Q. San Diego, Calif. "How would you deal with a professing Chris tian who says she believes in rein- The Chorale and Chamber Orchestra in concert. Page 21 A. We would repeat again that this passage of Scripture is not a par able. A parable is an extended fig ure of speech, without any proper names given, and with an explana tion added. This is evidenced in the passage from Mark which you have suggested. Incidentally, the word "dives" is simply the Latin word for "rich man." Lazarus means, "Cod is my help." No, these men from Luke 16 were two very real people. From their experiences we can learn some important spiritual lessons concerning the future. Laz arus' blessing came not because he was poor or sick, but because he had placed his faith and trust in the Lord. The rich man is actually in hades today awaiting the final judg ment of Cod upon all unbelievers who, at that point, will be cast into the lake of fire which burneth for ever. He was not consigned to eternal judgment because of his treatment of Lazarus, whether it was good or bad. A person suffers eternal separation from Cod be cause of one thing: his name is not written in the Lamb's Book of Life; he has never received the Lord Je sus Christ as his personal Saviour (John 3:18,19). Cod honors faith, you see, because faith honors Him! This surprised me in the light of Mark 4:33,34. Did the rich man go to hell then because he had been so mean to his servant? Was Lazar us blessed because he was a child of God or because he was poor and sick?"
name of the place, Peniel, shows that the patriarch had to rest be cause of the injury to his physical being. Hosea 12:2-4 gives us fur ther evidence of this fact. Q. Grand Rapids, Mich. "/ heard someone say on your program that the account in Luke 16 of the rich man and Lazarus was not a parable.
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