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According to Ps 16:8-10, Matt 12:40, and Acts 2:25-31, Christ's soul was in
the netherworld while waiting for his body's resurrection. And according to
Luke 23:43, the location was a paradise.
The only paradise I know of that satisfies those criteria is the afterlife site
where Abraham was residing in the story that's told at Luke 16:19-31. The
story is commonly referred to as a parable; but I kinda have my doubts
about it being a parable for a number of reasons.
Fiction can be defined as stories about people, places, and events that,
though untrue; are plausible; viz: realistic.
Fantasy can be defined as stories about people, places, and events that are
not only untrue; but implausible; viz: unrealistic.
For example: a story about a wooden boy like Pinocchio is unrealistic; while
a story about a boy with autism is realistic. The difference between Pinocchio
and the autistic boy is that the one is compatible with normal reality; while
the other is far removed from normal reality.
I have yet to read even one of Jesus Christ's usual parables that couldn't
possibly be a real-life story. They're all actually quite believable-- banquets,
stewards, weddings, farmers sowing seed, pearls, lost sheep, fish nets,
women losing coins, sons leaving home, wineskins bursting, tares among the
wheat, leavened bread, barren fig trees, the blind leading the blind, et al.
Now; if Christ had told a story that alleged the moon was made of green
cheese; we would have good reason to believe that at least that one was
fantasy; but none of his usual parables are like that. No; there's nothing out
of the ordinary them. At best; Christ's usual parables might qualify as
fiction; but never fantasy because none of them are so far removed from the
normal round of human experience that they have no basis in reality
whatsoever.
I think it is very safe to conclude that if Luke 16:19-31 were in fact a
parable, it would at least be based upon reality because it would be
inconsistent for all the other stories Jesus told to be realistic and then have
him tell just the one that's not.
The parable theory has a fatal flaw. Abraham is not a fictional character:
he's a real-life man; the father of the Hebrew people, held in very high
esteem by at least three of the world's prominent religions: Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam. And he's also the friend of God (Isa 41:8). I simply
cannot believe that Jesus Christ-- a man famous among normal Christians
for his honesty and integrity --would say something untrue about a famous
real-life man; especially about one of his Father's buddies.
And on top of that, the story quotes Abraham a number of times. Well; if the
story is untrue, then Jesus Christ is on record testifying that Abraham said
things that he didn't really say; which is a clear violation of the
commandment that prohibits bearing false witness.
There is something else to consider.
The story of the rich man and Lazarus didn't originate with Jesus Christ. No,
it originated with his Father. In other words: Jesus Christ was micro
managed.
● John 3:34 . . He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God
● John 8:26 . . He that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those
things which I have heard of him.
● John 8:28 . . I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I
speak these things.
● John 12:49 . . I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me,
he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
● John 14:24 . .The word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which
sent me.
So, by alleging that Luke 16:19-31 is fiction/fantasy, the parable theory
slanders God by insinuating that He's a person of marginal integrity who
can't be trusted to tell the truth about people, not even about His own
friends.
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