The Rich Man and Lazarus

The portion of Scripture which is examined and interpreted in this study is certainly not the most important passage in the Word of God. Nevertheless, it is apparent that many make Luke 16:19-31 to be the preeminent passage of all Scripture because of the great number of doctrines which they found upon it and which they establish by it.

When a passage is appealed to again and again in support of ideas that are held or are being declared, that passage automatically becomes one of great importance. And there is no single passage in the Bible that is appealed to in support of as many beliefs as the one that dealt with in this study.

The commonly accepted and popular belief that is held by the self-styled orthodox concerning man's nature and destiny has entrenched itself within this story. From this supposedly impregnable fortress, it calls upon all to drop arms and surrender if they dare to believe or teach contrary to the generally accepted views.

For many centuries ideas have been read and preached into this passage so that now men are reading them back out as if they were actually there. Many preachers are no longer able to distinguish between their sermons on the rich man and Lazarus and the record written in the Word of God, even though they are poles apart.

Now by examining what is actually written in the Scriptures this study lets the Word of God speak so that the Truth can be seen by all. A must-read for all serious Bible students.

Author: Otis Sellers