SEV Biblia, Chapter 16:31
Mas l le dijo: Si no oyen a Moiss y a los profetas, tampoco se persuadirn, si alguno se levantare de los muertos.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Luke 16:31
Verse 31. If they hear not Moses, &c.] This answer of Abraham contains two remarkable propositions. 1. That the sacred writings contain such proofs of a Divine origin, that though all the dead were to arise, to convince an unbeliever of the truths therein declared, the conviction could not be greater, nor the proof more evident, of the divinity and truth of these sacred records, than that which themselves afford. 2. That to escape eternal perdition, and get at last into eternal glory, a man is to receive the testimonies of God, and to walk according to their dictates. And these two things show the sufficiency and perfection of the sacred writings. What influence could the personal appearance of a spirit have on an unbelieving and corrupted heart? None, except to terrify it for the moment, and afterwards to leave it ten thousand reasons for uncertainty and doubt. Christ caused this to be exemplified, in the most literal manner, by raising Lazarus from the dead. And did this convince the unbelieving Jews? No.
They were so much the more enraged; and from that moment conspired both the death of Lazarus and of Christ! Faith is satisfied with such proofs as God is pleased to afford! Infidelity never has enow. See a Sermon on this subject, by the author of this work.
To make the parable of the unjust steward still more profitable, let every man consider:-1.
That God is his master, and the author of all the good he enjoys, whether it be spiritual or temporal.
2. That every man is only a steward, not a proprietor of those things.
3. That all must give an account to God, how they have used or abused the blessings with which they have been entrusted.
4. That the goods which God has entrusted to our care are goods of body and soul: goods of nature and grace: of birth and education: His word, Spirit, and ordinances: goods of life, health, genius, strength, dignity, riches; and even poverty itself is often a blessing from the hand of God.
5. That all these may be improved to God's honour, our good, and our neighbour's edification and comfort.
6. That the time is coming in which we shall be called to an account before God, concerning the use we have made of the good things with which he has entrusted us.
7. That we may, even now, be accused before our Maker, of the awful crime of wasting our Lord's substance.
8. That if this crime can be proved against us, we are in immediate danger of being deprived of all the blessings which we have thus abused, and of being separated from God and the glory of his power for ever.
9. That on hearing of the danger to which we are exposed, though we cannot dig to purchase salvation, yet we must beg, incessantly beg, at the throne of grace for mercy to pardon all that is past.
10. That not a moment is to be lost: the arrest of death may have gone out against us; and this very night-hour-minute, our souls may be required of us. Let us therefore learn wisdom from the prudent despatch which a worldly-minded man would use to retrieve his ruinous circumstances; and watch and pray, and use the little spark of the Divine light which yet remains, but which is ready to die, that we may escape the gulf of perdition, and obtain some humble place in the heaven of glory. Our wants are pressing; God calls loudly; and eternity is at hand!
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 31. And he said unto him . etc.] That is, Abraham said unto him, as the Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions express it: if they hear not Moses and the prophets ; as they did not, nor regarded what they said of Christ, but disbelieved both him and them: neither will they be persuaded : or brought to repent and believe; though one rose from the dead ; as Christ did; whose resurrection, the truth of it they endeavoured to baffle, stifle, and suppress: this was the sign Christ gave them, of the truth of his Messiahship; and yet they repented not of what they had done to him, that they might believe in him; but remained still in their impenitence and infidelity, and so died. This shows the regard that ought to be had to the written word, as read, or preached; and that it is a sad sign of a desperate condition, when men reject divine revelation.
Beza's ancient copy adds, and should go unto them.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 19-31 - Here the spiritual things are represented, in a description of the different state of good and bad, in this world and in the other. We ar not told that the rich man got his estate by fraud, or oppression; but Christ shows, that a man may have a great deal of the wealth, pomp, an pleasure of this world, yet perish for ever under God's wrath an curse. The sin of this rich man was his providing for himself only Here is a godly man, and one that will hereafter be happy for ever, in the depth of adversity and distress. It is often the lot of some of the dearest of God's saints and servants to be greatly afflicted in thi world. We are not told that the rich man did him any harm, but we d not find that he had any care for him. Here is the different conditio of this godly poor man, and this wicked rich man, at and after death The rich man in hell lifted up his eyes, being in torment. It is no probable that there are discourses between glorified saints and damne sinners, but this dialogue shows the hopeless misery and fruitles desires, to which condemned spirits are brought. There is a day coming when those who now hate and despise the people of God, would gladl receive kindness from them. But the damned in hell shall not have the least abatement of their torment. Sinners are now called upon to remember; but they do not, they will not, they find ways to avoid it As wicked people have good things only in this life, and at death ar for ever separated from all good, so godly people have evil things onl in this life, and at death they are for ever put from them. In thi world, blessed be God, there is no gulf between a state of nature an grace, we may pass from sin to God; but if we die in our sins, there is no coming out. The rich man had five brethren, and would have the stopped in their sinful course; their coming to that place of torment would make his misery the worse, who had helped to show them the way thither. How many would now desire to recall or to undo what they have written or done! Those who would make the rich man's praying to Abraha justify praying to saints departed, go far to seek for proofs, when the mistake of a damned sinner is all they can find for an example. An surely there is no encouragement to follow the example, when all his prayers were made in vain. A messenger from the dead could say no mor than what is said in the Scriptures. The same strength of corruptio that breaks through the convictions of the written word, would triump over a witness from the dead. Let us seek to the law and to the testimony, Isa 8:19, 20, for that is the sure word of prophecy, upo which we may rest, 2Pe 1:19. Circumstances in every age show that n terrors, or arguments, can give true repentance without the specia grace of God renewing the sinner's heart __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
ειπεν 2036 5627 V-2AAI-3S δε 1161 CONJ αυτω 846 P-DSM ει 1487 COND μωσεως 3475 N-GSM και 2532 CONJ των 3588 T-GPM προφητων 4396 N-GPM ουκ 3756 PRT-N ακουουσιν 191 5719 V-PAI-3P ουδε 3761 ADV εαν 1437 COND τις 5100 X-NSM εκ 1537 PREP νεκρων 3498 A-GPM αναστη 450 5632 V-2AAS-3S πεισθησονται 3982 5701 V-FPI-3P
Vincent's NT Word Studies
31. Be persuaded. Dives had said, "they will repent." Abraham replies, "they will not be even persuaded."Though one rose. Dives had said, "if one went."
From the dead (ek nekrwn). Dives had said from the dead, but using a different preposition (apo). It is wellnigh impossible to give the English reader this nice play of prepositions. The general distinction is ajpo, from the outside; ejk, from within. Thus Luke ii. 4, Joseph went up from (apo) Galilee, the province, out of (ek) the city of Nazareth. Abraham's preposition (ejk, out of) implies a more complete identification with the dead than Dives' ajpo, from. A rising from among the dead was more than a messenger going from the dead. "We can hardly pass over the identity of the name Lazarus with that of him who actually was recalled from the dead; but whose return, far from persuading the Pharisees, was the immediate exciting cause of their crowning act of unbelief" (Alford).
Robertson's NT Word Studies
16:31 {Neither will they be persuaded} (oud' peisqesontai). First future passive of peiqw. Gressmann calls attention to the fact that Jesus is saying this in the conclusion of the parable. It is a sharp discouragement against efforts today to communicate with the dead. "Saul was not led to repentance when he saw Samuel at Endor nor were the Pharisees when they saw Lazarus come forth from the tomb. The Pharisees tried to put Lazarus to death and to explain away the resurrection of Jesus" (Plummer). Alford comments on the curious fact that Lazarus was the name of the one who did rise from the dead but whose return from the dead "was the immediate exciting cause of their (Pharisees) crowning act of unbelief."
