PURGATORY Confusion

[ChristianWAB]

I’ve been reading through my Bible for quite a while now, but I haven’t been able to find any references to Purgatory yet, so I was hoping that somebody could help me. Since Jesus spoke a LOT about the Kingdom of Heaven (and about Hell), I figured I’d also find his Purgatory teachings, but I haven’t found them yet *(maybe I missed it?). *

So my main question is simply… what part of the Bible teaches about Purgatory? I know that the Catechism says something about it, but they don’t reference any Bible scriptures to lend credibility to their explanation. Thank you (in advance) for any help that you can lend me in understanding the Word of God.

 

[Laud_God]

ChristianWAB:

I know that the Catechism says something about it, but they don’t reference any Bible scriptures to lend credibility to their explanation.

They DO reference Bible scripture.

Read 1030-1032:
1030 All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.

1031 The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.606 The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:607

As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.608

1032 This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: "Therefore [Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin."609 From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God.610 The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead:

Let us help and commemorate them. If Job’s sons were purified by their father’s sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.611

606 Cf. Council of Florence (1439): DS 1304; Council of Trent (1563): DS 1820; (1547):1580; see also Benedict XII, Benedictus Deus (1336): DS 1000.
607 Cf. 1 Cor 3:15; 1 Pet 1:7.
608 St. Gregory the Great, Dial. 4,39L 77,396; cf. Mt 12:31.
609 2 Macc 12:46.
610 Cf. Council of Lyons II (1274): DS 856.
611 St. John Chrysostom, Hom. in 1 Cor. 41,5: PG 61,361; cf. Job 1:5.

 

[Lazerlike42]

First, remember a few things. One, as Catholics (purgatory being a Catholic teaching), we do not rely on Scripture as a total teaching of the faith. Everything that it teaches is completely true and accurate, and it is God inspired. However, it is not held to be a complete and thorough teaching. The New Testament is essentially a collection of letters which were known to be in line with true doctrine and which were known to be composed by Apostles or those very close to them. Say that over the years your grandmother told you story after story about her life. Now imagine that when she died you went through her things and found a diary of hers in which she wrote about all sorts of things that happened in her life. This is essentially what the New Testment is. It would not be correct to say that the only thing that ever happened in her life is what is written in the diary. You of course know that what is written down did in fact happen, but you also know much more than what wrote. It’s the same with Christ, really. As John’s Gospel tells us, He did a lot more than is written down in the Scriptures. In fact, He did so much that it would be almost impossible to stick it all in a book. It is in those other things he did where He taught about Purgatory.

For instance, consider this. We know that Christ taught many things, but spoke mostly in parables throughout His earthly ministry. We also know that after His resurrection He spent 40 days teaching the Apostles about the Kingdom of God. That’s 40 days worth of teaching that simply is not recorded in the Bible. What was He teaching then? I’d say that He was teaching the more advanced truths about the Kingdom than He had taught before. Some say that the various epistles contain these teachings, but this doesn’t make sense because in many of the epistles Paul refers to other letters that he wrote that taught other things which he does not identify. He also refers to teaching Timothy things in person that he does not wish to write in the letter. Also, John does the same thing, in both 2 and 3 John indicating that he has much to say but is going to wait until he arrives in person.

That being said, the Bible does contain some references to Purgatory. Here are some:

In Matthew 12:32, Jesus tells us how the sin against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven in this age or the age to come. This means that there must be some age to come where things will be forgiven. This cannot be Hell, since in Hell nothing can be forgiven any longer. It can neither be Heaven, because in Heaven we will have nothing to be forgiven for. It fits perfectly Purgatory, because it is essentially a place where the minor sins of our lives are forgiven and we are purified of them. This makes even more sense in light of 1st century Jewish culture. Today, this seems like an odd statement from Jesus. He speaks of an age to come, but He does not say anything more about it. He does not identify it, or explain it. Why would He leave us in the dark? The answer is that a Jews have long held the belief that the righteous would be purified after life before they could move on. To the listeners, Jesus is simply referring to the idea that they already know about and that requires no explanation.

In 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, Paul writes about how we are all given the foundation of Christ and must build on it in life. He says that if we build well, we will be rewarded. He then says that if we build poorly (do poor deeds) that we will be saved but only through fire. This has often been cited as a reference to Purgatory. Some argue that it does not refer to this, but they are unable to provide satisfactory alternatives.

More to come…

 

[Lazerlike42]

In 1 Peter 3:19, Peter writes about how Christ went to preach to the spirits in prison. This must be a reference to either Purgatory or to Limbo, both Catholic ideas (Purgatory is a teaching as truth, Limbo is a speculation that is not known to be true or false). The idea that it is Purgatory is especially interesting when compared with Luke 12:59 and Matthew 5:25-26, in which Christ says that we must be careful to make ammends with our brethren lest the judge throws us into prison (as Peter has just called it). Once in prison, we will not be let out until “the last penny is paid.” From the context of the Gospels, we know that Jesus is not talking about actual legal cases. For one, the Greek word for opponent is used elsewhere to refer to Satan. More importantly, this statement is given in the context of Christ telling us that we must reconcile with others before making an offering to God. So what He does is to first tell us to make sure we reconcile with others before we make offerings to God, then He tells us a parable indicating that if we don’t we shall be thrown into prison to pay off our debt. Our debt always ultimately to God. Now Jesus cannot be talking about Hell, because a debt of Hell can never be paid off. However, He doesn’t say we will be thrown into prison “forever” or “for eternity.” He clearly says we will be released when we have paid the full debt. Since there can be no imprisonment in Heaven and there cane be no release from Hell, He must be referring to Purgatory.

In Luke 12:47-48, Jesus speaks about those who sin knowing the Master’s will and those who don’t know it. He says that those who know it and sin will be beaten severely. He says those who don’t know it will be beaten lightly. There are no light beatings in Hell, nor any beatings in Heaven.

Philippians 2:10 speaks of how every knee ought to bend to the Lord on earth, in Heaven, and below the earth. Below the earth cannot mean Hell because nobody in Hell bends his or her knee to the Lord. It can mean Purgatory, where those being purified praise and worship the Lord that they will be with.

I could give you many, many more, but I will simply use my next post to quote from a very thorough website.

 

[Lazerlike42]

www.scripturecatholic.com:

Matt. 5:48 - Jesus says, “be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect.” We are only made perfect through purification, and in Catholic teaching, this purification, if not completed on earth, is continued in a transitional state we call purgatory.

Matt. 12:32 – Jesus says, “And anyone who says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but no one who speaks against the Holy Spirit will be forgiven either in this world or in the next.” Jesus thus clearly provides that there is forgiveness after death. The phrase “in the next” (from the Greek “en to mellonti”) generally refers to the afterlife (see, for example, Mark 10.30; Luke 18.30; 20.34-35; Eph. 1.21 for similar language). Forgiveness is not necessary in heaven, and there is no forgiveness in hell. This proves that there is another state after death, and the Church for 2,000 years has called this state purgatory.

Luke 12:47-48 - when the Master comes (at the end of time), some will receive light or heavy beatings but will live. This state is not heaven or hell, because in heaven there are no beatings, and in hell we will no longer live with the Master.

Luke 16:19-31 - in this story, we see that the dead rich man is suffering but still feels compassion for his brothers and wants to warn them of his place of suffering. But there is no suffering in heaven or compassion in hell because compassion is a grace from God and those in hell are deprived from God’s graces for all eternity. So where is the rich man? He is in purgatory.

1 Cor. 15:29-30 - Paul mentions people being baptized on behalf of the dead, in the context of atoning for their sins (people are baptized on the dead’s behalf so the dead can be raised). These people cannot be in heaven because they are still with sin, but they also cannot be in hell because their sins can no longer be atoned for. They are in purgatory. These verses directly correspond to 2 Macc. 12:44-45 which also shows specific prayers for the dead, so that they may be forgiven of their sin.

Phil. 2:10 - every knee bends to Jesus, in heaven, on earth, and “under the earth” which is the realm of the righteous dead, or purgatory.

2 Tim. 1:16-18 - Onesiphorus is dead but Paul asks for mercy on him “on that day.” Paul’s use of “that day” demonstrates its eschatological usage (see, for example, Rom. 2.5,16; 1 Cor. 1.8; 3.13; 5.5; 2 Cor. 1.14; Phil. 1.6,10; 2.16; 1 Thess. 5.2,4,5,8; 2 Thess. 2.2,3; 2 Tim. 4.8). Of course, there is no need for mercy in heaven, and there is no mercy given in hell. Where is Onesiphorus? He is in purgatory.

Heb. 12:14 - without holiness no one will see the Lord. We need final sanctification to attain true holiness before God, and this process occurs during our lives and, if not completed during our lives, in the transitional state of purgatory.

Heb. 12:23 - the spirits of just men who died in godliness are “made” perfect. They do not necessarily arrive perfect. They are made perfect after their death. But those in heaven are already perfect, and those in hell can no longer be made perfect. These spirits are in purgatory.

1 Peter 3:19; 4:6 - Jesus preached to the spirits in the “prison.” These are the righteous souls being purified for the beatific vision.

Rev. 21:4 - God shall wipe away their tears, and there will be no mourning or pain, but only after the coming of the new heaven and the passing away of the current heaven and earth. Note the elimination of tears and pain only occurs at the end of time. But there is no morning or pain in heaven, and God will not wipe away their tears in hell. These are the souls experiencing purgatory.

Rev. 21:27 - nothing unclean shall enter heaven. The word “unclean” comes from the Greek word “koinon” which refers to a spiritual corruption. Even the propensity to sin is spiritually corrupt, or considered unclean, and must be purified before entering heaven. It is amazing how many Protestants do not want to believe in purgatory. Purgatory exists because of the mercy of God. If there were no purgatory, this would also likely mean no salvation for most people. God is merciful indeed.

Gen. 50:10; Num. 20:29; Deut. 34:8 - here are some examples of ritual prayer and penitent mourning for the dead for specific periods of time. The Jewish understanding of these practices was that the prayers freed the souls from their painful state of purification, and expedited their journey to God.

Zech. 9:11 - God, through the blood of His covenant, will set those free from the waterless pit, a spiritual abode of suffering which the Church calls purgatory.

 

[Lazerlike42]

scripturecatholic.com:

Heb. 12:29 - God is a consuming fire (of love in heaven, of purgation in purgatory, or of suffering and damnation in hell).

1 Cor. 3:10-15 - works are judged after death and tested by fire. Some works are lost, but the person is still saved. Paul is referring to the state of purgation called purgatory. The venial sins (bad works) that were committed are burned up after death, but the person is still brought to salvation. This state after death cannot be heaven (no one with venial sins is present) or hell (there is no forgiveness and salvation).

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.” The phrase for “suffer loss” in the Greek is “zemiothesetai.” The root word is “zemioo” which also refers to punishment. The construction “zemiothesetai” is used in Ex. 21:22 and Prov. 19:19 which refers to punishment (from the Hebrew “anash” meaning “punish” or “penalty”). Hence, this verse proves that there is an expiation of temporal punishment after our death, but the person is still saved. This cannot mean heaven (there is no punishment in heaven) and this cannot mean hell (the possibility of expiation no longer exists and the person is not saved).

1 Cor. 3:15 – further, Paul writes “he himself will be saved, “but only” (or “yet so”) as through fire.” “He will be saved” in the Greek is “sothesetai” (which means eternal salvation). The phrase “but only” (or “yet so”) in the Greek is “houtos” which means “in the same manner.” This means that man is both eternally rewarded and eternally saved in the same manner by fire.

1 Cor. 3:13 - when Paul writes about God revealing the quality of each man’s work by fire and purifying him, this purification relates to his sins (not just his good works). Protestants, in attempting to disprove the reality of purgatory, argue that Paul was only writing about rewarding good works, and not punishing sins (because punishing and purifying a man from sins would be admitting that there is a purgatory).

1 Cor. 3:17 - but this verse proves that the purgation after death deals with punishing sin. That is, destroying God’s temple is a bad work, which is a mortal sin, which leads to death. 1 Cor. 3:14,15,17 - purgatory thus reveals the state of righteousness (v.14), state of venial sin (v.15) and the state of mortal sin (v.17), all of which are judged after death.

1 Peter 1:6-7 - Peter refers to this purgatorial fire to test the fruits of our faith.

Jude 1:23 - the people who are saved are being snatched out of the fire. People are already saved if they are in heaven, and there is no possibility of salvation if they are in hell. These people are being led to heaven from purgatory.

Rev. 3:18-19 - Jesus refers to this fire as what refines into gold those He loves if they repent of their sins. This is in the context of after death because Jesus, speaking from heaven, awards the white garment of salvation after the purgation of fire (both after death).

Dan 12:10 - Daniel refers to this refining by saying many shall purify themselves, make themselves white and be refined.

Wis. 3:5-6 - the dead are disciplined and tested by fire to receive their heavenly reward. This is the fire of purgatory.

Sirach 2:5 - for gold is tested in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation.

Zech. 13:8-9 - God says 2/3 shall perish, and 1/3 shall be left alive, put into the fire, and refined like silver and tested like gold. The ones that perish go to hell, and there is no need for refinement in heaven, so those being refined are in purgatory.

Mal. 3:2-3 - also refers to God’s purification of the righteous at their death.

 

[ChristianWAB]

WOW! Thank you all SO much for your rapid responses. Purgatory has intrigued me immensely since hearing about it (the past churches I’ve attended never taught anything like this). I just want to be sure it’s in the Bible somewhere so that I will know that it comes from God and not from man.