In the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus we have some unusual sceneries....as well as some challenges for those that are sola scriptura because it goes against some common beliefs.
1. I have already explained the issues with the words Hades and Hell in the scriptures. Hell cannot be in the scriptures because it is a more modern word 725 AD from the German/Anglo-Saxon with no Greek equivalent. Hades is a borrowed word from the Greek....Hades being a Greek god that reigned over "an underworld" of the same name. Gehenna was an illustration of the place of the fiery eternal punishment. The confusion for Christians is that this place of a fiery eternal punishment was never given its own name. They used illustrations and a borrowed Greek word. The Greek Hades was not a place of horrible torment...the descriptions varied. Probably the problem was the limitation of the languages of the time period. The Hebrew language did not have a word for a place of fiery eternal punishment and neither did the Greeks. The "Hebrews" did not believe in Hell or the devil. Much of the imagery for Hell comes from the Divine Comedy and Dante’s Inferno an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun c. 1308 and completed around 1321.
2. Lazarus ends up in Abraham's bosom, which would go along with the phrases in the Bible "gathered with their fathers" which would mean that Lazarus and Abraham were in Sheol. This would be normal as the story does not say that Lazarus and Abraham were in Heaven.
3. But where did the rich man end up? It is suggests he went to Hades.....was that the Greek Hades? What is the status of the place of the fiery eternal punishment? Did it exist at this point? Do people go straight there from dying? No Judgment Day?
4. The parable speaks of fire and torment.....and is says that... he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. OK So is this scenario such that people in this place of torment can see the people in Sheol and talk to them....Able to talk to them while standing in fire.
So the question I have, was this scenario actually something that could happen or is this a parable, a hypothetical scenario to teach a lesson? For the sola scriptura people they are kind of stuck and have to accept it as written, juggling what is said in this story with common beliefs. For me it a lesson taught by a hypothetical scenario.
The story of Lazarus and Rich Man is kind of like a can of worms as far as all the questions and contradictions it raises. Like the Transfiguration of Yeshua where he talks to Moses and Elijah. Was He talking to the dead? Some Christians do not like the idea of talking to the dead. Presumably they were in Sheol. Are we conscience after we die? Some Christians do not think so....the Bible refers to people "asleep" after they die. If Lazarus and the rich man could talk to each other....when we go to Heaven, are we going to be able to see and talk to our relatives in Hell? If the Apostles saw Moses and Elijah....did they have bodies? Do our souls look like our bodies?
Luke 16:19-31 – in this story, we see that the dead rich man is suffering but still feels compassion for his brothers and wants to warn them of his place of suffering.
But there is no suffering in heaven or compassion in hell because compassion is a grace from God and
those in hell are deprived from God’s graces for all eternity. So where is the rich man? He is in purgatory.
Phil. 2:10 – every knee bends to Jesus, in heaven, on earth, and
“under the earth” which is the realm of the righteous dead, or purgatory.
2 Tim. 1:16-18 – Onesiphorus is dead but Paul asks for mercy on him “on that day.” Paul’s use of “that day” demonstrates its eschatological usage (see, for example, Rom. 2.5,16; 1 Cor. 1.8; 3.13; 5.5; 2 Cor. 1.14; Phil. 1.6,10; 2.16; 1 Thess. 5.2,4,5,8; 2 Thess. 2.2,3; 2 Tim. 4.8). Of course, there is no need for mercy in heaven, and there is no mercy given in hell. Where is Onesiphorus? He is in purgatory.
Heb. 12:14 – without holiness no one will see the Lord. We need final sanctification to attain true holiness before God, and this process occurs during our lives and, if not completed during our lives, in the transitional state of purgatory.
Heb. 12:23 – the spirits of just men who died in godliness are “made” perfect. They do not necessarily arrive perfect. They are made perfect after their death. But those in heaven are already perfect, and those in hell can no longer be made perfect. These spirits are in purgatory.
1 Peter 3:19; 4:6 – Jesus preached to the spirits in the “prison.” These are the righteous souls being purified for the beatific vision.
Rev. 21:4 – God shall wipe away their tears, and there will be no mourning or pain, but only after the coming of the new heaven and the passing away of the current heaven and earth. Note the elimination of tears and pain only occurs at the end of time.
But there is no morning or pain in heaven, and God will not wipe away their tears in hell. These are the souls experiencing purgatory.
Rev. 21:27 – nothing unclean shall enter heaven. The word “unclean” comes from the Greek word “koinon” which refers to a spiritual corruption. Even the propensity to sin is spiritually corrupt, or considered unclean, and must be purified before entering heaven. It is amazing how many Protestants do not want to believe in purgatory.
Purgatory exists because of the mercy of God. If there were no purgatory, this would also likely mean no salvation for most people. God is merciful indeed.
In the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus we have some unusual sceneries....as well as some challenges for those that are sola scriptura because it goes against some common beliefs.
The rich man has no business seeking intercession from Abraham, (say non-Catholics) so either Jesus is teaching a falsehood, or non-Catholics shift into automatic in condemning the doctrine by inventing new doctrines on the afterlife.
Gen. 50:10; Num. 20:29; Deut. 34:8 – here are some examples of ritual prayer and penitent mourning for the dead for specific periods of time. The Jewish understanding of these practices was that the prayers freed the souls from their painful state of purification, and expedited their journey to God.
Non-Catholic Christians have divorced themselves from our elder brothers, the Jews, the main reason I think purgatory is automatically rejected.
