@Vander: sorry 4 the late reply, my internet is down, and i have to go to the cafe each night.
Perhaps you know of other things we all can conclude without adding ideas to the text.
Mat 25:41 - 46 : Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
Mat 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
From this text we can asume that the rich man in Lazarus's case was being tormented not because he was rich but rather because he negleted his fellow man to suffer even though he had more than enough to spare.
Why do you think Jesus preached (Hades) Hell-fire to the Hell Fire preachers of His day? Was He trying to help them get their message across?
You might want to look into the scriptures, and see how many times Jesus spoke about the end and punishment, most of them were not directed to the pharisees. And Jesus often called the pharisees hipocrates because they knew the law but did not follow them.
I suppose revelations does talk in general about punishment for all men alike, and you should find ETERNAL TORMENT for both some humans and the devil too.
Rev 14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
Rev 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Like i said, their beliefs mostly went contrary to the things Jesus taught, concerning issues of the ressurection, and the afterlife too. I am not famiar with their belief of eternal torment but one thing was clear, they did not even abide by their own laws and teachings.
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Again ETERNAL FIRE/TORMENT is stressed on here, especially for those who take the mark of the beast. And the devil himself being put into the fire. You would realise that the
Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
"the commendable fraud artist"
I thought this passage was obvious, no? If you read the whole of Luke 16, Jesus talks of one man not being able to serve two masters equally. In the passage a fraudster is considersed wise by his fraudulent master because they share the same qualities --> BAD/EVIL. Do you think a desent master would have commemded the fraudster?
It shows how the pharisees decieve themselves thinking they are serving God, when they could saved themselves all the trouble and live as the evil men they are. That way they would not get disappointed when they are condemned in judgement. But we already know they are hipocrates right?.