Particular Judgment Denial

[FrancesDS]

A Protestant pastor and I were discussing the next life (purgatory, last four things). This is what he wrote.

Pastor: “Ever since Christ’s resurrection souls at death either go to be with Christ in heaven (2 Cor 5; Phil 1:23; et al) or into a “place of torment” in the underworld (Sheol/Hades) (Luke 16:22ff).
From those two realms souls wait for Christ’s return at which point the resurrection of the righteous and the wicked (Acts 24:15; et al) will take place preceding the final judgment (the Judgement seat of Christ/God) (Rev 20:11-15; et al).
By saying souls need to be purged to enter heaven, you are confusing “heaven” with the new heavens and the new earth/the New Jerusalem which Revelation clearly distinguishes. Revelation 21 is referring to the latter not the former which comes “out of heaven” to the earth. Unjudged elect souls will enter heaven to be with Christ after death, but will go through the purging fires of the Judgement (if you will) before entering into the New Jerusalem, the Eternal City.”

How would I defend our teaching of the particular judgment?
Another difficulty is that I think he, like some other Protestants, holds our first judgment occurs on the cross with Christ (so once we are justified by faith we have been judged) and then we die and our with the Lord and then await the Final Judgment.
How can I respond?
Thank you!

 

[mike52ad]

Every sin that ever was committed or will be committed was forgiven through the death of Jesus on the Cross. With that being said, the effects of the sins we commit remain for us to atone for. For example, if you steal a million dollars from your employer and you go to confession, you will be forgiven of the sin but you will have to return the money. Also, your sin is forgiven but the spiritual sickness that caused you to commit the sin is still on your soul, you are attached to money and material things. If you died right then, you would have to release yourself from the attachment to material things before you yourself would feel ready to enter heaven. You would chose in effect to clean yourself up. When I was a boy, our life in the summer time revolved around baseball. We had a vacant field across from my house and that field was our softball field. One day, I was at bat and I swung and for the first and only time while we used that field the ball tipped off of the bat and broke a window in the house next to the field. I was very soon the only boy standing in the field, bat in hand. The man who lived in the house came out and said not to worry. He measured the window, went to the hardware store, purchased a piece of glass and before you knew it, the window was fixed. He turned to me, handed me the receipt from the hardware store and asked me to please ask my parents for the money. I looked at the receipt, it was for five dollars! My allowance was a quarter a week so five dollars was a huge sum! I went to my father and he did not holler, he said accidents happen and he gave me the five dollars and told me that I could pay him back by doing some extra chores around the house. The man with the broken window, forgave me, he fixed the window and he was repaid for the problem. Everyone was happy. But I still had to make up for the hit that the family budget took and had to do extra chores. This is why there is a purgatory. It is the place we will go to take care of the temporal effects of the sins we have committed.

As for the particular judgement, I believe in it with my whole hart. I believe that when we stand before Jesus we will offer no excuse, we will just confess how and where we failed and then He will allow us to choose where we will spend eternity. For most of us, we will beg for the opportunity to go to purgatory, to prepare ourselves to be with God, face to face. The particular judgement will have immediate effect and we will receive what we deserve, tempered by the mercy of God.

 

[FrancesDS]

Thank you for the reply. This pastor surprisingly does believe in the process of purgation in the next life so explaining that is not the difficulty. (Though oddly he believes this purgation happens on the last day before the final judgment and before the creation of the new heavens and new earth.) So, though I find much in scripture about the general judgment on the last day, I’m needing help explaining and defending our belief in the particular judgment that occurs immediately after death and that is distinct from the general judgment.

 

[Vico]

…

Particular Judgment is included in:

• The Union Decree of Eugene IV (1439).
• The profession of faith of Michael Palaeologus in 1274, in the Bull “Benedictus Deus” of Benedict XII, in 1336, and in the professions of faith of Gregory XIII and Benedict XIV.
• Lazarus and Dives as receive their respective rewards immediately after death. (Luke 16:19–31)
• “This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).
• St. Paul believes death is the entrance into his reward. (2 Corinthians 5).
• Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 11:28-29 speaks of a retribution at the hour of death.

 

[mike52ad]

Sorry for all the wind in my reply, sometimes when I get started, I don’t know when to quit. As to the particular judgment start at Hebrews 9:27 “It is appointed for man to die once and after that comes the judgment.” and 1 Cor 3: 8 “Each one will receive his pay according to his works.”

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

The Particular Judgment 1021 Death puts an end to human life as the time open to either accepting or rejecting the divine grace manifested in Christ.592 The New Testament speaks of judgment primarily in its aspect of the final encounter with Christ in his second coming, but also repeatedly affirms that each will be rewarded immediately after death in accordance with his works and faith. The parable of the poor man Lazarus and the words of Christ on the cross to the good thief, as well as other New Testament texts speak of a final destiny of the soul—a destiny which can be different for some and for others.593 1022 Each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death, in a particular judgment that refers his life to Christ: either entrance into the blessedness of heaven—through a purification594 or immediately,595—or immediate and everlasting damnation.596 At the evening of life, we shall be judged on our love.597
Notes:
591 OCF, Prayer of Commendation. 592 Cf. 2 Tim 1:9-10. 593 Cf. Lk 16:22; 23:43; Mt 16:26; 2 Cor 5:8; Phil 1:23; Heb 9:27; 12:23
594 Cf. Council of Lyons II (1274): DS 857-858; Council of Florence (1439): DS 1304-1306; Council of Trent (1563): DS 1820. 595 Cf. Benedict XII, Benedictus Deus (1336): DS 1000-1001; John XXII, Ne super his (1334): DS 990. 596 Cf. Benedict XII, Benedictus Deus (1336): DS 1002. 597 St. John of the Cross, Dichos 64

Hope this helps. I noticed in the Catholic Encyclopedia article that the pastor’s idea is not particularly new or novel. The article is pretty good, just search for “particular judgment” it is worth the time to read it.

 

[blanchardman]

1Corinthians 3:13-15 speaks of this. In the NAB in the footnotes it says the “day” is “the
great day of Yahweh”. The day of the final judgment.
It also says that Paul did not “envisage” purgatory.