Відео

I love Him better every d-a-y❤

Excellent Class tonight By Pastor- Teacher Jim H Rickard . Especially the correct explanation of the Great Falling Away....

Loving these studies. Keep it up Jim!

Thank you so much for your teaching and preaching. I thank God for your ministry and for Him allowing you to spread and teach the Word and the Gospel.

Good night 🙏👏👋❤💖

Love listening to the doctrines of CHRIST on the cross. Very well taught and in depth.

I absolutely love the way u broke it all down. From the Greek Aramaic and Hebrew was done wonderfully. Great job Pastor

Always the best teaching

This is a very interesting point because if Barabbas was the one that was crucified Jesus making the cross popular they crucified everyone on across that was just the punishment of that day back in that era so when they crucify Jesus and allowed Pontius Pilate allowed Barabbas to go free what if it was reversed and Pontius Pilate crucify Barabbas and allow Jesus to go free Jesus has seniority being the son of God Barabbas was not the son of God so that could have changed everything this is very very important

Good Morning Royal Family Happy Sonday!

Good Morning Royal Family

Always fantastic teaching!

Thank you Pastor Jim for a great study!

Another great class!

Phenomenal class

Pastor Jim, I hope you are well.

Good evening Royal Family 🌈✝️

Thank you Pastor Jim for a great lesson!

Thank you Pastor Jim for a great lesson!

Thank you Pastor Jim for a great service!

Happy I found a great home with fantastic teaching!

Well done Pastor. 🌈✝️🇺🇲

James taught that works are required for Salvation. Jesus also taught - No Works - No Salvation. “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.” The Book Of Matthew Also, the man who was given a talent and buried it was rejected by God because he didn't do any works. The Book Of James 2:20-25 "Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.'And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?" The false church denies these important teachings, even contradicting Jesus our Lord.

Thank you Pastor Jim - Great Lesson! <3

Thank you Pastor Jim for a great service. <3

Thank you Pastor Jim.

Over 500 subscribers and only a few likes.....God is knocking at the door to our souls, if we open up he promises to care for us forever!

Thank you Pastor Jim for a great lesson!

Hi! Could you please share a link for the book you mentioned at 10:19 mark? Thank you!

If thou could'st empty all thyself of self, Like to a shell dishabited, Then might He find thee on the ocean shelf, And say, 'This is not dead', And fill thee with Himself instead. But thou art all replete with very thou And hast such shrewd activity, That when He comes, He says, 'This is enow Unto itself - 'twere better let it be, It is so small and full, there is no room for me.' ~ Sir Thomas Browne Thank you for teaching, and keeping the internet ministry active.

Good morning

Study Notes: IV. The Repudiation of the Son of Man by Men, Luke 9:51-19:27. I. Instruction in the Light of Rejection, Luke 12:1-19:27. 15. Concerning forgiveness, Luke 17:1-4. 16. Concerning faith, Luke 17:5-6. 17. Concerning service, Luke 17:7-10. 18. Concerning gratitude, Luke 17:11-19. 19. Concerning the kingdom, Luke 17:20-37. In this chapter, Luke recorded our Lord’s teachings on five various topics as noted in our outline. Some of these are taught in other Gospels with specific context, as we will note, but here they become general principles for living the spiritual life unto God. We begin with the first topic regarding the forgiveness of other people’s sins. 15. Concerning Forgiveness, Luke 17:1-4. Vs. 1 Luke 17:1, “He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come!”” Vs. 1a, “It is impossible that the offenses (stumbling blocks) do not come.” Temptation to sin or to not have a relationship with Jesus Christ is all around us inside of Satan’s cosmic system and within us from our OSN. Even though temptation is inevitable, what we do with the temptations is the issue. It is not an accuse to sin or reject your relationship with Jesus Christ. John stated that in Christ there is no occasion of stumbling, which is demonstrated by the one who loves his brother, 1 John 2:10. 1 John 2:10, “The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.” Therefore, Jesus is warning that there will always be things in life that are trying to distract the unbeliever from believing in Jesus as their Savior, and the believer from walking faithfully in Christ daily. There will always be temptations in life. The things trying to distract you (temptations) can be sin and sinful or non-sinful ordinary things of everyday life that you place more importance on than your relationship with Jesus. Anything that gets in the way of having a relationship with Jesus Christ is a stumbling block. Knowing that temptations naturally exist in life and society, in vs. 1b, Jesus then warns us not to add to the stumbling block repertoire, “But woe to him through whom they come!” In the Greek it reads, PLEN, “however, but, etc.,” OUAI “alas, woe,” DIA, “through, by, etc.” HOS “whom,” ERCHOMAI, “they come” This is a stern warning to everyone to not be someone that hinders others from believing in Jesus for salvation or walking with Jesus post-salvation. Do not be the one who tempts others, causing them to not believe or have faith, or to sin. Our Lord warned the religious leaders of his day who were being stumbling blocks for the people because they were teaching false doctrines; including works for salvation in Luke 11:52, and indirectly in 16:16. He also had other warnings in Chapters 6 and 11, cf. Mat 23. Luke 11:52, “Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering.” Mat 23:13, “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.” In John’s revelation from our Lord to the Seven Churches, especially Pergamum He gave a similar warning Rev 2:14. Rev 2:14, “But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality.” Cf. 2 Peter 2. Num 31:16, “Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, so the plague was among the congregation of the LORD.” Cf. Num 25. In Paul’s writings to the Romans, he too warned Christians not to be a stumbling block for other to come to faith in Jesus Christ, and not to lead others to sin, Rom 14:13; 16:17. Rom 14:13, “Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this-not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way.” Rom 16:17, “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances (SKANDALON) contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.” In our passage, this “woe” warning tells us that the one facing temptation may escape sin, but the one tempting others will not escape judgment.

Study Notes: IV. The Repudiation of the Son of Man by Men, Luke 9:51-19:27. I. Instruction in the Light of Rejection, Luke 12:1-19:27. 15. Concerning forgiveness, Luke 17:1-4. 16. Concerning faith, Luke 17:5-6. 17. Concerning service, Luke 17:7-10. 18. Concerning gratitude, Luke 17:11-19. 19. Concerning the kingdom, Luke 17:20-37. In this chapter, Luke recorded our Lord’s teachings on five various topics as noted in our outline. Some of these are taught in other Gospels with specific context, as we will note, but here they become general principles for living the spiritual life unto God. We begin with the first topic regarding the forgiveness of other people’s sins. 15. Concerning Forgiveness, Luke 17:1-4. Vs. 1 Luke 17:1, “He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come!”” “Disciples” is the noun MATHETES that means, “student, pupil, learner, disciple, etc.” It is used extensively throughout the NT. As we have noted, because there is a “student,” MATHETES, there must be the presence of the “teacher,” DIDASKALO. Thus, Jesus is the Great Teacher, and the learner-teacher unit relationship is noted where knowledge, tradition, behavior, and/or values are transmitted from the teacher to the pupil. That established the purpose of this chapter with its five general principles of living the spiritual life. Therefore, the believer in Jesus Christ today is a MATHETES and should be receiving the teaching of Jesus on a consistent basis. There should be consistent intake and application of Bible Doctrine within their souls from their right Pastor/Teacher. Next, we see the principle about “stumbling blocks” and the warning for anyone who brings them into the life of others. This principle is also recorded in Mat 18:7, where our Lord then teaches symbolically about how to avoid having stumbling blocks in your own life, vs. 8-9, and then gives a warning about not putting stumbling blocks in the lives of others, especially children, vs. 10. Our Lord first states that stumbling blocks are “inevitable,” using the Greek Verb EIMI for “it is,” and the Adjective ANENDEKTOS, ἀνένδεκτος, that means, “impossible, disallowable, or inadmissible,” This is the only time this word is used in the NT. Impossible is how it should be translated given the rest of the Greek in this phrase which is HO HO SKANDALON ME ERCHOMAI that is translated “that the offenses not come.” Therefore, it should read, “It is impossible that the offenses do not come.” Because the English language does not like double negatives, the derivative meaning is used that states it’s a matter of inevitability that offenses will come. Now, “offenses,” SKANDALON is a noun that can mean, “offense, stumbling block, snare or trap.” “In the Septuagint it is used to translate the Hebrew words môqēsh, “bait, lure” (figuratively, “snare”), and mikhshōl, “stumbling block,” both meaning “cause of ruin”; the sense of a stumbling block (Leviticus 19:14) or trap (Psalm 141:9 [LXX 140:9]) is present in certain contexts. The primary meaning of the term in the Septuagint is simply “cause of ruin.” (Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary.) In the NT, this word carries those meanings over to describe something that would entice one to fall from faith, or enter into sin, cf. Mat 16:23, i.e., a temptation. Mat 16:23, “But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s”.” It also is used to mean causing people not to believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior. Jesus Himself, said that He alone was a “stumbling block for the Jews and unbelievers.” Not that He caused them not to believe, but because they could not accept Him as their Savior, Rom 9:32-33; 1 Cor 1:23; Gal 5:11; 1 Peter 2:8. Jesus and His Cross are a “rock of offense,” a “stumbling block.” Rom 9:33, “Just as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed”.” Cf. Isa 28:16; 8:14. 1 Cor 1:23, “But we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness.” Gal 5:11, “But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.” 1 Peter 2:8, ““A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense;” for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.” Isa 8:14, “Then He shall become a sanctuary; but to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over, and a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” John stated that in Christ there is no occasion of stumbling, which is demonstrated by the one who loves his brother, 1 John 2:10. 1 John 2:10, “The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.” Therefore, Jesus is warning that there will always be things in life that are trying to distract the unbeliever from believing in Jesus as their Savior, and the believer from walking faithfully in Christ daily. There will always be temptations in life. The things trying to distract you (temptations) can be sin and sinful or non-sinful ordinary things of everyday life that you place more importance on than your relationship with Jesus. Anything that gets in the way of having a relationship with Jesus Christ is a stumbling block. Knowing that temptations naturally exist in life and society, Jesus then warns us not to add to the stumbling block repertoire, “But woe to him through whom they come!” In the Greek it reads, PLEN, “however, but, etc.,” OUAI “alas, woe,” DIA, “through, by, etc.” HOS “whom,” ERCHOMAI, “they come” This is a stern warning to all not to be someone that hinders others from believing in Jesus for salvation or walking with Jesus post-salvation. Do not be the one who tempts others, causing them to not believe or have faith, or to sin. Our Lord warned the religious leaders of his day for teaching false doctrines; including works for salvation in Luke 11:52, and indirectly in 16:16. He also had other warnings in Chapters 6 and 11, cf. Mat 23. Luke 11:52, “Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering.” Mat 23:13, “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.” This “woe” warning tells us that the one facing temptation may escape sin, but the one tempting others will not escape judgment.

Study Notes (Part 1): As we have noted in our outline of the Gospel of Luke, we are on the fourth major point: IV. The Repudiation of the Son of Man by Men, Luke 9:51-19:27. Under that heading, Chapter 16 is the fourteenth sub-point: 14. Concerning wealth, Luke 16:1-31. In this Chapter our Lord is teaching on the right dealing with the wealth of this world. We have broken it down into four sections: a. The Unrighteous Steward, vs. 1-8. b. Principles on the righteous treatment of wealth, vs. 9-13. c. Rebuke of the Pharisees’ love of money, vs. 14-18. d. The Rich man and Lazarus, vs. 19-32. a. The Unrighteous Steward, vs. 1-8. Vs. 1-4, deal with not gossiping, slandering, or maligning others. Yet, if we are the recipient of it we are to trust in God and not ourselves, vs. 5-8, deal with personal faith, and vs. 9, deals with good stewards being shrewd in a good way. In vs. 1-2, we have a warning about mishandling God’s gracious privileges and responsibilities. In vs. 3, we noted the error of taking matters into your own hands rather than trusting in God. In vs. 4, we noted how some are falsely trying to secure their eternal blessings. Then, in vs. 5-8, it dealt with personal faith using a negative scenario. In this negative scenario, the steward puts his plan into action to solve his problem on his own, rather than turning to and trusting in God. Our Lord desires that we turn to Him for solutions for every problem we face in life, Psa 55:22; Mat 6:25; Luke 12:22-31; 1 Peter 5:7. Mat 6:25, “For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing?” In addition, we are commanded to be shrewd in our dealings with the unbelievers of this world to win them over for Christ. Not in a sinful way though, but as such to be able to give them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This parable taught about God and Jesus Christ as the master of the house, and the Lord’s ownership. At the same time, it teaches us about our stewardship. Those who serve God are stewards or servants in His house. He is the owner, we are stewards. b. Principles on the righteous treatment of wealth, vs. 10-13. These verses are concerned with our faith in God. We are to do our duty and trust in His grace for our reward. Here, we see the character we are to have in vs. 10, the consequences of our actions in vs. 11-12, and the challenge we are given in vs. 13. In all, if we are operating faithfully in small matters, we will act faithfully in larger ones too. On the other side, if we act sinfully in small matters, we will also act sinfully in larger situations. Luke 12:42, “And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time?”” 1 Cor 4:2, “In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.” God will not bless us in time or eternity, if we are unfaithful towards Him with the things or responsibilities we have in this world. That is why in all things and matters we are to trust in Him and rely upon Him. As believers in the Church Age, we have been given much, and therefore need to be faithful to God in handling those things. If we are not, we will have loss of reward. If we are, we will be blessed even further by God, 1 Cor 3:12-15. That is what we noted in Luke 12:48b, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.” In vs. 13, we had a “love - hate” relationship supported by a “devoted - despise,” analogy. In that, we cannot have split allegiances. We can only have one true allegiance in our lives and that should be with God. If we have sin in our lives, our allegiance is with the world, Satan’s cosmic system, which is designed to hate God. Therefore, if we love the things of this world, we will end up hating God. 1 John 2:15, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” John 15:19, “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.” Therefore, take note as to who or what the world loves, and who or what the world hates. Then you will be able to see where your allegiances should lie regarding the people and things of this world. Yet, in all situations, our allegiance should be with God and the things of God. Mat 16:26, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” We must make up our minds. Will we serve the false god of money and possessions, which amounts to idolatry, or will we serve the One true living God who owns all things? Col 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, 24knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” c. Rebuke of the Pharisees’ love of money, vs. 14-18, good stewards must be obedient. Paul also wrote how the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, and has a negative effect on the soul, 1 Tim 6:10, “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” Remember, the scriptures do not say “money is the root of all evil,” it states “the love of money is….” (continued below)

Study Notes (Part 2): As we noted, money cannot buy everything, especially salvation, (the spiritual death of our Lord was the purchase price for our salvation). Money cannot buy love, it is not a means of happiness, nor is it a means of security, Mat 6:24 33. There are many other things that money cannot buy, such as security, perfect happiness from God, stability of soul, or peace of mind. Some questions we can ask ourselves to see if we are lovers of money or not: 1. Does my pursuit of money interfere with obeying God? 2. Do I always look for something that will benefit me financially, regardless of how it affects others? 3. Am I more concerned with what my cost will be instead of allowing myself to be moved by compassion? Money related to right perspective and mental attitude is taught in 1 Tim 6:3-11, 17-19. We also noted the principle that even though we may hide our thoughts from man, there is no hiding of our thoughts before God, as He knows every one of them. God knows our attitudes, our motives, our feelings, and everything else that is under the surface regarding the thoughts of our souls. Our problem is our heart. As Jer 17:9 says, “The heart is more deceitful than all else, and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” We may fool ourselves and others, but we will not fool God. God knows who we are all the way down to the bottom of our souls. As such, we should not try to fool God, as we try to fool others and even ourselves. Therefore, knowing that God knows your every thought should lead you to have great honesty and integrity in your thoughts and your actions. If you have been putting on a façade for others, stop what you have been doing and start operating in the integrity of God with great faith as His Word flows through your soul. In vs. 15, we understand that loving money is one of the “detestable things / abominations” to God. Vs. 16, showed us that the Gospel has been, is, and always will be available to man to believe for salvation. But, unfortunately, due to the love of money, many people reject the gospel and try to find their own way or means to salvation. This is what Jesus meant by “forcing their way into it.” Rather than trusting in God’s plan for salvation, they try their own way, typically through human good works. Vs. 17, notes that the Word of God is everlasting and will never diminish or fail. God’s plan of salvation is absolute and all sufficient. In vs. 18, the doctrine of Divorce is used to show the unchanging and everlasting nature of the Word of God. There, we noted the principles for legitimate and illegitimate divorce, and the ever endurance of the Word. Yet, it brings out the application of serving money, as people divorce themselves from God and commit adultery against Him by going after money. They are now married to the divorcée called money, (which in this case, speaks to Satan and his cosmic system as well, who was previously divorced from God, i.e., their husband). Therefore, they are now committing adultery against God, which amounts to idolatry. d. The rich man and Lazarus, vs. 19-32, good stewards will be rewarded. This true story is also sometimes entitled, “Dead men tell tales.” This true story describes the first and second compartments of Hades / Sheol during the dispensations of the OT. There are three perspectives given in this passage. 1) The perspective of life, vs. 19-21. 2) The perspective of death, vs. 22. 3) The perspective of Sheol or Hades after death, vs. 23-31. 1) The perspective of life, vs. 19-21. This rich man lusted for wealth and became the slave to wealth. As a slave to money and pleasure, he had no time for the gospel until it was too late, i.e., after he died. Yet, Lazarus was a poor man both in health and wealth. This was a blessing in two ways: a) He was not distracted by worldly riches from knowing and believing in the Gospel, and b) It provided him the opportunity to go through suffering for blessing, which maximizes giving glory to God. 2) The perspective of death, vs. 22. Here, we noted two very different endings that were really beginnings of their eternal life. They both received a complete reversal of their earthly situation. In that section, we also noted a brief study about angels. 3) The perspective of Hades / Sheol after death, vs. 23-31. In their reversal of fortunes, we noted how the rich man remained in his self-centered arrogance, even though he was suffering greatly for all of eternity. The heart does not change in the eternal state. In this section we noted the nature and topography of Hades, how believers went to the section in Hades called Abraham’s Bosom or Paradise, while unbelievers went to the section called the Place of Torments. Between the two is a great chasm that could not be traversed by the inhabitants on either side. This was the fact up until the death and resurrection of our Lord, when He brought those in Paradise to Heaven where they now reside for all of eternity. Yet, for the unbeliever they continue to go to the Place of Torments upon their death, and then will go to the Great White Throne Judgment of our Lord and be cast into the Lake of Fire for all of eternity, due to their rejection of Jesus Christ during their time here on planet earth, Rev 20:10-15. Therefore, our Lord taught throughout this Chapter about the right and wrong treatment of wealth in this life, especially related to your relationship with God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 13, is the key verse of this Chapter, Luke 16:13, “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Study Notes (Part 1): 14. Concerning wealth, Luke 16:1-31. d. The Rich Man and Lazarus, vs. 19-32, good stewards will be rewarded. 3) The perspective of Hades / Sheol after death, vs. 23-31. Vs. 27 Luke 16:27, “And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father's house-” The rich man’s suffering is intensified by his overwhelming regret that leads him to have a small heart of compassion, but only for his brothers. “I beg you,” is the Present, Active, Indicative of EROTAO that means “ask, request, etc.” He wanted Abraham, addressing him once again as “father,’ PATER, to “send him,” PEMPO AUTOS, speaking of Lazarus, to his “father’s house,” PATER OIKOS. Once again we see the arrogance of his request as in vs. 24, where he is petitioning Abraham to send Lazarus to his father’s house to warn them. Why does this guy continue to think he can boss Lazarus around? He continues in his arrogance of feeling superior to Lazarus based on their previous life here on earth. Yet, Lazarus is now far superior to him in the eternal state. The arrogant always view themselves as superior to others. In addition, why does he only request for the message to be brought to his family and not for others, especially those less fortunate than they, as Lazarus was. Remember what Jesus taught about service towards others in Mat 5:46-47; Luke 6:32-33. Mat 5:46-47, “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?” Luke 6:32-33, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.” “Although this seems to indicate the delayed dawning of virtue upon the part of the rich man, his request had several underlying insinuations which show he had not changed much. First, there was an implied accusation. The rich man was saying, "I was not sufficiently warned, otherwise, I would not be here." Second, part of the motivation for the request was indeed selfish. The rich man desired to relieve himself of the obligation he felt toward his brothers, and desired that they not join him in torment (which would simply add to his misery).” (Complete Biblical Library Commentary.) Therefore, even though the rich man had regret and sympathy for his brothers, he still did not have a righteous heart, nor will he ever have one, as his state of being cannot be changed in eternity. He will always be an arrogant wretch. Vs. 28 Luke 16:28, “For I have five brothers-in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment’.” “Five Brothers,” is PENTE ALDEPHOS. Five is the number of grace in the Bible. It is by the grace of God than anyone is saved. The first use of PENTE in the NT is Mat 14:17, for the five loaves to feed the crowd, along with the two fish, cf. Luke 9:13f, signifying that Jesus is the bread of life for salvation. The rich man desired that his brothers be saved, but was it for the right reasons. “In order that he may warn them,” uses the Verb DIAMARTUROMAI, διαμαρτύρομαι from the root Verb MATUREO for “bearing witness” and comes to mean, “charge, warn, testify, confirm, witness, etc.” This type of witness would warn them of the tragedy of their brother, “so that they will not also come to this place of torment’.” “Place of torment,” is the noun TOPOS, “place, location, region, etc.” with the Noun BASANOS that we noted in vs. 23, that means, “torture, torment, or great pain.” It is synonymous to the Verb ODUNOAMAI that we noted in vs. 24-25, which has given this compartment in Hades where all unbelievers reside its name. So, he wants Lazarus, the one he never showed an ounce of mercy towards, to be the messenger boy for him, to warn his brothers about going to the “Place of Torments.” Yet, we do not see him desiring to have the Gospel preached to them, even though we know that is the information necessary for anyone to avoid the Place of Torments. This is just more subtle clues from our Lord that the unbeliever remains in the self-centered arrogance and rejection of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Vs. 29 Luke 16:29, “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them’.” Here we have Abraham’s denial of the rich man’s request, but with the proper potential for answering it. Because the rich man was not desiring for the Gospel to be preached, Moses clarifies the issue, that it is the Gospel that keeps people from the Place of Torments, as he says, “They have Moses and the Prophets,” ECHO MOUSES KAI HO PROPHETES. This means the two parts of the Hebrew Bible to witness to them, the Law and Prophets. The third part of the Hebrew Bible is the poetical books like Psalm, Song of Solomon, Proverbs, etc. Interestingly, having these two witnesses fulfills the Law, Deut 17:6; 19:15; Mat 18:16; 2 Cor 13:1; Heb 10:28. Deut 17:6, “On the evidence of two witnesses or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put to death; he shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.” Deut 19:15, “A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.” As such, Abraham states that all they need to know in order to escape the judgment of Place of Torments is found in the Bible, just as it is today, cf. Luke 16:16, “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.” “Let them hear them,” is the Aorist, Active, Imperative of the Verb AKOUO that mean “to hear,” but also “to learn through the ear gate.” It is equivalent to the Hebrew SHEMA that applies obedience to the Scriptures. If one did not obey a command, it is said they really had not heard it. Interestingly, as the rich man used the Imperative mood to entreat, with a bit of mandating, his superior Abraham to have Lazarus perform several tasks for him, Abraham gives a mandate for the rich man’s brothers to learn / obey the Gospel from the Bible. In fact, this is how everyone learns the Gospel of Jesus Christ, through the Bible, whether personally read or as witnessed to them by a believer. Therefore, through two of the three witnesses found in the Hebrew Bible, they had more than enough information and opportunity to be saved and escape the judgment of the Place of Torments, as the rich man desired. If they deny these two witnesses, they are rightly and justly condemned to Hell. (continued below)

Study Notes (Part 2): Vs. 30 Luke 16:30, “But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’” Here, we have the rich man’s rebuttal to Abraham’s instructions. “No, father Abraham,” is OUCHI PATER ABRAAM. OUCHI indicates a strong objection by the rich man, by no means or not at all. He most likely is objecting strongly here because he knows his brothers, and like himself, the rich man assumes his brothers will reject the teaching in the Bible. Therefore, he desires an alternative course of actions, “but if someone goes to them from the dead,” ALLA EAN TIS POREUOMAI PROS AUTOS APO NEKROS. This act would have been accomplished in the form of a miracle and would have been a type of sign for them. This is what Paul called out the Jews for in 1 Cor 1:22, “For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom.” Instead of having faith to believe, many look for signs, miracles, and wonders. But if your faith is based on those things then you are on a slippery slope as Jesus warned in Mat 24:24; John 4:48. John 4:48, “So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe”.” Mat 24:24, “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” Nevertheless, God did show the people of Jesus’ generation and the early Church many signs, miracles, and wonders through Jesus and Apostles, so that they would be without excuse and lead many to the Gospel or bolster their faith, Acts 2:22; 5:12; Rom 15:19; 2 Cor 12:12; Heb 2:4. Acts 2:22, “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know.” Acts 5:12, “At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's portico.” Rom 15:19, “In the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.” Heb 2:4, “God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.” But remember, signs, miracles and wonders can be counterfeited by Satan and the Antichrist to lead many astray, 2 Thes 2:9. That is why we are warned not to base our faith on them, rather, we need to learn the Gospel of Jesus Christ as taught in the Bible and believe. 2 Thes 2:9, “That is, the one, (the Lawless one / Antichrist), whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders.” Therefore, this indicates that the rich man implied in his request that the God-ordained warnings, (i.e., Moses and the Prophets), were inadequate and impotent. In his former life his master had been money and wealth, vs. 13, and although this master failed him without reward or hope in the eternal state, he was unable to submit to the other master, God. He felt that the testimony of the dead would be more effective than the message of God Himself through His inspired Word. As such, the objectionable rebuttal by the rich man rejects the teaching of Abraham too, showing his arrogance once again, thinking he knows better than Abraham about spiritual things. In that, the rich man is convinced that if some miracle is performed, (i.e., a dead person goes back to his brothers and tells them about the Place of Torments), his brothers would come to faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Vs. 31 Luke 16:31, “But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead’. Finally, we have Abraham’s rebuttal to the rich man’s. This is like the Angelic Conflict where God will have the final rebuttal to Satan’s rebuttal. Abraham’s rebuttal is, “If they reject the Scriptures, they will reject the witness of a dead person too.” It starts with a first class conditional “if” statement with the Conjunction EI, “if,” and the negative Particle OUK meaning “if they do not.” The thing they may not do is, “listen to Moses and Prophets,” which uses AKOUO MOUSES PROPHETES once again, meaning they do not learn the gospel from two of the three parts of the Hebrew Bible. The “then” statement is, “they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.” This phrase begins with the Negative OUDE, “and not, nor, or neither,” and ends in the Greek structure with the Future, Passive, Indicative of the Verb PEITHO meaning, “to be convinced, persuaded, etc.” In English, we combine them for “Neither will they be convinced or persuaded.” Then we have a third class “if” statement using EAN, “if,” with the Subjunctive Mood of the Verb ANISTEMI meaning, “raise, raise up, bring to life, stand up, appear, or to rise again,” with the added emphasis of EK NEKROS, “from the dead.” This gives us a hypothetical situation for the potential of someone rising from the dead to go witness the gospel to the rich man’s five brothers. Putting it all together Abraham’s rebuttal is, “if they do not listen to the Gospel as told in the Hebrew Bible, neither will they be convinced or persuaded if someone rises from the dead to tell them about the Place of Torments in order to avoid its judgment.” Principles. 1. “Part of the task of preaching, or acting as God's spokesman, is indeed to warn the hearers of the coming consequences of their present course of life. The Old Testament prophets are full of such admonitions (Isaiah 1:16-20; Jeremiah 4:13-18; Amos 2:4, 5; Zephaniah 2:1-3; see especially Ezekiel 3:16-21 for the responsibility of the prophet to warn). Paul took his role as one who warned very seriously (Acts 20:31; 1 Corinthians 4:14). The teachings of Jesus frequently contained a note of warning (Matthew 10:28; Mark 9:42-48). Modern preachers who neglect this side of God's message are not fulfilling their responsibility.” (Complete Biblical Library Commentary.) 2. “The words of Abraham foreshadowed two miraculous events which were yet to come in the life of Jesus. John 11 tells of Jesus' bringing His friend Lazarus back from the dead. While the result for many was belief (John 11:45), for the religious leaders it began the plot to murder the miracle worker (John 11:53). Later Jesus himself suffered death and was brought back from the dead. The response of many was again faith (John 20:26-29), but not so with the religious leaders (Matthew 28:11-15). Faith is more than a sense of wonder at miraculous signs. Faith requires commitment and a change of life.” (Complete Biblical Library Commentary.)

Study Notes (Part 1): 14. Concerning wealth, Luke 16:1-31. d. The Rich Man and Lazarus, vs. 19-32, good stewards will be rewarded. 3) The perspective of Hades / Sheol after death, vs. 23-31. Vs. 25 Luke 16:25, “But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony’.” Here, we have Abraham’s reply regarding the reality of both men’s situation. Abraham starts by addressing the rich man as “child,” TEKNON, τέκνον that means, “child, descendant, or posterity.” This confirms his Jewish heritage, and that heritage does not save anyone, Mat 8:12. Mat 8:12, “But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” “Remember,” is the Aorist, Active, Imperative of the Verb MNAOMAI, μνάομαι that means, “be mindful of, to turn one’s mind to a thing, remember, or to court or woo (as turning the mind to seek a bride).” Because the rich man did not turn to his Lord for salvation, he is in this place. Nevertheless, Abraham wants him to remember the kind of life he had on earth compared to Lazarus and how the rich man loved money and wealth more than God, thereby never coming to faith for salvation. Here, we see that those in the afterlife can and will remember their life on earth. For the unbeliever, there will be much regret for squandering their opportunities for salvation. And for some believers there will be temporary shame for lost opportunities to glorify God, 1 John 2:28. Luke first used MNAOMAI in Luke 1:54, “He has given help to Israel His servant, in remembrance of His mercy.” As noted above, the rich man rejected the Lord’s mercy, and “during his life he received his good things.” In other words, he lived a “good” worldly life inside of Satan’s Cosmic System, and Abraham wants him to remember that “good life,” where he rejected the Lord, so as to show the justice of God for the position he is currently in. The contrast in lifestyles here on earth. “Received your good things” is the Verb APOLAMBANO in the Aorist, Active, Indicative, with the Pronoun SU and the Adjective AGATHOS. With this is “in your lifetime,” EN SU HO ZOE. Notice the Personal Pronoun is used 3 times in this statement, showing that this is what the rich man valued during his life here on earth, rather than valuing a relationship with God. Jesus warns in Luke 6:24, “But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full.” In contrast is Lazarus’ life who Abraham says only received “bad things,” the Adjective KAKOS that means, “bad, evil, wicked, worthless, depraved, etc.” Therefore, while the rich man was living “high off the hog,” that is, a good life of wealth and riches in time, Lazarus had a life filled with bad things happening to him, both physically and materially. Lazarus endured these things under suffering for blessing. This shows that it is not what you have in life that matters. Jesus points out here that those who live for this life of wealth and riches, fun and enjoyment, have a good chance of missing out on the faithful belief in the Savior for salvation, while those who have had a difficult life have a better chance of faithfully receiving the Savior for salvation. Cf. Mat 19:16-24; Mark 10:23-25; Luke 12:16-21; 18:18-25; James 1:11. Mat 19:23-24, “And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God”.” The contrast in lifestyles in the eternal state. In this portion, Abraham gives Lazarus’ eternal state first, “but now he is being comforted here,” DE NUN PARAKALEO HODE. PARAKALEO typically means, “to call or invite,” which Lazarus was called or invited to salvation which he received. But, here it is used in its third of five applications for the act of “exhorting or encouraging” with the idea of “console or comfort.” It shows the contrast of his earthly life that was filled with bad things happening to him. Now, in the eternal state truly good things are happening to him. But remember, it is not because of the bad things that happened to him that he is now being comforted, it is because he believed. As such, all of our suffering will be turned to comfort when we reach the presence of God. Suffering will give way to glory. The first will be last, and the last will be first. In contrast, Abraham states the rich man’s eternal state, “and you are in agony,” which uses DE SU ODUNAOMAI. We noted ODUNAOMAI in vs. 24, as the rich man described his own suffering. Here, Abraham confirms it that he is in pain and torment physically, mentally, spiritually, and soulishly, as we noted in vs. 24, all due to the absence of a relationship with God in the eternal state. And, just like Lazarus, it is not because he lived a wealthy life that he is now suffering. It is because he rejected God’s plan for his salvation. He chose to live a worldly life rather than accepting His Messiah / Savior / King, and living for Him. James 5:1-7, “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. 2Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. 3Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! 4Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. 5You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you. 7Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains.” Therefore, we see Abraham pointing out the contrast between the two individuals in both time and eternity. Because the rich man squandered his time on earth, he is now in the Place of Torments. Abraham points to the contrast between time and eternity to show that it does matter what we do in time, because it will determine our eternal state. Likewise, once we are in the eternal state our fate is sealed forever, and it cannot be changed. It is too late! (continued below)

Study Notes (Part 2): Vs. 26 Luke 16:26, “‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us’.” Abraham, points out the futility of the rich man’s request by giving another reason for the impossibility of the request for mercy being fulfilled in the eternal state. He starts by saying, “and besides all this,” meaning what he just stated about their time on earth that resulted in their eternal state. He then points out a feature, (part of the topography), that once existed in Hades, “between us and you there is a great chasm fixed,” METAXU HEMEIS KAI HUMEIS MEGAS CHASMA, (only used here in the NT), STERIZO. This feature may still exist, but is no longer needed, as Abraham’s Bosom is now in heaven, as we have noted previously in this study. The Verb STERIZO means, “fix, set firmly, establish; support, confirm, strengthen.” This chasm has been established by God the Creator. Chasm is the noun CHASMA, χάσμα, which is a figurative extension of CHASKO, “yawning,” that is not used in the NT. It is a deep, unbridgeable valley or trough between two points in Hades, Abraham’s Bosom/Paradise and the Place of Torments. It references the impassable space between these two parts of the supernatural abode of the dead. Interestingly, this account differed from the teaching of the Jewish rabbis, who claimed that only a finger’s breadth separated the places of Paradise and of torment. Jesus once again debunks their false teaching. Abraham tells why the chasm was there, speaking from both vantage points. 1) “So that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able,” HOPOS HO THELO, “to wish or desire, purpose to, or willing to,” DIABAINO, “go through, cross, or go over,” ENTHEN, “from here,” only used here and Mat 17:20, PROS HUMEIS ME DUNAMAI, “be able, have power to do so, have the capacity for.” As such, we see that those who resided in Abraham’s Bosom, who may have wanted to visit or help those in the Place of Torments, are prohibited from doing so. 2) “and that none may cross over from there to us,” MEDE, “nor, not even, neither, etc.,” DIAPERO, “pass over or cross,” EKEITHEN, “from there,” PROS HEMEIS, “to us.” This tells us that those in the Place of Torments cannot cross over to the other compartment in Hades, Abraham’s Bosom. This barrier is a reflection of the barrier between the rich man and Lazarus that had existed during their lifetimes, i.e., pride, arrogance, and selfishness on the part of the rich man that prohibited from granting mercy to the poor and humble Lazarus, was now permanently fixed. The gulf which the rich man could have bridged while alive was now uncrossable. It also shows that there was no fellowship between the saved and the lost in the afterlife. Therefore, there is neither help coming to those who reside in the Place of Torments nor is there any escape from the Place of Torments. It indicates that for those who reside in the Place of Torments, their fate is sealed for all of eternity without diminish or reprieve. There are no second chances or further opportunity to repent after death. In addition, the gulf cannot be crossed because it symbolizes the separation between light and darkness. 1 John makes it clear that sin and righteousness are utterly incompatible, 1 John 1:5-2:11. As such, there will be no communication between those in heaven and those in hell because sin cannot have contact with God’s holiness.

Study Notes (Part 1): 14. Concerning wealth, Luke 16:1-31. d. The Rich Man and Lazarus, vs. 19-32, good stewards will be rewarded. 3) The perspective of Hades / Sheol after death, vs. 23-31. Vs. 23 Luke 16:23, “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.” As Lazarus suffered in his physical life, he did so to demonstrate the importance of eternity compared to time. Time is just a drop in the bucket compared to eternity, according to James 4:14, “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” Time is the only opportunity to gain eternal life, 2 Cor 6:2, “For He says, “At the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation”.” It only takes one second in time to believe in Jesus Christ, yet the rich man did not even take that one second to do so, yet Lazarus did. Time is the special opportunity for the believer to glorify God, and to demonstrate to the angels the greatness of God’s justice, wisdom, and grace policy. Phil 4:11, “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.” Time is the mechanism for resolving the Angelic Conflict. Lazarus was one of the greatest testimonies to angelic creatures as to what is important in life. As such, for the believer, time is the opportunity to glorify God, and to demonstrate to angels the greatness of God’s justice and wisdom. Next, we will see the sinner’s continued self-centeredness as the rich man begs for relief from his suffering, demanding that Lazarus provide him relief when on earth he did not provide relief for Lazarus’ suffering. Vs. 24 Luke 16:24, “And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame’.” Ancient Jewish literature, cf. 2 Esdras 7:85, 93, does express the belief that communication is possible between the two divisions of Hades, just as we see here that the rich man called to Abraham. Here, the rich man, “cries out,” PHONEO, to Abraham calling him “Father Abraham,” PATER ABRAAM. This indicates that the rich man was a Jew, not a Gentile. This is a huge statement, as the rich Jewish Pharisees thought they had a direct ticket to heaven, just by being of the tribe of Abraham. But Jesus is pointing out that heritage does not save anyone. Only faith in the Messiah / Savior / King saves anyone. By calling Abraham Father, the rich man was guilty of the very presumption which John the Baptist had earlier condemned: “Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father” Luke 3:8. The Jews of Jesus' day were convinced that they merited eternal life simply because they were descended from Abraham. John 8:31-59. On the contrary, said Jesus, their real father was not Abraham because they did not do the works of Abraham; rather, their father was the devil, the father of lies, because they did his works instead, John 8:39-44. The same is true of the rich man in this story. He had no right to call Abraham “Father,” because he had not done the works of Abraham, (i.e., believe / have faith). Therefore, it was useless for him to claim that relationship. Jesus made this clear when He said that at His Second Coming even some who spoke in His name would be condemned because they worked iniquity, Mat 7:21-23. This rich man then asks Abraham for “mercy,” ELEEO, ἐλεέω that means, “have mercy or pity on (someone), or show mercy.” It is in the Aorist, Active, Imperative, for a strong request from the rich man to Abraham. This is the first time Luke uses ELEEO. He will use it again in Luke 17:13; 18:38-39. In those three usages, it is followed by people who wanted healing, but also had faith for salvation. Interestingly, those cases where during their life on earth, where they had the opportunity to receive salvation. But in the rich man’s case, he is now in the afterlife, where it is too late to receive salvation, just as it is too late to lessen the severity of his punishment. (continued below)

Study Notes (Part 2): Principles Time is the only time that one can believe for eternal salvation. Time is the only time that one can believe so that their suffering in the afterlife is removed. Once you reach the afterlife, your eternal fate and situation is sealed for all of eternity. The other point we see here is the continued arrogance of the unbelieving rich man and lack of remorse he has regarding his earthly life, as he demands mercy for himself, even though he showed no mercy towards Lazarus during his suffering on earth. In addition, he had the gall to ask Abraham “to send,” the Aorist, Active, Imperative of the Verb PEMPO, Lazarus to perform the merciful act. The fact that he knew Lazarus’ name indicated that he had been familiar with him and his plight in the previous life, although he did nothing to ease Lazarus’ suffering at that time. What arrogance, as he still saw himself as superior to Lazarus even in his current situation. This is the problem with the self-righteous arrogant person, believer or unbeliever. They always want everyone to feel sorry for them and do things for them to make them feel better, yet they never lift a finger to help those who may be hurting around them. The believer in Jesus Christ must take their eyes off of themselves and look to how they can help others, without whining and complaining about it. If you whine or complain you have blown it! The act of mercy the rich man demanded was for Lazarus to “dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue.” Interestingly, “dip,” is the Greek Verb BAPTO, “to dip or immerse,” where the word baptism comes from. Because he did not get baptized for salvation in time, he will not get a baptism for relief in the eternal state. In this life repentance is possible, in the next it is not. “The tip of his finger,” is the Adjective AKROS, ἄκρος, “end, extremity, tip or outermost,” that is only used four times in the NT, Mat 24:31; Mark 13:27; Luke 16:24; Heb 11:21. The other three have to do with seeing the fulfillment of God’s plan of salvation, which the rich man is missing out on. This is used with the Noun DAKTULOS, δάκτυλος, “finger,” that is first used in the NT in Mat 23:4, regarding the arrogance of the Pharisees and Lawyers for not preaching the truth of the Gospel, while having the people serve them, cf. Luke 11:46. Mat 23:4, “They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.” The other usages have to do with Jesus’ healing, providing salvation, and forgiving sin, Mark 7:33; Luke 11:20; John 8:6; 20:25, 27. Therefore, we see this request/demand from the rich as a continuation of his self-righteousness, unmerciful, self-centered arrogance to relieve his pain and suffering. And, because he did not lift a finger to help Lazarus in time, he will not receive help in the eternal state. This also shows us the severity of suffering in the Place of Torments, as even a minute drop of “water,” HUDOR, would have provided tremendous relief. Likewise, as stated above, because he did not receive the water of life in time, John 4:14; Rev 7:17; 21:6; 22:1, 17, he will not receive a drop of relief in the eternal state. John 4:14, “But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” The rich man wanted Lazarus to give him a drop of water to “cool off his tongue,” that uses the Verb KATAPSUCHO, “cool or refresh,” only used here in the NT. The root word PSUCHE means life or soul. So, we have a subtle meaning here of “soul refreshment,” which the rich man desired but is prohibited from receiving. With that is the Noun GLOSSA, “tongue or language.” The first use in the NT is in Mark 7:33, that also is used with “finger,” DAKTULOS, and has to do with Jesus healing and providing salvation. Because the rich man did not even use his words for refreshment, (i.e., speak the gospel of Jesus Christ), in time, he is unable to even be refreshed on his tongue in the eternal state. Next, he describes the suffering he is under in that place of torments. In vs. 23, the rich man said he was “in torment,” which was the noun BASANOS, βάσανος that means, “torture, torment, or great pain.” Here he states, “for I am in agony in this flame’.” “Agony,” is the Verb ODUNAOMAI, ὀδυνάομαι that means, “cause pain; feel pain, or be tormented.” The latter is why this compartment of Hades is called the “place of torments.” It is used here and vs. 25, and in Luke 2:48, for the anguish Mary and Joseph had when they left Jesus behind in Jerusalem and could not find Him for 3 days. It is also used in Acts 20:38, for the Ephesians heartfelt sorrow when Paul had to depart them realizing they would not see him again. From those usages we see the torment being one of an absence of lost relationship, that is, with God in this case. In its active sense it means, “to cause intense pain,” and in its passive sense it means, “to be anguished or tormented.” Here, it is in the Middle or Passive Deponent, which means the action of his life has led to him receiving this agonizing suffering. As such, the rich man was physically, mentally, and spiritually, “tormented,” as all unbelievers are who are in Hades. “In this flame,” is EN HOUTOS HO PHLOX, where the Noun PHLOX means, “flame or flaming fire.” It is first used here in the NT, and also in Acts 7:30; 2 Thes 1:8; Heb 1:7; Rev 1:14; 2:18; 19:12. In 2 Thes 1:5-9, it describes the judgment for the unbeliever, as in our passage, “This is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. 6For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” Therefore, we see that “flame or fire” describes the environment of the Place of Torments, as it does for the Eternal Lake of Fire. It is hot and incredibly dry, feeling like you are burning without being burnt up, and thirsty where your thirst cannot be quenched. All of this suffering is the result of rejecting Jesus Christ as your Savior / Messiah / King during your life here on earth.

Study Notes Part 1): The Impeccability of Jesus Christ During the Hypostatic Union. Definition: The humanity of Christ in hypostatic union did not use His Deity to solve His problems, but instead used the prototype spiritual life functioning in His human nature. The power was the combination of reliance on the indwelling Holy Spirit coupled with the consistent application of God’s Word / Bible Doctrine. This also tells us that the Deity of Jesus Christ did not prevent His humanity from sinning. Our Lord depended upon His spiritual life in His humanity. He depended upon what the Deity of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit did for Him, but He never depended upon His own Divine nature. The attributes of Deity never stepped over the line to help His humanity. Heb 4:15, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things in the same way as we have, yet without sin.” Our Lord was under attack in His human nature and used the power of His spiritual life in His humanity to resist all temptation. The impeccability of Christ is now eternal, but the testing of Christ only occurred in time during His first Advent, and only against the human nature, as God cannot be tempted, James 1:13. James 1:13, “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God;” for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.” Deity did not come to the rescue of the humanity of Christ in hypostatic union when He was tempted to sin; yet, the human nature of Christ was the target of all the forces of hell. Heb 2:18, “For since He Himself was tempted in what He had suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are being tempted.” Cf. Luke 4:1-13, (the three temptations of Jesus in the wilderness). Because our Lord was tempted in every way we are, He is able to come to the aid of those who are being tempted through the function of the unique spiritual life of the Church Age. The human nature of Jesus in hypostatic union first came to the aid of all Church Age believers by using the prototype spiritual life and proving that it works and then providing it for us. The human nature of Christ in hypostatic union was the target of the greatest temptations in history. The attributes of the Divine nature could not be transferred to the human nature of Christ to help the human nature resist temptation. The human nature had to depend entirely on the plan of God the Father and the power of God the Holy Spirit. Heb 12:3, “For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart, (faint within your souls).” These temptations were directed toward wearing Him down so He would faint in His soul and sin. But He did not. As a result, Jesus Christ remained impeccable though His humanity was temptable. He did not once sin or yield to a temptation, though He was tempted in every area. (continued below)

Study Notes (Part 2): The doctrine of impeccability states that our Lord in hypostatic union did not sin during the incarnation. Two Latin phrases summarize the doctrine of impeccability related to our Lord Jesus Christ. 1. Jesus Christ is said to be “NON POSSE PECCARE,” meaning, “not able to sin.” This refers to the Deity of Christ. As God, Jesus Christ is not able to sin. It is blasphemous and unthinkable to associate temptation or sin with infinite and holy God. James 1:13, “Let no man say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil nor does He tempt anyone.” 2. Jesus Christ is also said to be “POSSE NON PECCARE,” meaning, “able not to sin.” This refers to the humanity of Christ inside the prototype spiritual life. As true humanity, Jesus Christ was able not to sin because He continued to reside inside the prototype spiritual life. Though the humanity of Christ was tempted in all ways that we are tempted and far beyond any temptation we have ever experienced, He remained perfect; He did not sin. The reason for our Lord’s continued perfection in His humanity was the residence of the humanity of Christ in the prototype spiritual life under the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. Because of the virgin pregnancy followed by the virgin birth, our Lord’s humanity did not possess a genetically formed Old Sin Nature (OSN). Therefore, at the point of the virgin birth, there was no imputation of Adam’s original sin. As such, our Lord’s humanity was born into the prototype spiritual life perfect and He maintained that perfection throughout His entire life. And, though all His temptations came from outside of Himself, like our original parents in the Garden, they did not come from within because He did not have a sin nature. Heb 4:15, “He was tempted in every way just as we are tempted, yet without sin.” Therefore, the humanity of Christ was both temptable and peccable, i.e., He had the ability to sin because His humanity had volition. Yet, the deity of Christ was neither temptable nor peccable; therefore, He was impeccable. The human nature of Christ was temptable; the divine nature of Christ was not temptable. Nevertheless, temptability does not mean susceptibility. In hypostatic union, our Lord was tempted in His humanity, but He remained impeccable from the standpoint of the hypostatic union. As eternal, infinite, and holy God, Jesus Christ is not able to sin. As true humanity inside the prototype spiritual life, under the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit, He was able not to sin, though He was tempted far beyond anything we have ever known. While our Lord’s temptations were real, He had infinite power to resist all temptations, both from His deity and from the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit inside the spiritual life. Our Lord’s temptations were real, but the power of resistance was so great that He remained in a state of perfection. In theology, we call this impeccability. By way of illustration, a piece of copper wire can be bent and broken. But if the piece of copper wire is welded to a steel bar, it cannot be bent or broken. By analogy, the humanity of Jesus Christ is the copper wire; His deity is the steel bar. The combination of the two means He did not sin. So, because of the hypostatic union, Jesus Christ was able to resist all sin. Another way to say it is that Jesus Christ in hypostatic union is like an unconquerable nation. It can be attacked but never defeated. In addition, it is like a tug boat attacking a battle ship. The tug boat is sin and the battle ship is Jesus. A tug boat would never be able to defeat a battle ship. By His reliance on the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit inside the spiritual life, Jesus Christ set a precedent for us in the Church Age. Inside the spiritual life, you do not have to say “yes” to sin. As a piece of copper wire, you are temptable and susceptible to sin. But, as a believer, you are attached to a steel beam called the indwelling of God and His Word in your soul. So, if you stand fast by faithfully applying God’s Word to the situation, you can overcome that temptation. Impeccability qualified our Lord to become a lamb without spot and without blemish. Therefore, He could go to the Cross and be judged for the sins of the world. He became “the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world,” John 1:29; 39. Many verses document our Lord’s impeccability. Speaking of our Lord during the great power experiment of the hypostatic union, 1 Peter 2:22 says, “He committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth.” 1 Pet 2:24 says, “He carried our sins in His own body on the cross.” Our Lord remained impeccable during the entire course of the great power experiment of the hypostatic union. 1 John 3:5, “Indeed, you know that He was revealed (manifested) in order that He might carry our sins. In fact, sin is not in Him.” Heb 7:26, describes our Lord in His humanity, “Holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.” The impeccability of Jesus Christ in the great power experiment of the hypostatic union is based on three factors. 1. The deity of Christ is not temptable and is impeccable. 2. The humanity of Christ inside the spiritual life is temptable, but is able to resist the temptation and not sin, and therefore remain impeccable. 3. The person of Christ in hypostatic union is temptable but impeccable. This qualifies the humanity of Christ to be judged for our sins on the cross. Impeccability must precede the doctrine of reconciliation; there would be no salvation through faith in Christ were it not for the fact that Jesus Christ remained impeccable when He was judged on the Cross. Apart from the impeccability of Christ, there could be no removal of the barrier between God and man in the doctrine of reconciliation. Impeccability qualified our Lord to become an offering for us. 2 Cor 5:21, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin as a substitute for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” Finally, the impeccability of Christ is the basis for the strategic victory of the Angelic Conflict. Because Jesus was impeccable, He was the perfect sacrifice for our sins. On the Cross He defeated sin and Satan. Heb 2:14, “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death, (substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross), He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.” 1 Cor 15:54-57, “But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory, (Isa 25:8). 55“O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING? (Hosea 13:14)” 56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Study Notes: The understanding of the Virgin Birth of our Lord cannot be fully understood without an understanding of the hypostatic union of our Lord. Hypostatic union comes from the Greek word HUPOSTASIS and defines the principles and facts that our Lord was born 100% as man, while continuing to be 100% God. This does not make a 200% person, lol. It just means that He was fully man, as well as being fully God during His time here on earth, and forevermore. The Greek noun HUPOSTASIS means, “underlying essence, nature, reality, substance, standing under, taking a thing upon oneself, etc.” Christ took upon Himself true humanity since hypostatic refers to the whole Person of Christ as distinguished from His two natures: Divine and human, John 1:1-2, 14; Rom 1:3-5; 9:5; Phil 2:5-11; Heb 1: 3; 2:14; 1 John 1:1-3. John 1:1-2, “In a beginning was the Word (Deity of Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” John 1:14, “And the Word, (the Deity of Christ), became flesh, (true humanity in hypostatic union), and tabernacled among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Rom 9:5, “And from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever, Amen.” Heb 2:14, “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.” Therefore, in the Person of Jesus Christ there are two natures which are inseparably united without mixture or loss of separate identity, without loss or transfer of properties or attributes. This union is personal and eternal. Jesus Christ is the God-Man and the Unique Person of the Universe. The incarnate person of Jesus Christ includes undiminished Deity. Jesus Christ is God, coequal and coeternal with the Father and the Spirit. The incarnate person of Christ also includes true humanity, with a body, soul and spirit. He is like us in all our humanity, just absent the Old Sin Nature, (OSN). He is also just like Adam was in his humanity prior to his fall. Through the virgin birth, Jesus avoided both spiritual death and the OSN. His humanity was different from any other because it included Deity and because He did not sin personally. His Deity was different in that it included humanity. The two natures of Christ are united without transfer of attributes. The attributes of Deity never became humanity and vice versa - the attributes adhered to their corresponding natures. In the Incarnation, no attribute of essence was changed. As such, the union of the Divine and human natures of the incarnate Christ are considered hypostatic and personal. Jesus came into the world in this unique fashion for many reasons, as we will note below, but especially to be our Savior, by fulling the OT prophecies of the Messiah / Anointed One, while continuing to be our God / Lord, Luke 2:11. Let us read the story of Christmas once again in the Gospel of Luke 2:1-20. Some of the Purposes for the Lord becoming man. a. That He might manifest (make apparent, display, prove) God to man. John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” b. That He might manifest (make apparent, display, prove) man to God Rom 8:34, “Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.” Heb 7:25, “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” c. That He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest. Heb 7:24, “But Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently.” Cf. Heb 9:24; 1 John 2:1. d. That He might destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8, “The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.” Cf. 1 Cor 15:50-57. e. That He might be Head over a new creation. Eph 1:22, “And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” f. That He might sit on David’s throne. Rom 1:3, “Concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh.” Luke 1:32 “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” Cf. Acts 2:29-36. g. That He might be the Kinsman Redeemer. Titus 2:14, “Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” 1 Tim 3:16, “By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.” Communion Another important part of the birth of our Lord is found in the story of what happened after His birth in Mat 2:1-23. This is an import aspect of the story, in that even in the face of the world trying to kill off our Savior, God provided protection and a way of escape. That should speak volumes to you and I today, as we are facing a most difficult challenge where Satan’s world, (Cosmic System), is trying to kill us off with this virus and pandemic one way or another. Therefore, just as God our Father provided for the safety of His beloved Son, when Herod was trying to run Jesus down, our God too will provide His beloved sons and daughters protection throughout this pandemic, if we would remain faithful to Him. Remember, Jesus did have a predetermined time for His death that was upon the Cross, and no one or nothing was going to kill Him prior to the time. Likewise, God has a predetermined plan for your life, and no one or nothing will take you until that prescribed time comes. So, continue to walk faithfully each and every day trusting whole heartedly in your Lord and Savior by applying His Word in your life because that is one of the reasons why Jesus came to die for your sins. Heb 1:1-4, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.” As we celebrate this Christmas season, we celebrate the remembrance of our Lord’s first Advent, when He came into the world to pay for our sins. Jesus celebrated this with His disciples at the Passover supper the night before He went to the Cross. We read about this in the Gospel of Matthew 26:26-28, “While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins”.” And as Paul recounted in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.”

Study Notes (Part 1): As we prepare to celebrate Christmas once again, I wanted to remind you, (especially for those who think Christmas is all about gift giving and RECEIVING), of the importance of Jesus coming into the world in the unique fashion that He did, which is what we truly are to celebrate at Christmas. Jesus came into the world so that He could go to the Cross and pay the penalty for the sins of the entire world, so that whoever would believe upon Him would be saved from the penalty of sin and given eternal life. John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” John 3:36a, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life…” Jesus came into the world so that He could take on and pay the penalty for our sins. But to do that He had to be perfect, without any sin of His own. You see, if Jesus had any sin of His own, He would need to pay for those sins, and therefore would not be qualified to pay for anyone else’s sins. And, because Jesus did not have any sin of His own, He qualified to be the perfect sacrificial lamb for our sins, cf. Lev 22:21; 2 Cor 5:21; 1 Peter 1:18-20; 2:21-22. 2 Cor 5:21, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 1 Peter 2:21-22, “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth, (Isa 53:9).” 1 Peter 1:18-20, “Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 20For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.” In order for Jesus to arrive at the Cross in perfection, without spot or blemish, (i.e., without any sin of His own), He first had to enter the world without sin. To do this God designed a wonderful plan called the Virgin birth. This type of pregnancy and birth, avoided the pitfall of every other human birth, which includes the passing down of a Sin Nature from the male during copulation, and the imputation of Adam’s original sin at birth to that Sin Nature at the moment of physical birth. Because Jesus did not have a human father, He did not receive the Sin Nature or the imputation of Adam’s original sin. This plan was the genius of God the Father from eternity past that was also prophesized in the OT, Isa 7:14, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel, (God with us).” This prophecy was re-prophesied to Joseph and fulfilled in Mat 1:18-25. In fact, the first prophecy of the virgin birth was made right after Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, Gen 3:15 16. Then after the first Isaiah prophecy another was given in Isa 9:6-7. The NT gives us the historical fulfillment of the virgin birth as noted above in Mat 1:18 25; Luke 1:26-36, and the result of the virgin birth in John 1:14; Rom 1:1-4; 1 Tim 3:16; Heb 2:14-18; Phil 2:5 11. John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Heb 2:14-15, “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. (continued below)

Study Notes (Part 2): The Necessity of our Lord’s Virgin Birth: 1. Adam’s original sin is the origin of the Old Sin Nature (OSN) in the human race, Gen 3:6b-7, 17-19; Rom 5:12, 15b-17; 1 Cor 15:21-22a. Rom 5:12, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.” 1 Cor 15:21-22, “For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.” It is Adam’s original sin that is the precedence leading to the OSN, not the woman’s original sin, since Adam’s sin was deliberate; the woman was deceived. 2. At copulation, the OSN is transmitted through the twenty-three male chromosomes that contain the cells of the Sin Nature which fertilize the twenty-three female chromosomes in the ovum that is absent the cells of the OSN. The throwing off of the 23 female Chromosomes that contain the OSN is done is the process called Meiosis and Polar body. “Meiosis is a process where a single cell divides twice to produce four cells containing half the original amount of genetic information. These cells are our sex cells - sperm in males, eggs in females.” (Genome Research Limited, www.yourgenome.org/facts/what-is-meiosis). This graphic shows the process broken down into two categories called Meiosis I and Meiosis II. Meiosis I, Separate the Homologues: Meiosis II, Separate the Sister Chromatids: In Meiosis II, (Prophase II, Metaphase II, Anaphase II, and Telophase II and cytokinesis), the last phase Telophase II and cytokinesis, results in the ovum and three polar bodies that are thrown off. “Once cytokinesis is complete there are four granddaughter cells, each with half a set of chromosomes (haploid), in males, these four cells are all sperm cells, in females, one of the cells is an egg cell while the other three are polar bodies (small cells that do not develop into eggs).” (Genome Research Limited.) “In the egg, there is a division into 4 cells with unequal fates; 1 ovum plus 3 polar bodies. The 3 polar bodies disintegrate. The 1 ovum gets all the resources (cytoplasm, mitochondria) and may get fertilized.” (Iupui department of biology, “Meiosis and the Formation of Eggs and Sperm,” www.biology.iupui.edu/biocourses/N100/2k4ch9meiosisnotes.html) As such, in the female, the elimination of the cells containing the OSN, (polar bodies), are thrown off and the viable female egg or ovum that remains does not contain the OSN cells. Yet, in the male, the process of splitting the cells into 23 chromosomes does not eliminate the OSN, as all four are viable called sperm. During sexual reproduction, fertilization of the ovum (23 chromosomes) by the sperm (23 chromosomes) restores the diploid number and creates a zygote (46 chromosomes) that divides and grows by mitosis to form a multicellular human. 3. At human birth, the baby has the genetic structure of the OSN inside of its DNA. At birth, God imputes Adam’s original sin to the OSN, and the new born becomes a like copy of Adam at the point of his fall in the garden. At birth, the Holy Spirit then breathes the “breaths of lives,” (NESHAMAH), Gen 2:7, into the new born and the baby is born physically alive. But, because of the OSN and the imputation of Adam’s original sin, the baby dies spiritually. There are two factors involved in our spiritual death. a. The Old Sin Nature. b. Adam’s original sin. 4. The OSN contaminates all the cells in the human body and when God the Father imputes Adam’s original sin to the Old Sin Nature at the time of physical birth, spiritual death results. Yet, the female, (through meiosis and polar body), throws off the 23 chromosomes that are contaminated with the OSN, leaving 23 uncontaminated chromosomes prior to fertilization. All the other cells in the female body are contaminated by the OSN; the ovum prior to fertilization is the only exception. As such, when the Holy Spirit provided the perfect 23 chromosomes in Mary, combining 23 cells uncontaminated with the OSN to the 23 uncontaminated cells in Mary, our Lord was conceived without an OSN, even though He was born from a human, Luke 1:26-36. 5. Although both the man and the woman in the garden were equally guilty, the woman’s sin of ignorance was the reason she became the bearer of the embryo, 1 Tim 2:13-15. While both man and woman are carriers of the OSN, only the man can transmit it through the fertilization of the female ovum. Since, it is only the male’s 23 chromosomes that carry the OSN and not the female’s, this means that if a woman could have a virgin pregnancy, (i.e., if her ovum could be fertilized apart from male copulation), the progeny could be born into the world without an OSN. Being born without an Old Sin Nature, Adam’s original sin could not be imputed to that person, there being no affinity required for this imputation. Therefore, Christ being born without an OSN meant there was no imputation of Adam’s original sin to our Lord. He was born physically and spiritually alive with no OSN and no original sin imputation. 6. This was how our Lord was born as the last Adam, 1 Cor 15:45. The first Adam was created perfect (without sin); the last Adam, Jesus Christ, was born perfect (without sin). So, Jesus Christ was in like form as Adam before the fall. 1 Cor 15:45, “So also it is written, “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” 7. Remember that while Mary was a virgin, she was not perfect or impeccable. Only her virgin born son was absolutely perfect at birth. And, Mary did not remain perpetually as a virgin. She had other children Mat 13:55-56; 12:46; Mark 6:3. 8. Therefore, it is the virgin birth that is the basis for redemption, because it provided the world with a perfect human being, the only one qualified to be judged for the sins of the world. Heb 9:15-16, “For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 16For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it.” This is what we celebrate on Christmas, that the Christ / Messiah / Savior was born in perfection, so that He could go to the Cross and pay the penalty for our sins, giving all who would believe upon Him eternal life.

Study Notes: 14. Concerning wealth, Luke 16:1-31. d. The Rich Man and Lazarus, vs. 19-32, good stewards will be rewarded. 3) The perspective of Hades / Sheol after death, vs. 23-31. Vs. 23 Luke 16:23, “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.” As Satan had “the power of death,” Heb 2:14; cf. Rev 6:8, Hades was a place where the dead would go, and due to sin being in the world because of Satan, it is that stronghold over death and Hades that was conquered by Christ at the Cross, Col 2:15. As such, Christ can proclaim His victory in the realm of the dead, 1 Peter 3:19. Col 2:15, “When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities (Satan and the Fallen Angels), He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.” 1 Peter 3:19, “In which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, (incarcerated demons).” This is why Jesus said to Peter in Mat 16:18, that the gates of Hades will not overpower / prevail against His Church. Therefore, Hades is an intermediate state between death and resurrection, divided into two parts; one, the abode of the blessed, and the other of the lost. At the time of Christ’s speaking, Hades was the interim place for believers to reside until His resurrection and ascension. And, it was, and is today, the prison where the wicked dead are held until there resurrection to the second death at the Great White Throne Judgment day, when at that time both death and Hades are cast into the Lake of Fire, Rev 20:14. “Language about hell seeks to describe for humans the most awful punishment human language can describe to warn unbelievers before it is too late. Earthly experience would lead us to believe that the nature of punishment will fit the nature of the sin. Certainly, no one wants to suffer the punishment of hell, and through God’s grace the way for all is open to avoid hell and know the blessings of eternal life through Christ.” (Holman Bible Dictionary). There are several erroneous views of Hades / Hell. 1) The second chance view: After death there is still a way to escape hell. Answer: Heb 9:27 “It is appointed unto men once to die and after that the judgment.” 2) Universalism: All are eternally saved. Answer: It denies the truth of salvation through Christ, which means that a person decides to either trust in Christ or else he/she rejects Christ and goes to hell, John 3:16; 3:36. 3) Annihilationism: Hell means a person dies like an animal, they cease to exist. Answer: It denies the resurrection of the unsaved, John 5:28. It denies conscious torment, like in the case of the rich man. John 5:28, “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.” In conclusion, we see that the unbelieving rich man was residing in the compartment of Hades called the Place of Torments, as he himself was in torment, and the believer Lazarus, the poor man, was now in a place called Paradise or Abraham’s Bosom being comforted, blessed, and honored. For the rich man, we see his eternal state of “being in torment,” which starts with the Verb HUPARCHO that means, “be, exist, have, or possess,” which is an ironic word choice, as this is all that the rich man possesses for all of eternity, in contrast to the great riches, wealth, and joyous living he possessed in life. The only thing he possesses is “torment,” which is the noun BASANOS, βάσανος that means, “torture, torment, or great pain.” It is only used three times in the NT, its cognates BASANIZO, BASANISMOS, and BASANISTES are used more frequently. BASANOS is only used in this story here and vs. 28, and in Mat 4:24. The latter describes the torment people were in who sought Jesus to heal them. Ironically, because the rich man did not seek Jesus, he did not believe in the Messiah, he is now and forever in torment. This suffering is described further in vs. 24. These are just a few of the verses that describe what Hades / the Place of Torments and the Lake of Fire are like for the occupants. Other verses that speak to the abode of the unsaved include, Isa 66:24; Mat 3:12; 8:12; 13:41-42; 22:13; 25:30, 41; Mark 9:43, 48; Jude 1:7, 13; 2 Peter 2:17. Isa 66:24, “Then they will go forth and look on the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm will not die and their fire will not be quenched; and they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.” Mat 3:12, “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Mat 8:12, “But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Mark 9:48, “Where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.” Jude 1:13, “Wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever.” Therefore, for the unbelieving rich man, as to his soul, he was alive, fully conscious, in exercise of his mental faculties, yet in great torment. And, unlike the compartment called Paradise, which has already been taken to heaven, it is thus apparent that insofar as the unsaved dead are concerned, no change in their abode or state is revealed in Scripture in connection with the ascension of Christ, and it will not change until the Great White throne Judgement of Rev 20:13-14. Now, when the suffering rich man looked across the great chasm into the other compartment in Hades called Paradise, he “saw,” HORAO, “Abraham,” ABRAAM, “from afar,” the Adverb, MAKROTHEN, μακρόθεν that means, “from afar or from a distance.” This indicates the long ways away from the holiness and righteousness of God this unbeliever was, as all unbelievers are, especially in the eternal state. Not only did he see Abraham, but he saw Lazarus “in his bosom,” EN AUTOS HO KOLPOS. As we have noted in vs. 22, this phrase indicates a close relationship, place of honor, favor, blessing, and comfort. This is what Lazarus was now enjoying for all of eternity, in contrast to the suffering he endured during his earthly life. As Lazarus suffered in his physical life, he did so to demonstrate the importance of eternity compared to time. Time is just a drop in the bucket compared to eternity, according to James 4:14, “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” Time is the only opportunity to gain eternal life, 2 Cor 6:2, “For He says, “At the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation”.” It only takes one second in time to believe in Jesus Christ, yet the rich man did not even take that one second to do so, yet Lazarus did. Time is the special opportunity for the believer to glorify God, and to demonstrate to the angels the greatness of God’s justice, wisdom, and grace policy. Phil 4:11, “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.” Time is the mechanism for resolving the Angelic Conflict. Lazarus was one of the greatest testimonies to angelic creatures as to what is important in life. As such, for the believer, time is the opportunity to glorify God, and to demonstrate to angels the greatness of God’s justice and wisdom.

Study Notes: 14. Concerning wealth, Luke 16:1-31. d. The Rich Man and Lazarus, vs. 19-32, good stewards will be rewarded. 3) The perspective of Hades / Sheol after death, vs. 23-31. Vs. 23 Luke 16:23, “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.” Here we see the two contrasting environments of Hades prior to the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. “In Hades,” in the Greek is, EN HO HADES, where HADES, ᾅδης is the Greek Noun that is transliterated in the English to Hades and means, “the underworld or the realm of the dead.” It is used in Mat 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; Acts 2:27, 31; Rev 1:18; 6:8; 20:13-14. We see in Scripture that Jesus holds the keys to both Hades and death, Rev 1:18. As such, it is still an active place today, but for who? Well, that is the place where the rich man went and remains today, as all unbelievers have gone there upon their death, and will continue to go there until the Great White Throne Judgement Seat of Jesus Christ, when he casts Satan, the Fallen Angels and all unbelievers throughout all time into the Lake of Fire, Rev 20:14. Rev 1:18, “(I am) the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.” Rev 20:14, “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.” Jesus’s soul visited Hades after His death upon the Cross until His resurrection, Acts 2:27, 31, as prophesized in Psa 16:10, where the Hebrew equivalent is Sheol, cf. Eph 4:9. Eph 4:9, “Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?” His Spirit went to the 3rd Heaven to be with the Father, Luke 23:46, John 19:30, and His Soul went to Hades, Luke 23:43, Acts 2:27, 31; Eph 4:9, while His body remained in the tomb, Luke 23:50-53. After three days, the Father brought His Spirit back to His body, Eph 1:20; Col 2:12; 1 Thes 1:10; 1 Peter 1:21; Heb 13:20, the Holy Spirit returned His Soul from Hades, Acts 2:24; Rom 1:4; 8:11; 1 Peter 3:18, and Jesus raised His own Body from the tomb, John 10:17-18. In David’s prophecy of Psa 16:10, he said, “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.” Notice that David makes a distinction between Paradise or Abraham’s bosom where the soul is located and the grave where the body is located. David was not speaking about himself, because his body has undergone decay, Acts 2:29, and his soul went to paradise after he died. Acts 2:29, “Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.” David was prophesying about the soul of the humanity of Jesus Christ in Hades after his physical death. No OT believer could go to the 3rd heaven until Jesus Christ had been judged for their sins upon the Cross. At that point, the OT believers were all transferred in a triumphal procession into the presence of God in heaven. Today, after the Cross, when any believer dies, his soul and spirit is absent from the body and face to face with the Lord in heaven, 2 Cor 5:6-8; Phil 1:23. 2 Cor 5:6-8, “Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord-7for we walk by faith, not by sight-8we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.” Therefore, we know Psa 16:10, does not refer to David but is a prophecy referring to Jesus Christ because it is quoted by Peter in Acts 2:2, “Because You will not abandon My soul to hades, nor allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.” This verse is then interpreted in Acts 2:31, “He looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY.” Our Lord only spent three days in Hades.

Study Notes: 14. Concerning wealth, Luke 16:1-31. d. The Rich Man and Lazarus, vs. 19-32, good stewards will be rewarded. 2) The perspective of death, vs. 22. Vs. 22 Luke 16:22, “Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.” This Abraham, ABRAAM, is the OT character as the father of the Hebrews and of all those who believe. KOLPOS, means, “bosom, breast, chest,” here and vs. 23, with John 1:18; John 13:23; and Luke 6:38, “lap,” and sometimes as “bay,” Acts 27:39. In the NT, it is used to express a very close and personal relationship. In John 13:23, it was used during the Passover banquet to relate the close relationship of John to our Lord. It is used figuratively to denote paradise in our passages and heaven in John 1:18. John 1:18, “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” Therefore, to be in “Abraham’s bosom,” was to be in a place of honor and fellowship; on the couch at Abraham’s right at the banquet table. As such, the poor man is being honored by enjoying close fellowship with Abraham at the Messianic banquet, cf. Luke 13:29. As the poor man Lazarus was shunned and abused by society and the rich man, being left in great hunger, in the eternal state, he was given great honor and is enjoying a great banquet. Next, we see what happened to the rich man upon his death, “and the rich man also died and was buried.” “Rich man,” is PLOUSIS once again, and “died” is APOTHNESKO as seen previously for Lazarus’ death. “Was buried,” is the Aorist, Passive, Indicative of the Verb THAPTO, θάπτω that means, “to bury.” It is used in Mat 8:21-22; Luke 9:59-60, for the principle taught by our Lord, “Let the dead bury the dead;” for the burial of John the Baptist, Mat 14:12; for the fact of the burial of David, Acts 2:29; for the Sin Unto Death disciple of Ananias and Sapphira, Acts 5:6, 9-10; and for our Lord’s burial regarding the Gospel principles, 1 Cor 15:4. THAPTO was used in classical Greek for all the activities involved in “burying someone,” including funeral rites, expenses, and even cremation. In this story, our Lord did not use this word for Lazarus’ death, but only for the rich man’s. It indicates the continuation of his earthly wealth and riches, having a funeral and prestigious place of burial, cf. Mat 27:57-60. Therefore, it emphasizes his earthly riches, which could not save him. As such, the rich man simply died and was buried, without any heavenly honors. To the end of his life he enjoyed luxury, and did not suffer any earthly loss. But death is the great equalizer, even reverser, since after death the one thing that counts is the human heart. Possessions and status symbols are all left behind. As the saying goes, “You can’t take it with you.” What God considers is not written down with numbers and dollar signs. As such, Lazarus dies and is welcomed into Divine favor; being placed in Abraham’s bosom. He is in the place of blessing. Yet, when the rich man dies and is buried, and as we will see in the next verse, he ends up in Hades, a.k.a., hell, in torment, far away from Lazarus. In that place their roles are reversed. Lazarus is now in a place of prominence; the rich man is now outside of that place looking in, laying at the gate in agony, as it were. Cf. Psa 49:16-20. Psa 49:16-20, “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house is increased; 17For when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him. 18Though while he lives he congratulates himself- and though men praise you when you do well for yourself- 19He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they will never see the light. 20Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, is like the beasts that perish.” 3) The perspective of Hades / Sheol after death, vs. 23-31. Vs. 23 Luke 16:23, “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.” Here we see the two contrasting environments of Hades prior to the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. “In Hades,” in the Greek is, EN HO HADES, where HADES, ᾅδης is the Greek Noun that is transliterated in the English to Hades and means, “the underworld or the realm of the dead.” It is used in Mat 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; Acts 2:27, 31; Rev 1:18; 6:8; 20:13-14. Rev 20:13, “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.” There are three Greek words that can refer to “hell,” including Hades, Gehenna, and Tartaroo, not to mention the “Lake of Fire.” In ancient Greek usage and culture, Hades was the name of the Greek god of the underworld and the name of the underworld itself. Another seeming synonym is the word Gehenna, but it is analogous only to the compartment in Hades called the Place of Torments, where the rich man resides, and also for the Eternal Lake of Fire. Gehenna is from two Hebrew words GE HINNOM meaning “valley of Hinnom.” It originally referred to a ravine on the south side of Jerusalem where pagan deities were worshiped, 2 Kings 23:10; Jer 7:32; 2 Chron 28:3; 33:6. Later, it became a garbage dump outside of Jerusalem and a place of abomination, where fire burned continuously, 2 Kings 23:10; cf. Mat 18:9; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; James 3:6. Gehenna became synonymous with “a place of burning,” and therefore hell or later the Lake of Fire. Next is the Greek word TARTAROO, “cast into hell,” that we call Tartarus, 2 Peter 2:4. The word appears in classical Greek to refer to a subterranean region, miserable and dark, regarded by the ancient Greeks as the abode of the wicked dead. It was thought of as a place of punishment. In the sole use of the word in the NT, it refers to the place of punishment for rebellious fallen angels. 2 Peter 2:4, “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment.” The NT understanding of Hades is built upon the OT, with the Hebrew word Sheol, (SHE’OL, שְׁאוֹל), and closely parallels the conceptions of later Judaism. Sheol is used 65 times in the OT. With rare exceptions, like Elijah, 2 Kings 2:1-12, all people were believed to go to Sheol when they die, Job 3:11-19; Psa 89:48. It is a place which is “down” in contrast to heaven which is “up,” Mat 11:23; Luke 10:15. It is the place where the soul goes, Acts 2:27, while the body is destroyed, Acts 2:31. In our passages, Jesus made a close distinction between the two conditions in Hades, at that time. Lazarus was in “the bosom of Abraham,” where he was being comforted, while the rich man was at the “place of agony,” where he was suffering. As we will note below, the compartment of Hades called Abraham’s bosom was taken to heaven upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Eph 4:8; cf. Psa 68:18. On the cross, Jesus promised the repentant thief, “Today you will be with me in Paradise,” Luke 23:43. Later, Paul wrote that he was caught up into paradise (the third heaven), 2 Cor 12:2-4. It is interesting that nowhere in the NT epistles does it say that the believer of the Church Age who dies goes to Hades, but it does say that he goes to be with the Lord, 2 Cor 5:8; Phil 1:23. Today, Christ is in heaven, seated at the right hand of the Father, therefore, Jesus is not in Hades today, neither is Abraham’s Bosom / Paradise, as they are now with Christ in heaven / Paradise, Eph 4:8, as all Church Age believers go directly to upon their death. 2 Cor 5:6-8; Phil 1:23; Rev 6:9; 7:9ff; 15:2ff, all teach that the current abode of believers immediately after death is with Christ and God in heaven. Phil 1:23, “But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better.”

14. Concerning wealth, Luke 16:1-31. d. The Rich Man and Lazarus, vs. 19-32, good stewards will be rewarded. 2) The perspective of death, vs. 22. Vs. 22 Luke 16:22, “Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.” Doctrine of Angels - Angelology, (continued) 4. They are immortal, Luke 20:34-36, though not eternal beings because they were created, yet they will have no end. Luke 20:36, “For they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.” z 5. They are presently higher than man, Psa 8:4-5; 103:20; Heb 2:7; 2 Peter 2:11, yet in heaven we will be higher than angels, 1 Cor 6:3. Psa 8:5, “Yet You have made him (Jesus Christ) a little lower than God (angels), and You crown Him with glory and majesty!” 1 Cor 6:3, “Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?” 6. They have freewill, Isa 14:12-14; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6, 9. Jude 1:9, “But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”” 7. They are legion, Psa 68:17; Dan 7:10; Mat 26:53; Heb 12:22; Rev 5:11; they form the hosts of heaven, Luke 2:13. Numerically, angels neither increase nor decrease. Heb 12:22, “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels.” Rev 5:11, “Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands.” 8. Although we have a description of Satan, the Seraphim (six winged angels), and Cherubim (four winged angels), we are not given description of the rank and file angel’s bodies. However, we know they are spirit beings, Psa 104:4; Heb 1:13-14; 12:22-23; Col 1:16. They appear as men when so required, Gen 18:2; Mat 28:3; Mark 16:5; Luke 24:4; John 20:12; Heb 13:2. They are said to fly, Isa 6:2; Ezek 1:6; Dan 9:21; Rev 14:6. Isa 6:2, “Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.” Luke 24:2-4, “And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing.” Heb 13:2, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.” 9. Their abode is evidently in heaven; but reference is made to the second heaven, the stellar universe, Mat 24:29. Christ passed through the angelic sphere going to and coming from earth, Eph 1:21; Heb 2:7; 4:14. Heb 4:14, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.” 10. The ministries of the angels are varied and are described in the Bible, but generally they serve and worship God. Psa 34: 7; 91:11; 103:20; 104:4; Dan 4:13, 17, 23; 6:22; Mat 4:11; Luke 16:22; Acts 5:19; 8:26; 10:3; 12:7; 27:23; 1 Cor 11: 10; Col 2:18; Rev 22:8-9. 11. The vast empires of angels are occupied with many enterprises and the execution of their governments, and they behold the things of earth, Luke 12:8-9; 15:10; 1 Cor 11:10; Eph 6:12; Col 1:16; 1 Tim 3:16; Rev 14:10. Col 1:16, “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things have been created through Him and for Him.” 12. Their presence is recorded at creation, Job 38:7, at the giving of the Law, Acts 7:53; Gal 3:19; Heb 2:2; cf. Rev 22:16, at the birth of Christ, Luke 2:13, at the scene of His temptations, Mat 4:11; Luke 22:43, at the resurrection, Mat 28:2, at the ascension, Acts 1:10, and they will be at the Second Coming, Mat 13:37-39; 24:31; 25:31; 2 Thes 1:7. 13. There will be war in heaven between the two classes of angels in the end times, Rev 12:7-10. So, there were at least two angels who escorted the poor man to “Abraham’s bosom,” ABRAAM KOLPOS. This indicates that the believer will be personally escorted by angels at their death to heaven.