Luke 16:19-31

Luke 16:19-31

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.

And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:

For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

a. Gordon Lindsay, The Life And Teachings Of Christ: “The story of the rich man and Lazarus is not in a parable in the usual sense. A parable is an analogy between visible things and invisible things. Here we have a direct statement about invisible things themselves. Jesus says, “…There was a certain rich man” (Luke 16:19). We must, therefore believe there was a certain rich man.”

b. Gordon Lindsay, The Life And Teachings Of Christ, “Jesus tells us that the rich man, when he passed from the body, found he was still conscious. That was the grim fact with which he had to reckon. The matter of the continued existence of the spirit after death ceased at once to be an academic question of something for theological speculation.”

c. Gordon Lindsay, The Life And Teachings Of Christ: “In considering hades at the time of the rich man’s death, we must remind the reader that Christ was describing a scene that occurred before His own resurrection. In the Old Testament days even the saints went down to “sheol,” or “hades,” which is sometimes called “hell” in the King James Version, and sometimes “the grave.”…The wicked also went down to sheol. Those who took part in Korah’s rebellion went down to sheol (Numbers 16:33). All people in the Old Testament days, whether good or bad, at death went down to sheol. But, and this is all important to understand, the wicked and the righteous were not in the same compartment—there was a great gulf fixed between the two classes of people. We should add here that after Christ’s resurrection, He took captivity captive, removing the righteous from the lower parts of the earth to heaven (Ephesians 4:8-10). So it was that when Paul ascended to paradise some years after the resurrection of Christ, he found paradise located in the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:1-4). But the scene Christ was describing occurred while paradise (Abraham’s bosom) was still in the heart of the earth.”

d. The passages that Gordon Lindsay mentioned are cited below along with other passages in the New Testament that show after the death and resurrection of Christ the righteous dead go straight to heaven at death.

1). Ephesians 4:8-10 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

2). 2 Corinthians 12:1-4 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.

And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)

How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

3). 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

4). Philippians 1:21-24 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.

For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

New Testament words for hell

1. Hell [86 * Hades][Strongs: properly, unseen, i.e. "Hades" or the place (state) of departed souls:--grave, hell.][TDNT: In Biblical Greek it is associated with Orcus, the infernal regions, a dark and dismal place in the very depths of the earth, the common receptacle of disembodied spirits. Usually Hades is just the abode of the wicked, Luk 16:23, Rev 20:13, 14; a very uncomfortable place.][Thayer: name Hades or Pluto, the god of the lower regions, Orcus, the nether world, the realm of the dead, later use of this word: the grave, death, hell.]

a. Greek word [86 * Hades] is translated “hell” ten times.

1). Matthew 11:23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

2). Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

3). Luke 10:15 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.

4). Luke 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

5). Acts 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

6). Acts 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

7). Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

8). Revelation 6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

9). Revelation 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

10). Revelation 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

b. Greek word [86 * Hades] is translated “grave” in the New Testament one time.

1). 1 Corinthians 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

2. Hell [1067 * geenna][Thayer: Hell is the place of the future punishment call "Gehenna" or "Gehenna of fire". This was originally the valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, where the filth and dead animals of the city were cast out and burned; a fit symbol of the wicked and their future destruction.][Strong: valley of (the son of) Hinnom; ge-henna (or Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerusalem, used (figuratively) as a name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment:--hell.]

a. Greek word [1067 * geenna] is translated “hell” six times.

1). Matthew 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 

2). Matthew 5:30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

3). Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

4). Matthew 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

5). Matthew 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

6). Luke 12:5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

b. The Greek word [1067 * geenna] is translated with the additional word “fire” [4442 * pur][Thayer: fire][Strong: a primary word; "fire" (literally or figuratively, specially, lightning):--fiery, fire.] six times.

1). Matthew 5:22  But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

2). Matthew 18:9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

3). Mark 9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

4). Mark 9:45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

5). Mark 9:47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 

6). James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

3. Hell [5020 * tartaroo][Strong: from Tartaros (the deepest abyss of Hades); to incarcerate in eternal torment:--cast down to hell.][Thayer: the name of the subterranean region, doleful and dark, regarded by the ancient Greeks as the abode of the wicked dead, where they suffer punishment for their evil deeds; it answers to Gehenna of the Jews, to thrust down to Tartarus, to hold captive in Tartarus.]

a. The Greek word [5020 * tartaroo] is used one time in the King James.

1). 2 Peter 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;