What happened to the Good Samaritan?

[Neverwrong]

I have been told that the only way to go to heaven is to belive in the Lord and Jesus and the Holy Ghost and them only, So I was wondering, that even though the Samaritan helped the Jew, did he go to Hell?

 

[InnocentOdion]

Hello, and welcome to ChristianForums. I hope you have a good time here and can learn a lot from us here.

It's a parable, isn't it? We don't know whether or not that Samaritan really existed, but since it's a parable, it's just a story with a deeper meaning behind it. I would presume that because the good Samaritan wasn't real, it wouldn't matter, but I will, for a moment, hypothetically say that this person existed.

Let's say they probably lived before Jesus was on Earth, then they would probably have been able to go to Heaven because they didn't know of who He was at the time. One cannot be punished for being born too early to know the Saviour.

Hope this helps,
God bless,
IO

 

[reverend B]

major cop-out answer to this question.
let's say that....
if we don't put these conditions on your question, by many peoples theology this man would be cast out into the fires of hell. since Jesus uses the man as an example of how we should live, perhaps it is traditional theology that needs to be examined and not ways to make the story fit our concept of God's plan.
your question is a great one and very provocative. if Jesus uses as an example for right living a person who the pharisees would certainly have condemned, and anyone that is "law-bound" must decree as unworthy, must we not look deeper for the truth of the message that Christ has brought than simply faith in Christ? isn't the challenge much deeper than that?
great question!

 

[Calminian]

I have been told that the only way to go to heaven is to belive in the Lord and Jesus and the Holy Ghost and them only, So I was wondering, that even though the Samaritan helped the Jew, did he go to Hell?

First, there's nothing in the text saying this is a parable. Second, good works don't precludes faith, rather they confirm it. The Samaritans were believers in God and this particular one Christ spoke of was demonstrating his faith by his works. And yes this is the historical, traditional interpretation of the relationship between faith and works.

 

[reverend B]

traditional, but not the only one. don't let anyone pigeon hole your faith for you. it is yours. God told us,
"My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts are higher than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:9
the minute you think you really have it all figured out, you can be sure you are not confronting the true God.

oh, and it's most definitely a parable. no Bible student or scholar will ever argue with that.

 

[BAFRIEND]

Only God knows.

 

[MikeMcK]

I have been told that the only way to go to heaven is to belive in the Lord and Jesus and the Holy Ghost and them only, So I was wondering, that even though the Samaritan helped the Jew, did he go to Hell?

Assuming he was a real person and repented and put his faith in Christ, then he went to Heaven.

If he was a real person and died in his sins, then he went to Hell.

How about you? Where do you believe you will go when you die? Heaven or Hell?

 

[BAFRIEND]

I'm a Catholic so I think I am not going to hell... heck maybe.

 

[MikeMcK]

I'm a Catholic so I think I am not going to hell... heck maybe.

You "think" you're not going to Hell?

If you don't know for sure that you're going to Heaven, then I really would encourage you to read Romans 5-7.

 

[BAFRIEND]

You "think" you're not going to Hell?

If you don't know for sure that you're going to Heaven, then I really would encourage you to read Romans 5-7.

Only God knows. It is always good to have a little room for doubt. Remember, death can come like a thief in the night. Be vigilant.

 

[Calminian]

Actually there are no scholars I know of that believe this is a parable. Regardless, when Jesus taught in parables the author tells us so. In this case he doesn't. There is no indication Jesus made it up whatsoever. A lot of times liberal theologians will call things parables to escape the lesson the story teaches.

 

[BAFRIEND]

The Church that Canonized the New Testament lists the "Good Samaritan" as a Parable. In fact my NAB states: "The Parable of the Good Samaritan" right there above Luke 10:30.

If you want to find scholars who believe it was a parable just do a Google search... it appears they all do including the three authors who did the Wikipedia entry.

 

[Calminian]

The Church that Canonized the New Testament lists the "Good Samaritan" as a Parable. In fact my NAB states: "The Parable of the Good Samaritan" right there above Luke 10:30.

If you want to find scholars who believe it was a parable just do a Google search... it appears they all do including the three authors who did the Wikipedia entry.

This is all going to depend on how you define parable. If it's simply a story told by Jesus to illustrate a message then of course it is. If it is a fictitious story to illustrate something, it is not. Most of the theologians I know of believe this particular story is of the former. Yet the biblical term, parabole fits better with the latter definition. And as I said, there is nothing in the context to indicate this was figurative allegory. And Luke didn't use the term parable to describe it.

 

[MikeMcK]

Only God knows.

But God has said that we can know that we can know that we're saved.

If you can't say for sure that you're saved, then I would strongly encourage you to sit down and read Romans 5-7 so that you can understand how to have the assurance of salvation.

 

[Rafael]

I have been told that the only way to go to heaven is to belive in the Lord and Jesus and the Holy Ghost and them only, So I was wondering, that even though the Samaritan helped the Jew, did he go to Hell?

That was a point that God wanted to make in the parable. The religious acting folk of Jesus day did not show the love of God by ignoring to help the person in need while the Samaratan they all had prejudice against and thought as bad was doing the will of God in showing compassion and love for his neighbor. The Pharisees and teachers were the hypocrites in the story while the good Samaratan did the will of God.

 

[BAFRIEND]

But God has said that we can know that we can know that we're saved.

If you can't say for sure that you're saved, then I would strongly encourage you to sit down and read Romans 5-7 so that you can understand how to have the assurance of salvation.

It does not matter... because only God really knows, period. After all, someone once said that not everyone who says Lord Lord is going to Heaven... it is possible to deceive yourself.

 

[Neverwrong]

Assuming he was a real person and repented and put his faith in Christ, then he went to Heaven.

If he was a real person and died in his sins, then he went to Hell.

How about you? Where do you believe you will go when you die? Heaven or Hell?

Who am I to say whether I go to Heaven or Hell?
Would I not be arrogant to presume I know His mind in judging me?

 

[Neverwrong]

Dear seebs

What is to belive in Jesus? Is it to belive in his example, as Ghandi did? Is it to belive in him as the Son of God? Is it to belive in both?

Which list I am closer to? The first, yet I am part of no flock. Yet is not a Black Sheep still a Sheep?

Belief in the Lord and Jesus, Is that the way to heaven? Or is it following their commandments? Or is Following their commandments beliving in them?

And yet, yet, If the Good Samaritan didn't go to
heaven, then what does that signify? Didn't Jesus say that the only way to heaven was through him?

I don't know. How can I know. But I can Belive.
But Belive in what?

 

[MethodMan]

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[Calminian]

I don't think you understand the word "parable". It is when we think that something is a parable that it has a lesson to teach. A story with no lesson to teach is just a set of events of no particular relevance.

Explained in post 13.