No Place Like Hell

[SpeakersCorner]

Originally Posted by Ohio

Am I wrong?

You’re not wrong. It’s almost a karma teaching. I think Jesus was messing with the Pharisees in telling this tale, both the Pharisees of his day and ours. Also, how curious it is that Jesus names one of the dead men Lazarus. We readers know about another Lazarus who would visit the realm of the dead for four days. But Jesus’ audience then had no idea. Was Jesus setting up for that moment?

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by SpeakersCorner

You’re not wrong. It’s almost a karma teaching. I think Jesus was messing with the Pharisees in telling this tale, both the Pharisees of his day and ours. Also, how curious it is that Jesus names one of the dead men Lazarus. We readers know about another Lazarus who would visit the realm of the dead for four days. But Jesus’ audience then had no idea. Was Jesus setting up for that moment?

Nice find. Perhaps Lazarus (Laz-are-us?) was a forerunner in paradise (Hades?) for the coming Christ, as John the Baptist was before the ministry of Christ. Imagine the news spreading in Hades (both regions) when Lazarus suddenly disappears? We do know that the news of the resurrection of Lazarus in Jerusalem ignited the Psalm Sunday grand arrival of Jesus, the King of the Jews.

[SpeakersCorner]

Originally Posted by Ohio

Nice find. Perhaps Lazarus (Laz-are-us?) was a forerunner in paradise (Hades?) for the coming Christ, as John the Baptist was before the ministry of Christ. Imagine the news spreading in Hades (both regions) when Lazarus suddenly disappears? We do know that the news of the resurrection of Lazarus in Jerusalem ignited the Psalm Sunday grand arrival of Jesus, the King of the Jews.

Hm. That's a thought worth pursuing. The lord of Hades -- that is, Hades himself -- had one main job: to keep people in Hades. Losing Lazarus (the brother of Mary and Martha) would have been a failure on his part. Zeus might've said to his brother, "I give you ONE JOB to do and you can't do it." What Zeus wouldn't realize until a bit later was the situation was about to get far worse. When Jesus resurrects, many tombs were opened and "Lazaruses" came forth.

There really is a lot of mystery which is unsolved. But I enjoy speculating. And sometimes such speculations yield food to my soul.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by SpeakersCorner

Hm. That's a thought worth pursuing. The lord of Hades -- that is, Hades himself -- had one main job: to keep people in Hades. Losing Lazarus (the brother of Mary and Martha) would have been a failure on his part. Zeus might've said to his brother, "I give you ONE JOB to do and you can't do it." What Zeus wouldn't realize until a bit later was the situation was about to get far worse. When Jesus resurrects, many tombs were opened and "Lazaruses" came forth.

There really is a lot of mystery which is unsolved. But I enjoy speculating. And sometimes such speculations yield food to my soul.

Agreed. In the LC I grew so weary of missing the plain words of scripture and always looking for some hidden significance, which only the "ministry" could provide. Speculations are great. I call them "hunches." I love to get a "hunch" about something, and then go digging in the Word for corroboration. Sometimes I end up on a dead end road, and sometimes I find something new. Either way, there is so much benefit just in the "digging."

I find it interesting that there is some fallen power keeping the gate of Hades. I believe one day the structured hierarchy of the kingdom of darkness may be revealed to us. Perhaps we will learn which among the principalities have been fired for failures and which ones promoted for successes. The one who recently devised "wokeness" surely got a promotion.

[SpeakersCorner]

Originally Posted by Ohio

Agreed. In the LC I grew so weary of missing the plain words of scripture and always looking for some hidden significance, which only the "ministry" could provide.

So, so true. I think the LC appealed to a lot of guys because men like hidden meanings more than women. We like prophecy, we like having the Big Picture view, we like answers. And to be sure, the Bible is replete with symbols, parables, allegories, cryptic passages, strange numbers with hidden significances. 666 comes to mind. The book of Lamentations has a built-in acrostic. Jesus compared himself to the manna, the bronze serpent of the OT. Nathan told David a fake story to catch him in his own "virtue." Revelations is a book of "signs."

But the Bible is also a book of poetry, history, narrative, simple teaching, regulations, epistles ... it's got it all. I came out of the Baptist camp so the LC was just another step in figuring it all out. I think (and remember, I'm a defender of W. Lee in most respects) Lee tried to avoid emphasizing this side of the Christian life, the analytical/puzzle/truth side, by adding the word "Life" to his studies. It didn't work, at least as far as I can tell. A kind of life did develop but it was as narrow and, tbh, boring as any Baptist product.

As I age (I'm approaching the big 7-0) I yearn to know Christ in a fresh, quick, living, to the point way, to semi-quote someone in the vicinity. I feel like Jacob returning to Bethel, this time with a lot of wrinkles and scars.

[Zezima]

Originally Posted by Ohio

Agreed. In the LC I grew so weary of missing the plain words of scripture and always looking for some hidden significance, which only the "ministry" could provide.

I don’t have anything to contribute to the topic of this thread, but this statement really resonated. It’s so freeing to just read the word as is.