Hades: Luke 16
I have a question regarding "hades". I have always though of hades as hell. However, after reading an article by Patrick Madrid on Purgatory I was confused. Also...my fiancee's parents, who are protestant, told me that "hades" is hell when talking about this particular scripture. (Luke 16 I think 23, about where the poor man and rich man descend and the poor man is taken to Abraham's bosom and the rich man is across the chasm) Anyhow....Patrick Madrid stated that the poor man, with Abraham was in the "limbo of the Fathers"...since Christ had not died yet...so the gates of heaven weren't open yet.....he also stated that the man across the chasm was in "purgatory" because he asked Lazarus to tell his brothers to not come to this place. The way Mr. Madrid explained this was that the man MUST be in purgatory because you can't "intercede" for someone if you are in hell. My confusion is...what the heck is Hades if it isn't hell and how do I explain this to a protestant, namely my fiancee's parents. It confuses me as well though too.
Thank you!
QUESTION from Colette on November 18, 2003
ANSWER by Staff on November 22, 2003
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Dear Colette: In the Old Testament both the condemned and the saints enter hell, that is Hades, which is the "abode of the dead". In this concept of Hades, there are two sides: 1) Abraham's bosom where the saints reside (sometimes called the "limbo of the fathers"); and 2) the place of the condemned. The "hell" that Jesus visited was Abraham's bosom where he "lead the captives free", that is, brought the Old Testament Saints into heaven. I am quite surprised if Patrick Madrid said that the rich man was in purgatory; that is utterly incorrect and he should know better. No, the rich man was in hell, the hell of condemnation forever. The parable would not make any sense if he was in purgatory. Mr. Madrid, if he did in fact interpret this as purgatory, has interpreted the dialogue too literally. This is a parable, not a journalistic report. The obvious intent of the passage, according to the Navarre Bible Commentary, is to teach about two major errors -- 1) against those who denied the survival of the soul after death and thus retribution in the next life; and 2) against those who interpreted material prosperity in this life as a reward being good and interpreted adversity as punishment. The commentary explains that the, "...dialogue between the rich man and Abraham is a dramatization at helping the people remember the message of the parable: strictly speaking, there is no room in hell for feelings or compassion towards one's neighbor..."
God Bless, |