Purgatory in scripture

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Where are some passages in scripture that help to illustrate the concept of purgatory? I know that Maccabees has a good one but I was looking for places outside the deuterocanonicals so I can share them with some protestant friends. Please list whatever you think would be helpful and add whatever details needed. Thank you!
 
the Catechism of the Catholic Church cites various texts
CCC1030-1032:
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
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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:
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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
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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. 4,39:PL 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.

link
 
Curious_Hobbit said:
Where are some passages in scripture that help to illustrate the concept of purgatory? I know that Maccabees has a good one but I was looking for places outside the deuterocanonicals so I can share them with some protestant friends. Please list whatever you think would be helpful and add whatever details needed. Thank you!
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scripturecatholic.com/purgatory.html

Here is a link you may find Interesting.
 
Curious_Hobbit said:
Where are some passages in scripture that help to illustrate the concept of purgatory? I know that Maccabees has a good one but I was looking for places outside the deuterocanonicals so I can share them with some protestant friends. Please list whatever you think would be helpful and add whatever details needed. Thank you!
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Hi Curious Hobbit,

I love your name!!!

There is a lot of scripture to support Purgatory. I wrote a short article on it and you can see it at: www.catholicwifeandmom.blogspot.com

Even better, there is a site called www.scripturecatholic.com where I got some of my information.

God bless you!
 
Curious_Hobbit said:
Where are some passages in scripture that help to illustrate the concept of purgatory?
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The idea of Purgatory is a little more subtle than just pointing to it in the Bible and saying, “See, there it is.” It has to do with Jesus’ and John’s teaching on mortal and venial sin and the strict requirement that nothing unclean or perfectly holy will enter Heaven. I posted a three part article about it here.

You can reference Jesus’ own words that there is forgiveness in an "age to come."

*And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. (Matthew 12:31)*You can also point to Paul’s discription of Heaven which includes a reference to those who are already just but have subsequently been made perfect.

*No, you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering, and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made perfect, (Hebrews 12:22-23)*Paul’s remarks in 1 Corinthains make absolutely no sense in a Heaven and Hell only theology.

If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, the work of each will come to light, for the Day will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire (itself) will test the quality of each one’s work. If the work stands that someone built upon the foundation, that person will receive a wage. But if someone’s work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire. (1 Corinthains 3:12-13)

When taken together with Jesus’ teaching about a relative gradation of sin, only one of which is immediately punishable by “The Hell of fire” (Matthew 5:22) and John’s subsequent teaching about mortal and venial sin (1 John 5:16-17), together with the strict requirement in the book of revelation that nothing unclean will enter heaven (Revelation 21:27) and that we must all strive “for that holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14), there is a compelling case for Purgatory.

It might be better just to say, “You know, I really don’t want to talk about Purgatory right now. Do you guys believe that Mary is your Mother?” and then point to Revelation 12:27 to establish the truth of one Catholic doctrine that Evangelical Protestants flat out deny - Mary as the mother of all Christians.

If you do argue Purgatory, you need to have a little time and you can’t do it with someone who does the machine gun bible verse technique just to beat you down. You need to put forth your case that these verses make the most sense in a theology with Heaven, Hell and some other place where “The spirits of the just” can be “made perfect” such as the Catholic dogma of purgatory. Then simply ask them what these verses mean if they don’t mean purgatory. How is one saved in an “Age to come?” How are sinners to get into Heaven if they are not perfectly clean? What the heck is Paul talking about when he says people will suffer loss, be saved, but only through fire?

You have to establish the reasonableness of the Catholic position and then put the onus on the Protestant to tell you what those verses mean, if not Purgatory. They have to come up with something better. The goal is not to convince them. The goal is to leave them their dignity but let them walk away thinking, “Wow, could a place like Purgatory really exist???” Could those crazy Catholics really be right???

-Tim-
 
Hey guys thanks for all the links! I read your blog posts and they were very helpful! I’m not in a bible verse quoting battle with my friend, it was just a sincere question of why Catholics believe in purgatory.

In 2 Tim 16-18, is Onesiphorus definitely dead or is it unsure?.

In 1 Cor. 15:29-30, what does it mean when they are baptizing themselves for the dead?

St. Pauls house building analogy was pretty helpful and so was Jesus saying “forgiven in this age or the age to come”.
 
I also wrote a short piece on Purgatory entitled Yes Virginia, there is a Purgatory. While I applaud you trying to defend the faith using Scripture, remember that we are not shackled to Scripture Alone, as most Protestants are.
 
May I suggest buying the book, “The Biblical Basis for Purgatory” by John Salza. Published by Saint Benedict Press, LLC North Carolina, ISBN 978=1-935302-17-9 ($14.95)

Its an excellent read.
 
I agree we are not shackled to Scripture as the Protestents but when you dialogue with them, at first anyhow you have to start from the base they know and the one they are going to use for reference, which to them is going to be only Scripture. So I say start there but as another posted suggested steer things in such a way that requires them to think. That is only possible with someone who is asking an honest,sincere question. With Protestents that are hard-core anti-Catholic that probably won`twork.
 
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