Imho, the Rich Man and Lazarus story in Luke 16:19-31 is probably a parable.
Consider these points:
1. People don't go to torment for being rich and having good things. God blesses people with good things all the time. That's a problem if they later go to torment for their blessings.
2. People don't receive salvation, or go to Abraham's side, for being a pitiful beggar.
3. While completely engulfed in flames, the rich man carried on an intelligible conversation with Abraham? No mention of weeping, wailing, or gnashing of teeth here.
4. Had the rich man even seen Abraham before? They didn't have photographs or oil paintings back then. How did he even know who Abraham was?
5. Why would dipping the tip of a finger in cool water to cool his tongue be his one and only request? Shouldn't he have been begging to be pulled from the fire?
6. Abraham said, "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." which is false. Jesus Christ Himself rose from the dead and God requires everyone to believe that yet Abraham said no one will believe someone who rose from the dead? I'm sorry but resurrection is the main pillar of Christianity.
As you can see, there are many problems with allowing the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus to be literal. I just can't accept that.
Consider these points:
1. People don't go to torment for being rich and having good things. God blesses people with good things all the time. That's a problem if they later go to torment for their blessings.
2. People don't receive salvation, or go to Abraham's side, for being a pitiful beggar.
3. While completely engulfed in flames, the rich man carried on an intelligible conversation with Abraham? No mention of weeping, wailing, or gnashing of teeth here.
4. Had the rich man even seen Abraham before? They didn't have photographs or oil paintings back then. How did he even know who Abraham was?
5. Why would dipping the tip of a finger in cool water to cool his tongue be his one and only request? Shouldn't he have been begging to be pulled from the fire?
6. Abraham said, "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." which is false. Jesus Christ Himself rose from the dead and God requires everyone to believe that yet Abraham said no one will believe someone who rose from the dead? I'm sorry but resurrection is the main pillar of Christianity.
As you can see, there are many problems with allowing the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus to be literal. I just can't accept that.
what do you consider a parable to be ? And what’s he teaching about there ?
“People don't go to torment for being rich and having good things. God blesses people with good things all the time. That's a problem if they later go to torment for their blessings.”
well remember he passed by the beggar every day and didn’t share he was a lover of those things. We can’t serve things and God.
So it’s not just that he had nice things his garments also hold a clue and the fact that the beggar was laying at his gate needing help
“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.”
Luke 16:19-21 KJV
Why didn’t he help the poor man ? I’d say he probably fits in here honestly
“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
….Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”
Matthew 25:41-42, 45-46 KJV
Your right having things isn’t a curse to damnation , but having things and being greedy and refusing to help those in need who are before you in life is a different story.
“While completely engulfed in flames, the rich man carried on an intelligible conversation with Abraham?”
yeah exactly he was conscious in his spiritual body and in torment and well aware of things. I don’t think that there’s not a repeat of the same words matters there though he’s on torment plainly that’s what the phrase “ weeping and gnashing of teeth expresses “
do you interpret that “parable “ to mean the dead aren’t conscious ? That to res no such place as hell where people are tormented ? Or that there’s no such place as paradise with Abraham ? Or that God doesn’t have the right to save a beggar if Thats his Will ?
“ I will have mercy upon whom I will “
or do you think we should just deem it a useles parable and ignore it when thinking about the afterlife ? It does t really Matter if we think it’s a parable or not what’s the message though is what matters ?
Jesus is teaching us something we couldn’t understand without what he’s saying. That’s really true of the whole gospel and every parable they all have meaning this one though is a teaching not literal account of two men and also not a parable it’s a teaching in my own opinion . But parables are also
It’s meaning really is sort of clear to me anyways but parables are the same
Parables are like this
“Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
(that’s a parable , and this is what it meant )
and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
the enemy that sowed them is the devil;
the harvest is the end of the world;
and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire;
so shall it be in the end of this world.
The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 KJV
they are important spiritual truth the explaination isn’t another parable it’s the understanding in the parable