The rich man and Lazarus na name wey Jesus call the people for one story wey e use teach. (Luke 16:19-31) For the story, the rich man and Lazarus mean two group of people wey be: (1) the leaders for Jew religion wey dey proud for Jesus time and (2) the humble people wey accept the things wey Jesus de teach.

For this article

•  Wetin Jesus talk about the rich man and Lazarus?

•  This story really happen?

•  This story de support the belief say hellfire dey real?

•  Wetin the story about the rich man and Lazarus mean?

 For Luke chapter 16, Jesus talk about two men wey big change happen for their life.

 This na the story wey Jesus talk: One rich man de live big life. One beggar wey e name na Lazarus de stay for the rich man gate and e de hope say them go give-am any food wey fall from the rich man table. After some time, Lazarus die, and angels carry-am go the place wey Abraham dey. The rich man still die and them bury-am. For the story, Jesus talk about this two men like say them still know wetin de happen after them die. The rich man wey don die de suffer for inside fire wey hot well-well and e tell Abraham say make e send Lazarus to use im finger give-am one drop of water wey go cool im tongue. Abraham no gree do wetin the rich man talk and e tell the rich man say e condition and Lazarus own don really change. Abraham still talk say one big space don separate the two of them and nobody fit cross-am.

 No. This na story wey Jesus talk to teach people one lesson. Even people wey sabi book well-well agree say this na just story. For example, one small topic wey dey Luther Bible wey them write for 1912 show say this na story wey de teach lesson. And one footnote wey dey the Catholic Jerusalem Bible talk say this na ‘story wey de teach lesson and e no de talk about any real person wey don live before.’

 Jesus de teach say person fit dey alive after e don die? Jesus mean say some people de suffer for hellfire when they die and say Abraham and Lazarus dey heaven? Many reasons dey wey show say no be wetin e mean be that.

 For example:

•   If the rich man really dey inside fire wey de burn, the fire no go dry the water from Lazarus finger before e reach the rich man mouth?

•   Even if the fire no dry the water, one single drop of water go fit cool the rich man body for inside that kind fire wey hot well-well?

•   How Abraham go fit dey alive for heaven when Jesus talk-am clear say from the time wey don pass go reach when Jesus talk this story nobody don go heaven?​—John 3:13.

 No. Even though say this na just story wey no really happen, some people de argue say this story mean say good people de go heaven and bad people go suffer for hellfire. a

 This thing wey them de talk make sense at all? No.

 Wetin people de teach about hellfire no agree with the things wey Bible talk about the condition of people wey don die. For example, Bible no talk say good people wey die de enjoy life for heaven or say bad people de suffer for hellfire. Instead, Bible talk-am clear say: “People wey dey alive know say they go die, but people wey don die no know anything again.”​—Ecclesiastes 9:5.

 This story show say the condition of two different group of people go soon change finish.

 E clear say the rich man for this story stand for the leaders for Jew religion wey “like money too much.” (Luke 16:14) Them listen to the things wey Jesus teach but them dey against-am. This leaders for religion de see the common people like say them no reach anything.​—John 7:49.

 Lazarus stand for the common people wey accept the things wey Jesus de teach and wey the leaders for Jew religion de treat anyhow.

 The way the condition of the two group of people change really big well-well.

•   The leaders for Jew religion de think say God de favor them. But when God reject them and the way them de worship because them no accept the things wey Jesus teach, e just be like say them die. And the things wey Jesus and e disciples de preach come de pepper them for body.​—Matthew 23:29, 30; Acts 5:29-33.

•   The common people wey the leaders for Jew religion dey see as nothing come de enjoy God favor. Many of them accept the things wey Jesus teach and them gain from-am. Now, them don get the chance to enjoy God favor forever.​—John 17:3.