What do you believe Jesus was trying to present to His disciples with that "story"?
How can that be? Will you please quote the book and verse where the Bible talks about someone in between "righteous" and unrighteous".
Romans 6:2 (ESV Strong's) 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
Verse 2 refutes that!
First of all, I find John 11:11-14 was a real happening.
The ' rich man ' being addressed in Luke 16:14 illustration are the covetous Pharisees - Luke 16:19.
As death ends the marriage vow, the ' law and the prophets ' were until John as Jesus says at Luke 16:16.
Those Pharisees proved themselves Not to be Christ's bride/wife - Luke 16:18
For to become Christ's bride/wife they must be released from that old Mosaic Law. They did Not want release.
They proudly professed adherence to the Law of Moses. That Law was to lead them to Messiah.
It was the humble Jews ( Lazarus common people ) who benefited from Jesus teachings.
The situation of those figurative two men ( rich man and Lazarus ) was about to take a dramatic change.
Both the Lazarus or humble people and the rich man die to their former conditions or circumstances.
They now have ' new ' or changed positions relative to God's favor or disfavor.
No longer would the ' Lazarus ' humble people be deprived of spiritual food.
No longer would they have meager spiritual crumbs from the rich man Pharisee table.
Those rich man Pharisees are Now angry and tormented by Jesus' fiery message.
So, it is fitting that such a dramatic change does take place especially when Pentecost comes.
In the resurrection, those who never had the opportunity to learn about Jesus are most likely in the unrighteous category because they never had the opportunity to put faith in Jesus. So, it is Not any ' in between ' but what a person does ' after ' they are resurrected.
Romans 6:2 is talking about being ' dead to sin ' and Not about a dead person, a person who is literally died.
Romans 6:7 shows the resurrected are Not judged on works before death but after resurrection.
Being freed or acquitted does Not make a person as innocent or righteous, but that the sin charges don't stick because of Jesus' ransom.
There is No double jeopardy, No post-mortem penalty. A person is No longer responsible for what they did.
The wicked are gone, or as Psalms 92:7 says the wicked are: destroyed forever.
Those having a resurrection is because of Jesus' faithful death leaves open the possibility for total compassion.