Does bible talk of purgatory?

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Ok, first, lets clear something up:
Whereas the Catholic Church, instructed by the Holy Ghost, has, from the sacred writings and the ancient tradition of the Fathers, taught, in sacred councils, and very recently in this oecumenical Synod, that there is a Purgatory, and that the souls there detained are helped by the suffrages of the faithful, [Page 233] but principally by the acceptable sacrifice of the altar; the holy Synod enjoins on bishops that they diligently endeavour that the sound doctrine concerning Purgatory, transmitted by the holy Fathers and sacred councils, be believed, maintained, taught, and every where proclaimed by the faithful of Christ. But let the more difficult and subtle questions, and which tend not to edification, and from which for the most part there is no increase of piety, be excluded from popular discourses before the uneducated multitude. In like manner, such things as are uncertain, or which labour under an appearance of error, let them not allow to be made public and treated of. While those things which tend to a certain kind of curiosity or superstition, or which savour of filthy lucre, let them prohibit as scandals and stumbling-blocks of the faithful. But let the bishops take care, that the suffrages of the faithful who are living, to wit the sacrifices of masses, prayers, alms, and other works of piety, which have been wont to be performed by the faithful for the other faithful departed, be piously and devoutly performed, in accordance with the institutes of the church; and that whatsoever is due on their behalf, from the endowments of testators, or in other way, be discharged, not in a perfunctory manner, but diligently and accurately, by the priests and ministers of the church, and others who are bound to render this (service).
That is more or less the entirety of official teaching on the subject of Purgatory. So that is what we are looking for support for. Very often, people can’t see Purgatory in the Bible because they think it is more than it is. However, that is it, so stick to that 👍 .
 
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Lazerlike42:
Ok, first, lets clear something up:

That is more or less the entirety of official teaching on the subject of Purgatory. So that is what we are looking for support for. Very often, people can’t see Purgatory in the Bible because they think it is more than it is. However, that is it, so stick to that 👍 .
Laserlike, can you please reference your text above.

Thanks.
 
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BennyD:
Where in the bible does it talk about purgatory??
Basic questions of this kind are best answered on the home page at www.catholic.com. You can use the search feature, or click on the “Library” menu on the left of the screen.

Here is a brief tract-length discussion of Purgatory.

As a Convert to the Faith, Purgatory was a stumbling block for me – not the biggest one, but an “issue” nonetheless. The scriptural reference that I could not get past in my objections to Purgatory was Rev. 21:27 – nothing unclean shall enter the heavenly city. That, coupled with a recognition that the sacrifice of Christ must have been for actual remission of sin, not just imputed righteousness.
 
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bene7:
It doesn’t.

Blessings,
Bene
Thanks for another example of superb Protestant open-mindedness and the ability to effectively convey opinion.
 
We must be as perfect as God to see Him. How can this be achieved on earth when we fall short in so many ways?
Mt 5:48: You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect

Heb 12:14: Strive for peace with all men, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

Jam 3:2: For we all make many mistakes, and if any one makes no mistakes in what he says he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also

Rev 21:27: But nothing unclean shall enter it, nor any one who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life

Degrees of sin are distinguished and some are greater than others.
1 Jn 5:15: And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him. 16: If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal; I do not say that one is to pray for that.

Jam 1:14: but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15: Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death.

Even though David was forgiven he still had to face a punishment.
2 Sam 12:13: David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. 14: Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the LORD, the child that is born to you shall die.”

In Matthew 5 Jesus speaks of Heaven, hell and a prison which you must pay to get out of.
Mat 5:26: truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny.

Mat 12:36: I tell you, on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter;

Making atonements for the dead to free them from sin. **
2 Macc 12:44: For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. 45: But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin.
**
Saving fire.

1 Cor 3:15: If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire

Jesus is preaching to the spirits in prison.
1 Pet 3:18: For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit; 19: in which he went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20: who formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water.

1Pet 4:6: For this is why the gospel was preached even to the dead, that though judged in the flesh like men, they might live in the spirit like God.
**
Why is Paul praying for the dead?**
2 Tim 1:16: May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiph’orus, for he often refreshed me; he was not ashamed of my chains, 17: but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me eagerly and found me – 18: may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day – and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus.

Paul mentions baptizing for the dead.
1 Cor 15:29: Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? 30: Why am I in peril every hour?
 
IanS said:
1 Cor 3:15: If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire

Well, let’s examine this verse. Many Protestants will say this refers to “judgement”, not Purgatory. Fine. I don’t have a problem with that. Yet, where is this judgement taking place? In what *state?

*The verse tells us that “he will suffer loss”. Well, we don’t suffer loss in Heaven. Heaven is complete gain.

The verse tells us that “he himself will be saved”. Well, we’re not saved in Hell. Hell is loss of salvation.

There must exist, then, a state of being in which we can suffer loss (through a purgation of “fire”) and, in the end, be saved.

This is the definition of Purgatory. As Catholics, we don’t necessarily believe that Purgatory is a state. It may be a process … it may be an instantaneous process. Protestants may want to get around acceptance of Purgatory by lumping this process into the catch-all of “judgement”, but isn’t this an example of not seeing the forest for the trees?
 
It doesn’t according to Bene7 personal interpetation of the bible. BUT…

Now you have to ask yourself do you believe in the interpetations of one man (bene) or as how scripture was revealed to the writers of scripture which has been protect by the Church since the time of Christ.

Can anyone deny that the bible was written as part of and protected by the Catholic Church for 2,000 years.

Not historically possible…
 
Where does the Bible define “Trinity” (or even use that term?)
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bene7:
It doesn’t.

Blessings,
Bene
Where does the Bible tells us that Christ has “two natures”?
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bene7:
It doesn’t.

Blessings,
Bene
Where does the Bible tells us that we are to go by the Bible alone?
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bene7:
It doesn’t.

Blessings,
Bene
Where does the Bible tell us that we must accept Christ as our personal Lord and Savior?
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bene7:
It doesn’t.

Blessings,
Bene
Where does the Bible tells us that man has the authority to lead a church without himself having been appointed by Christ or by the laying on of hands through an authority figure?
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bene7:
It doesn’t.

Blessings,
Bene
Where does the Bible tell us that one should break away from a Church if its teachings don’t fit one’s own interpretation?
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bene7:
It doesn’t.

Blessings,
Bene
 
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awfulthings9:
This is the definition of Purgatory. As Catholics, we don’t necessarily believe that Purgatory is a state. It may be a process … it may be an instantaneous process. Protestants may want to get around acceptance of Purgatory by lumping this process into the catch-all of “judgement”, but isn’t this an example of not seeing the forest for the trees?
I once heard Fr. Benedict Groeschel say the Eastern Churches teach that purgatory is more like a spiritual journey you take after death as opposed to a prison. He admitted that sounded a lot more pleasant.

Wouldn’t it be great if it was actually more like when Dorothy and the gang came to OZ and had to be cleaned up before they could meet the wizard. You know, scrub scrub here, snip snip there. 😃
 
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IanS:
Wouldn’t it be great if it was actually more like when Dorothy and the gang came to OZ and had to be cleaned up before they could meet the wizard. You know, scrub scrub here, snip snip there. 😃
Yeah, you’ve got it!! It’s a fantasy. It’s origin is not Biblical or Apostolic but rooted in ancient Persian and Greek philosophy, borrowed and introduced into Christianity by some early church writers.HEB 1:3 "And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Blessings,
Bene
 
The Bible does talk of Purgatory, in the Deuterocanonical books (the books that Luther decided to cut because to leave them included would pose some SERIOUS problems of Protestant doctrine).
 
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