Is the story of Lazarus and the rich man literal/physical?

[tonychanyt]

I doubt it. Luke 16:

22The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.

This was supposed to have happened before the resurrection of the last day and the final judgment. I believe that after a person dies, he stays physically dead until the physical resurrection on the last day.

I found another factor on Wiki:

We have in fact one of the cases where the background to the teaching is more probably found in non-biblical sources.
— I. Howard Marshall, The New International Greek Testament Commentary: The Gospel of Luke, p. 634

Some scholars—e.g., G. B. Caird,[36] Joachim Jeremias,[37] Marshall,[38] Hugo Gressmann,[39]—suggest the basic storyline of The Rich Man and Lazarus was derived from Jewish stories that had developed from an Egyptian folk tale about Si-Osiris.[40][41] Richard Bauckham is less sure,[42]

Similar parables were told by rabbis around Jesus' time.

I don't think the story of Lazarus and the rich man was literal/physical. It is a parable to teach morals.

 

[Saber Truth Tiger]

I doubt it. Luke 16:

This was supposed to have happened before the resurrection of the last day and the final judgment. It does not sound literal.

I found another factor on Wiki:


Similar parables were told by rabbis around Jesus' time.

I don't think the story of Lazarus and the rich man was literal (physical).

I doubt it was literal too. I mean, how can the rich man carry on a conversation with Abraham when he is burning alive? I don't know that for certain but it would be very difficult to converse with someone who was separated from you by a gulf while you were on fire. There are those that are quick to point out that in all of Jesus's other parables the gospel writers didn't hesitate to call them parables. Hence, the argument goes, the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man is true. If it is a parable, then it would be the only parable of Jesus not called a parable. Those that take it literally also point out that there was a "certain" rich man and he called Lazarus by name, something he did not do in his other parables.

 

[Halbhh]

I doubt it. Luke 16:

This was supposed to have happened before the resurrection of the last day and the final judgment. It does not sound literal.

I found another factor on Wiki:


Similar parables were told by rabbis around Jesus' time.

I don't think the story of Lazarus and the rich man was literal (physical).

Yes, it was a parable.

Notice how in the parable Christ uses a representation (instead of the real picture) of the future heaven that His Jewish audience at that moment in time could understand at that moment in time (as they didn't have the full bible we have today):

22: "And it came to pass that the poor man died, and he was carried away by the angels into the bosom of Abraham. And the rich man also died and was buried."


In modern paraphrasing the "bosom of Abraham" is instead rendered "by Abraham's side"--and we could wonder for a moment: is heaven merely to be at Abraham's side?....

No. Heaven isn't centered on Abraham, nor for the children of Abraham will it be mostly about being near to Abraham especially or centrally....

It's so much more than that. He will be there, and that's only one small part!

God uses representations we can understand, instead of telling us the more complex reality that might confuse or distract us from what we need to learn now, at this moment. We need to learn that those who won't care about others will not see heaven. That's vastly more important than to give the listeners a more accurate picture of heaven than they can handle.


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(@BNR32FAN I thought you might be interested in this: how God uses what we can understand in scripture, because the bigger point is the real lesson, not details about heaven here.... In His superior understanding, God gives us a more simplified picture as we need -- so that a lesson won't confuse or distract us from the central point. Just like in Genesis 1 the central point is repeated 7 times, and we aren't to be caught up in side issues when reading purely, to hear. So, while we can all discuss our theories of this or that, we are meant to all read at least sometimes with just pure listening, and get the main point of the story or chapter or passage.
I know you almost certainly agree.
I though you might find this 2nd example interesting. )

 

[Blade]

I've heard different sides to this. There is a truth in it.. well duh Christ said it haha. What I mean is there is a gulf between that no one can cross.

 

[ZephBonkerer]

The way I read the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus:

If it was a parable, then it's the only one parable where any character is given a name. Jesus gave parables to teach certain truths in terms we can understand.

Communication between the "saved" and "unsaved" dead may or may not be ordinarily possible. We have telephones and other communication technology in our world, so it's reasonable to infer that the technology available in the afterlife will be at least as sophisticated.

Based on the context, this seems to take place prior to the end of time. The Rich Man's five brothers are still alive.

Regarding what we can learn from this:

Luke 16:27-28 NIV): "Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment."
People who have any hope of a brighter future do not say things like this. This is a man who knows his fate is sealed for all eternity.

Luke 16:31 NIV : [Abraham] said to him, "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”
The Rich Man is well aware that his brothers are practicing sin. This also shows an important truth of the human condition:

People don't generally repent of their sins simply because they witness some supernatural event. Ten supernatural plagues didn't persuade Pharaoh to release the Hebrews. The religious authorities didn't follow Jesus despite His many miracles. And this is what is said of those who were witness to worldwide calamities from the supernatural realm:

Rev 9:20-21 NIV : The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols ... Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.

 

[CoreyD]

I doubt it was literal too. I mean, how can the rich man carry on a conversation with Abraham when he is burning alive? I don't know that for certain but it would be very difficult to converse with someone who was separated from you by a gulf while you were on fire. There are those that are quick to point out that in all of Jesus's other parables the gospel writers didn't hesitate to call them parables. Hence, the argument goes, the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man is true. If it is a parable, then it would be the only parable of Jesus not called a parable. Those that take it literally also point out that there was a "certain" rich man and he called Lazarus by name, something he did not do in his other parables.

There are a few other parables in Luke, which are not referred to as parables, by the writer.
The parable of the prodigal, is one of those.