asleep in Abraham’s bosom.
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
17,097
3,683
113
Do you not understand that Isaiah says we must compare "line upon line" and "precept upon precept"? Any clue what that means?

IF BOTH JOB AND SOLOMON says dead folks return not to the land of the living, that should be enough.

BUT, A WITCH OF ALL PEOPLE supposedly called up "Samuel" - do the devil's servants have power of prophets?

THAT WAS NOT SAMUEL, but a demon, which is why God told us not to have anything to do with spiritualism.
Did Peter, James, and John see Moses? Didn’t Moses die? How many more examples do you need?

There are statements in the Bible that are general in nature, not fixed. It is appointed unto man once to die…have men died twice? Will there be those who are alive and remain when the Lord returns? Exceptions only prove the rule.
 
Aug 3, 2019
3,744
507
113
Not according to the plain reading of inspired scripture. These are God‘s words not man. Whenever the Bible goes against your narrative, leave the Bible alone and change your narrative. Another example would be how you manipulate the thief on the cross passage.

God used this witch to bring up Samuel to warn Saul. God can do that you know.

Was dead Lazarus ”returned back to the land of the living”? Have there been others that were resurrected? Of course…but this as not Samuel I body form, but his soul that was asleep in Abraham’s bosom.
If you wanna ignore Solomon and Job and believe a Satanic witch has power over one of God's champions of the faith, you have every right to...but no reason to.
 
Aug 3, 2019
3,744
507
113
Did Peter, James, and John see Moses? Didn’t Moses die? How many more examples do you need?

There are statements in the Bible that are general in nature, not fixed. It is appointed unto man once to die…have men died twice? Will there be those who are alive and remain when the Lord returns? Exceptions only prove the rule.
Moses was resurrected...y'know, when Michael was disputing the devil over the body of Moses, and the Lord told Satan to shut up?

If they're fighting over the body, and then Moses shows up years later, it's safe to assume God raised him from the dead.
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
17,097
3,683
113
If you wanna ignore Solomon and Job and believe a Satanic witch has power over one of God's champions of the faith, you have every right to...but no reason to.
Was Lazarus resurrected? Jairus’ daughter? Should I name all? Yes or no, did they return back to the living?