"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. (Mark 12:32)
Some insist that Jesus has clearly pointed out the imminence of the judgment by fire in hell. In Luke 16:19-31 speak about the parable of Lazarus, a beggar and a rich man. The beggar Lazarus was received by the angels and embraced by Abraham after his death, while the rich man was thrown into the lake of fire.
A pastor named Yoon frequently quotes this particular verse. In his preaching, the pastor even adds what the Bible does not mention by adding that the beggar Lazarus was sincere to God while he was on earth and as a result of his sincerity and faithfulness to God he was warmly embraced by Abraham. The Bible mentions about the beggar Lazarus’ suffering in this world and there is no mention of his sincerity to God. The Bible never mentions about the rich man’s belief.
The parable of the beggar Lazarus was not a teaching about the existence and nonexistence of hell. It only declares the fact that God’s judgment is totally different from our expectations. The parable about the last judgment recorded in Matthew’s gospel also talks about the same thing. Those who thought that they have not done anything good for the Lord are unexpectedly placed on the right hand side for salvation while those who thought that they have done many good things for the Lord are surprisingly placed on the left hand side for judgment. This ultimate result shows us that we can deceive man but not God. This also signifies the feebleness of human cognition before the God’s absolute character.
Now, I cannot deny the certainty of God’s imminent judgment. If there is no judgment, there is no life either. Judgment is meant for the removal of the power that destroys life. By removing and separating the chaff which is pseudo-life and anti-life from the grain at harvest, the activity of God’s creation will be fully accomplished. However, insisting on God’s judgment as the punishment for the people outside the church would rather transmute its true meaning.
Some insist that Jesus has clearly pointed out the imminence of the judgment by fire in hell. In Luke 16:19-31 speak about the parable of Lazarus, a beggar and a rich man. The beggar Lazarus was received by the angels and embraced by Abraham after his death, while the rich man was thrown into the lake of fire.
A pastor named Yoon frequently quotes this particular verse. In his preaching, the pastor even adds what the Bible does not mention by adding that the beggar Lazarus was sincere to God while he was on earth and as a result of his sincerity and faithfulness to God he was warmly embraced by Abraham. The Bible mentions about the beggar Lazarus’ suffering in this world and there is no mention of his sincerity to God. The Bible never mentions about the rich man’s belief.
The parable of the beggar Lazarus was not a teaching about the existence and nonexistence of hell. It only declares the fact that God’s judgment is totally different from our expectations. The parable about the last judgment recorded in Matthew’s gospel also talks about the same thing. Those who thought that they have not done anything good for the Lord are unexpectedly placed on the right hand side for salvation while those who thought that they have done many good things for the Lord are surprisingly placed on the left hand side for judgment. This ultimate result shows us that we can deceive man but not God. This also signifies the feebleness of human cognition before the God’s absolute character.
Now, I cannot deny the certainty of God’s imminent judgment. If there is no judgment, there is no life either. Judgment is meant for the removal of the power that destroys life. By removing and separating the chaff which is pseudo-life and anti-life from the grain at harvest, the activity of God’s creation will be fully accomplished. However, insisting on God’s judgment as the punishment for the people outside the church would rather transmute its true meaning.
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