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NASB | Luke 16:19 ¶ "Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Luke 16:19 ¶ "Now there was a certain rich man who was habitually dressed in expensive purple and fine linen, and celebrated and lived joyously in splendor every day. |
Subject: Destination of souls before Christ? |
Bible Note: Tommy, The rich man was not a believer. Had he been, he would have been in Paradise with Lazarus and Abraham. This position is not stating something that is not written, it is consistent with the clear teachings of Scripture as a whole. However, within the passage alone we can still draw this conclusion. Notice that Abraham calls on the rich man's own memory vs. 25. Notice that Abraham understands that the rich man knows very well who Lazarus is. Of course works do not save, so, Abraham is not saying that you are there where you are because you did not feed this poor man. Rather, Abraham is calling into account the rich man's character. The account goes on to present an account of the man's brother's (all of them). He says as much, that they do not believe. They already had the knowledge spoken by Moses and the prophets. The rich man declares that having that knowledge was not enough for them to believe. Rather, they would require one who returns from the dead. How did he know this. We're not told, but a fair conclusion is that he also had the knowledge of Moses and the prophets and did not believe. keep in mind, Jesus had not yet been crucified and risen again. It is my belief, that Jesus is refering to Himself in verse 31. Jesus spoke the truth, that even if one returned from the dead, there would be those who will not believe. Of course, One did return from the dead, our Lord Himself. How many did not, do not, and will not believe? It would be a stretch to assume that the rich man was the only of six brother's who believed. Nothing in the story would indicate that he did. Hope this helps, Jeff |