thank you for your link, John 3 is not the only one but it is one that clearly without any assistance one can understand Jesus saying that he is the only way to heaven, no human intervention is needed. and the references in Acts are amoung my favs they are not referring to being born again,** the first refers to holyspirit Baptism and Glossolalia the second Water baptism.**
I’m talking about the need for purgatory and John 3 says you need only be born again, a decision made whilst you are alive and kicking.
be blessedLet’s look at those two verses then.
Acts 2:[37]
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” [38] And Peter said to them, "
Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
and
Acts 22:[16] And now why do you wait? Rise and
be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’
Now, contrary to your pentecostal interpretation, the bolded parts of those verse show us plainly that they are not about “holyspirit Baptism and Glossolalia”, but about coming to Christ in repentance and water baptism, both necessary for salvation. The verses nowhere even imply “glossolalia” (speaking in tongues). You have forced your own theology onto the passage IMO.
The second cited verse does indeed have to do with baptism, but it also has to do with salvation and the fact that the New Testament teaches that Baptism with water is indeed necessary for salvation and that they did indeed teach that it washes away sins.
Both of these verses relate directly back to your references to John 3 because they are directly tied to the rebirth that Our Lord spoke of there.
None of that has anything to do with Purgatory.
There is ample evidence that the Bible implicitly teaches a Purgatory.
Begin with Matthew 12:32, which says, “And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but he that shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come.” Does this not imply that some sins can be forgiven in the age to come? Now think this through…There is no sin to forgive in heaven, right? Sin is not forgiven in hell because it’s too late and permanent. So…Implicit “purgatory”
1st Corinthians 3:15 which says, “If any man’s work burn, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.” Again this cannot refer to heaven or hell for the same reasons as above. This is essentially the definition of Purgatory.
1st Peter 3:18-20 which says, “Because Christ also died once for our sins, the just for the unjust: that he might offer us to God, being put to death indeed in the flesh, but enlivened in the spirit, 19 In which also coming he preached to those spirits that were in prison: 20 Which had been some time incredulous, when they waited for the patience of God in the days of Noe, when the ark was a building: wherein a few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water.”
and 1st Peter 4:6 which says, “For, for this cause was the gospel preached also to the dead: that they might be judged indeed according to men, in the flesh; but may live according to God, in the Spirit” Note that it was a prison for disobedient spirits and yet they were saved when Jesus preached to them.
2nd Maccabees 12:44-46 which says, "44 (For if he had not hoped that they that were slain should rise again, it would have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead,) 45 And because he considered that they who had fallen asleep with godliness, had great grace laid up for them. 46 It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins. "
The same reasons apply here as to the first passages I gave you…
The Jews also believe this and still do today (as if the passage from 2nd Maccabees doesn’t clearly show this).