Many Mansions ?

[twinc]

Why many mansions - surely Heaven would be one big mansion for all - in hell will me find many burnt out mansions because of little mortal sins and big mortal sins - twinc

 

[DaveBj]

The whole “mansions” thing comes from a bad 16-17th-century English translation in both the KJV and the D/R–“In my Father’s house are many mansions…” This leads Christians (especially KJV-oriented Protestants) to believe that when they get to Heaven, they are going to have a cool 27-room pad with gold doors and silver window frames. The Greek word is mone (pronounced to rhyme with the name of the French painter Monet), meaning “abode, dwelling place.” Vine’s Expositary Dictionary of New Testament Words" notes, “There is nothing in the word to indicate separate compartments in heaven; neither does it suggest temporary resting places on the road.”

DaveBj

 

[Petergee]

And there is a hierarchy in Heaven just as there is in Hell. Although everyone in Heaven will see God face to face, a great Saint who committed very few and very minor sins will have a much higher place in Heaven than a great sinner who committed countless mortal sins but repented on his deathbed.

 

[Third_Day]

There are different degrees of blessedness in heaven. This is what Jesus is speaking of when he says you will receive a reward 10 fold, 100 fold etc. for your good works. This is what Jesus is speaking about here in Luke 6:38

Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you

In 1 Cor. 15:41 Paul speaks about this “There is one glory for the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars, for star differs from star in glory.”

Martyrs, the saints and others like us who led varying degrees of holy lives will be rewarded in heaven with a fuller knowledge of the beatific vision of God.

St. Augustine says the “rooms” or “mansions” refer to different degrees of rewards in heaven (Tract. 67)

 

[twinc]

The whole “mansions” thing comes from a bad 16-17th-century English translation in both the KJV and the D/R–“In my Father’s house are many mansions…” This leads Christians (especially KJV-oriented Protestants) to believe that when they get to Heaven, they are going to have a cool 27-room pad with gold doors and silver window frames. The Greek word is mone (pronounced to rhyme with the name of the French painter Monet), meaning “abode, dwelling place.” Vine’s Expositary Dictionary of New Testament Words" notes, “There is nothing in the word to indicate separate compartments in heaven; neither does it suggest temporary resting places on the road.”

DaveBj

so how are you accepting the other views/opinions so far - or how is it they are not accepting yours - it seems that on earth we have many teachers - so what have Catholics been taught or not taught - twinc

 

[PJM]

=twinc;6903620]Why many mansions - surely Heaven would be one big mansion for all - in hell will me find many burnt out mansions because of little mortal sins and big mortal sins - twinc

Friend,

This is one of very many metaphorical teachings by Christ. To paint a word-picture of the splendors of heaven. Too encourage rightous living [not easy then; not easy now… “Take up your Cross DAILY and follow Me.”]

**Matt.7: 13 **"Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few. "

 

[The_Scott]

Of course these aren’t literal “mansions” in Heaven, complete with room service and On Demand.

But I always interpreted this metaphor as a way for us humans to familiarize the abstract thought of Heaven. Imagining it as something like neighborhood of mansions is much easier than thinking of the metaphysical aspects of the soul and its state at the death of the body.

 

[John7]

Same word ‘mone’ (see post #2) is found a few verses down in chap 14 (except in vs23 its singular),

John 14:23 “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”

These are the only 2 places ‘mone’ is found in NT

He and the Father just make an abode inside the Christian,
they don’t build some kind of structure inside them that resembles a house (at least I don’t think they do ) .

BDAG lists ‘mone’

1. state of remaining in an area, staying, tarrying
2. a place in which one stays, dwelling(-place), room, abode

‘mone’ has to do with Grk word ‘meno’
a verb which means to remain, stay, abide, tarry

 

[twinc]

So John where do we go from here except that "in my Father’s house there are no mansions at all.at all,at all - twinc

 

[John7]

So John where do we go from here except that "in my Father’s house there are no mansions at all.at all,at all - twinc

well no twinc, I think you have mixed up John 14:2 and 14:23
in verse 2: much room, many abodes
in verse 23: an abode

man•sion \ˈman(t)-shən\ n
[ME, fr. AF, fr. L mansion-, mansio, fr. manēre to remain, dwell; [COLOR=“Blue”]akin to Gk menein to remain] 14c
1 a obs : the act of remaining or dwelling : stay
b archaic : dwelling, abode
2 a (1) : manor house
(2) : a large imposing residence
b : a separate apartment or lodging in a large structure
3 a : house 3b
b : one of the 28 parts into which the moon’s monthly course through the heavens is divided

Merriam-Webster, I. (2003). Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary. Includes index. (Eleventh ed.). Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, Inc.

Mansion as in #1 in MW’s dictionary entry, not necessarily # 2or 3 of the entry

Absolutely there is much room, many abodes, places of abiding in the Father’s house…

So what is the Father’s house? I don’t really know but maybe these verses relate:

Revelation 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it

John 2:21 But he (Jesus) spake of the temple of his body.

 

[Petergee]

so how are you accepting the other views/opinions so far - or how is it they are not accepting yours - it seems that on earth we have many teachers - so what have Catholics been taught or not taught - twinc

“The souls of the perfectly just clearly behold the Triune and One God as He is, but corresponding to the difference of their merits, the one more perfectly than the other”.

• Ecumenical Council of Florence, D693

“The justified man merits an increase of the Heavenly glory by his good works.”

• Ecumenical Council of Trent, D842

Unfortunately you are correct that some Catholics have sadly been incorrectly taught, at least by implication, that everybody in Heaven is equal and shares equally in the eternal dignity and glory.

 

[DaveBj]

so how are you accepting the other views/opinions so far - or how is it they are not accepting yours - it seems that on earth we have many teachers - so what have Catholics been taught or not taught - twinc

You’ll have to de-garble that question before I can answer it.

For the record, I do believe in degrees of reward in Heaven. What I don’t believe in is the concept of literal “mansions” lining the golden streets, as is described in many Protestant/Evangelical visions of Heaven. I didn’t believe that, even when I was a Protestant Evangelical.

DaveBj

 

[love2learn]

“The souls of the perfectly just clearly behold the Triune and One God as He is, but corresponding to the difference of their merits, the one more perfectly than the other”.

• Ecumenical Council of Florence, D693

“The justified man merits an increase of the Heavenly glory by his good works.”

• Ecumenical Council of Trent, D842

Unfortunately you are correct that some Catholics have sadly been incorrectly taught, at least by implication, that everybody in Heaven is equal and shares equally in the eternal dignity and glory.

Then what does Purgatory accomplish if when you leave that state you are still not as pure as others in Heaven?

 

[FCEGM]

Then what does Purgatory accomplish if when you leave that state you are still not as pure as others in Heaven?

love2, each soul in Heaven is pure; there is no degree of sinfulness there. What is being discussed is the degree of blessedness. (Think of sparkling-clean crystal stemware, but each of a different capacity.) Purgatory accomplishes the full death to self (to become one’s true self) so as to live for God. Then, having entered into the Beatific Vision, each soul enjoys the glory of that Vision to the degree to which it conformed in this life to the life of Christ, with the Blessed Mother enjoying the highest degree of any human of the Beatific Vision.

 

[lome]

Why many mansions - surely Heaven would be one big mansion for all - in hell will me find many burnt out mansions because of little mortal sins and big mortal sins - twinc

We were told that the source of all goodness is God.
Yes there are hierarchies in heaven .About the many mansion?
To me…God is not only a loving God, a merciful God but also a “JUST GOD”
Those who cross the veil doing Good while alive who haven’t heard about Jesus Christ
but nevertheless followed their good conscience are acceptable to him…again the levels varies. there are small cups,big cups but if all are full,everyone is content.

Like what our Lord said,Only the Father knows who is going to be seated on his right or left…
but for a Catholic who return to him triumphant over Satan will See God…

 

[antonabe]

When one reads the Book of Poems the Dark Night of the Soul by St John of the Cross the idea of many Mansions after death becomes clearer.First of all we are talking about the existance in the Spiritual world as against the material concept of Chambers.According to St John the Soul reaches degrees of purity on earth and if there is repentance on earth could attain purity aftter death like the Saints.However we sinners are subject to the gradual purification when we do penance for our Sins and if we fail to reach to reach the degree of purity that makes us fully qualified to be in the presence of God we will have to undergo a bout of purification after death.St John says that suffering is the furnace of triblation,Just as much as Gold and Silver are refined by heat suffering purifies ones soul.That is we are undergoing purging for our sins and that is how thew word purgatory came into being.This may be the answer to the existance of many chambers in the Spirit world

 

[Petergee]

love2, each soul in Heaven is pure; there is no degree of sinfulness there. What is being discussed is the degree of blessedness. (Think of sparkling-clean crystal stemware, but each of a different capacity.) Purgatory accomplishes the full death to self (to become one’s true self) so as to live for God. Then, having entered into the Beatific Vision, each soul enjoys the glory of that Vision to the degree to which it conformed in this life to the life of Christ, with the Blessed Mother enjoying the highest degree of any human of the Beatific Vision.

Or to use another analogy which made sense to me: Each soul in Heaven is like a cup which God fills to the brim with His blessedness. But during their earthly lives each of them did varying amounts of spiritual exercise to stretch his cup to a greater capacity.