Is Purgatory in the Bible?

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Is Purgatory mentioned in the Bible? If so, where?
Confused Protestant Teenager
 
I understand why you are confused. It may not be in your bible, but it is in ours. I am glad you came to this forum for answers to your question.

Purgatory is mentioned in any Catholic bible. It is in the 1st Book of Macchabees. The book is one of the Deuterocannonical books (as we call them), which is part of the Apocrypha.

The Apocrypha was discussed in this forum before. You could try searching this forum for that discussion/more information. You could also consult a CAF apologist concerning what purgatory is.

When the Reformation was in its infancy, Martin Luther removed the books of the Apocrypha to support his disbelief in purgatory–among other reasons. He did not believe those books were divinely inspired, even though the Catholic Church (still) does–that is, the books I mentioned in this post. I think this is a reason for your confusion.

However, what you believe is up to your conscience. But I strongly advise you to follow & search this forum so that our fellow members may help. While you are here, ask an apologist as I just suggested. Maybe you can take a look at a Catholic bible to find the basis for our belief in this doctrine.

Happy hunting! May the Holy Spirit guide your efforts!👍
 
Is the word Purgatory in the Bible? No.
Is it alluded to, even outside of deuterocanon (the apocrypha)? Yes.

The Bible supports prayer for the dead. Let’s consider both sides of this. Someone’s in Heaven or Hell.

Heaven– Woo! They’re already with God and don’t need our prayers
Hell– 😦 They’ve already been damned. No amount of prayer can save them

So by merely advocating for prayer for the dead, the Bible implies the existence of a third state, Purgatory
 
I came across this just yesterday in the bible and thought it was interesting.

[bibledrb]Revelation 20:13[/bibledrb]

If someone is in hell wouldn’t they have already been judged? Is this like the place Jesus went to preach after he died?

[bibledrb]1 Peter 3:18-20[/bibledrb]

Neither of these two references sound like the hell of final judgement. Could it be referring to a third place? A place we might call purgatory. 🤷
 
QNDNNDQDCE said:
I don’t believe that either of those verses refer to Purgatory. The passage from Revelation refers to the General Judgment. The passage from 1 Peter refers to the Limbo of the Fathers.
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I agree that these passages may not be referring to purgatory, but it does sound like some place other than Heaven or Hell. The Protestants I know only believe in two places after dying, I thought these were good examples of a third possibility. I should have left off my last sentence in my first post. You are right, it was not correct.
 
bzkoss236 said:
It’s all over the bible: scripturecatholic.com/purgatory.html
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This is correct.

When one understands the strict requirment that one has to be perfect to enter heaven and behold God face to face, it becomes painfully obvious that a theology with only Heaven and Hell makes no sense.

The earliest Christians understood this intuitively because they were Jews. Jews understand how covenants work. Anyone who studies covenants in the Bible will eventually become aware that a theology with only Heaven and Hell gives most people no place to go.

Purgatory stands out all over the Bible when one understands these things. The problem is that we have to think like the Jews who wrote the Bible and for whom the Bible was written.

-Tim-
 
pablope said:
You will find the Biblical refernces here…catholiceducation.org/articles/apologetics/ap0091.html

If you are looking for the word purgatory…you will not find it in the Bible. The process of cleansing is in the Bible…which is detailed in the link…this process of cleansing was given the name purgatory…to purge…or cleanse.
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Did Jesus or any of the Apostles quote from the Apocrypha? I want to study that. They quoted so much from the Old Testament. Can you send me to some of their quotes of the Apocrypha? I heard that some of those books were written 200 years before Christ. I know we quote a lot from books written 50 or 100 or 200 years ago. There are dozens of word for word quotes of the other Old Testament books by Jesus and Paul and Peter. So they must have quoted the Apocrypha, too.
 
I don’t find Purgatory anywhere in the Scriptures. Even Catholics will admit (if they’re honest) that the Scriptures they point to are “indications”, not “proofs” of the doctrine. Of course, I could point to something like Ex 13:16 and claim that’s an “indication” that we should have the 10 commandments printed on baseball caps and wear them in public.

I would strongly suggest you get hold of the Purgatory debate between Tim Staples (of Catholic Answers) and James White. If you can’t find it in the Catholic Answers bookstore (I wonder why they wouldn’t make it available?), you can definitely find it here. James White has also debated Purgatory with a Catholic Priest (Peter Stravinskas), which is available here. I find it very instructional to listen to them both and see how this doctrine is defended by a priest and an apologist with Catholic Answers.

Hope this helps!

Pax!
 
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yogosans14:
It is in the Apocrypha books I believe…
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There is an “indication” in Maccabbees, but I fail to see how making a sin offering on behalf of men God killed in battle because of their idolatry is relevant (I’ve heard it said that it could have been a venial sin if they didn’t know better, but I would think Jews who MUST learn certain things to complete their bar mitzvah (including the 10 Commandments) would not be ignorant of God’s very strict condemnation of idolatry).

I have also heard a priest (Peter Stravinskas in the Purgatory debate with James White) mention that whether the sin offering was efficacious or not was “neither here nor there”. I disagree. If the offering is not efficacious, then how is it not a tradition of men? If it is efficacious, then why didn’t God mention it when He gave the Law to Moses (just look at all the details that were given about all kinds of offerings). Also, there were some sins that could not be taken care of by a sin offering (like adultery, murder, witchcraft and idolatry).

Again, I recommend getting the Purgatory debates already mentioned and listening to them. Highly educational!
 
Cachonga said:
There is an “indication” in Maccabbees, but I fail to see how making a sin offering on behalf of men God killed in battle because of their idolatry is relevant (I’ve heard it said that it could have been a venial sin if they didn’t know better, but I would think Jews who MUST learn certain things to complete their bar mitzvah (including the 10 Commandments) would not be ignorant of God’s very strict condemnation of idolatry).

I have also heard a priest (Peter Stravinskas in the Purgatory debate with James White) mention that whether the sin offering was efficacious or not was “neither here nor there”. I disagree. If the offering is not efficacious, then how is it not a tradition of men? If it is efficacious, then why didn’t God mention it when He gave the Law to Moses (just look at all the details that were given about all kinds of offerings). Also, there were some sins that could not be taken care of by a sin offering (like adultery, murder, witchcraft and idolatry).

Again, I recommend getting the Purgatory debates already mentioned and listening to them. Highly educational!
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Let me ask…where did God say everything there is to know is in the Bible? Why even have preachings, sermons, bible studies…if everything there is to know is in the Bible?

On purgatory…if you died right now…do you think you are clean enough to make it to heaven?

Do you think you have purged all of your sinful nature to stand in the presence of God? Do you think you are clean enough to stand in the presence of God…knowing, as the Bible says…that there is no sin in heaven?
 
Bodyandblood999 said:
Did Jesus or any of the Apostles quote from the Apocrypha? I want to study that. They quoted so much from the Old Testament. Can you send me to some of their quotes of the Apocrypha? I heard that some of those books were written 200 years before Christ. I know we quote a lot from books written 50 or 100 or 200 years ago. There are dozens of word for word quotes of the other Old Testament books by Jesus and Paul and Peter. So they must have quoted the Apocrypha, too.
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You would need to have a Bible that contains the books in order see the references. Do you have access to one?

cin.org/users/james/files/deutero3.htm
 
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pablope:
Let me ask…where did God say everything there is to know is in the Bible? Why even have preachings, sermons, bible studies…if everything there is to know is in the Bible?
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I certainly agree that not everything is in the Bible (you couldn’t read the Bible and expect to pass a driving test). However, I believe it does contain all that we need to know for salvation and how to live godly, holy lives. However, since the question on this thread is “Is Purgatory in the Bible?”, then it’s more than appropriate to look in Scriptures for the answer, and to point out that it’s not there (except for possible “indications”).
On purgatory…if you died right now…do you think you are clean enough to make it to heaven?
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Interesting question, but not on topic.
Do you think you have purged all of your sinful nature to stand in the presence of God? Do you think you are clean enough to stand in the presence of God…knowing, as the Bible says…that there is no sin in heaven?
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Another interesting question, but also not on topic.
 
Cachonga said:
I certainly agree that not everything is in the Bible (you couldn’t read the Bible and expect to pass a driving test). However, I believe it does contain all that we need to know for salvation and how to live godly, holy lives.

Where does the Bible say this? How did you come to this belief?
However, since the question on this thread is “Is Purgatory in the Bible?”, then it’s more than appropriate to look in Scriptures for the answer, and to point out that it’s not there (except for possible “indications”).
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pablope:
Where does the Bible say this? How did you come to this belief?
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While this is stretching the topic, I will answer it. 2 Tim 3:15 says, “And because from thy infancy thou hast known the holy scriptures, which can instruct thee to salvation, by the faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (DRA) Notice the phrase “the holy scriptures, which can instruct thee to salvation”. Furthermore, we read, “All scripture, inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice, That the man of God may be perfect, furnished to every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16-17 DRA). It seems clear to me that I have good ground to stand on in trusting the Scriptures on matters of salvation and living a godly, holy life.
There are many things that are indications of…not just purgatory.
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And as I pointed out earlier, just because someone can come up with an “indication” of something from Scripture, that doesn’t make it true.
Actually, there are on topic…they are part of why purgatory is…so I will repost my question:
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I strongly disagree. I do not believe in Purgatory because I don’t find it in Scriptures. I do believe that when anyone closes their eyes in this life and opens them in eternity, they will either be in Heaven or Hell (myself included).
 
Cachonga said:
While this is stretching the topic, I will answer it. 2 Tim 3:15 says, “And because from thy infancy thou hast known the holy scriptures, which can instruct thee to salvation, by the faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (DRA) Notice the phrase “the holy scriptures, which can instruct thee to salvation”. Furthermore, we read, “All scripture, inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice, That the man of God may be perfect, furnished to every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16-17 DRA). It seems clear to me that I have good ground to stand on in trusting the Scriptures on matters of salvation and living a godly, holy life.

And as I pointed out earlier, just because someone can come up with an “indication” of something from Scripture, that doesn’t make it true.

I strongly disagree. I do not believe in Purgatory because I don’t find it in Scriptures. I do believe that when anyone closes their eyes in this life and opens them in eternity, they will either be in Heaven or Hell (myself included).
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You don’t believe in purgatory because you don’t think like a first century Jew.

If you thought like a first centry Jew you would read the Bible differently, in the context of first centruy Judaism, and you would understand that a theology with only heaven and hell makes no sense.

The Bible was written by Jews. Study Judaism and jewish culture, especially covenants, and you will see purgatory all over the Bible.

-Tim-
 
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