Purgatory Vs. Blood Atonement

[Michael_G]

First let me explain I firmly blieve that the church is right in its teachings on purgatory from both Scripture, Church Fathers and Authority of the Church. This teaching has been taught by the church from the get go, and there are only three churches which teach Purgatory, Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church and Jewish Church although they have a different name for the concept of Purgatory. That being said, I have a question which I have never seen an adequate explaination. The Catholic Church teaches just as all Christian church teach that Christ Passion and Death on the Cross for the atonement of sins and the redemption of Man.

If Christ paid the penalty of our sins,the blood atonement, then it seems to me Purgatory can be considered a contradiction. If Jesus’s atonement for sins is not complete as to require Purgatory do we not have a contradiction in the teachings of the Church? How can these two teachings be reconciled. Bare in mind here that the Church teaches that Purgatory is for both cleansing of the soul, cleansing the soul of attachments to the world and or sin, but also to make satisfaction for sins committed.

 

[petra]

First let me explain I firmly blieve that the church is right in its teachings on purgatory from both Scripture, Church Fathers and Authority of the Church. This teaching has been taught by the church from the get go, and there are only three churches which teach Purgatory, Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church and Jewish Church although they have a different name for the concept of Purgatory. That being said, I have a question which I have never seen an adequate explaination. The Catholic Church teaches just as all Christian church teach that Christ Passion and Death on the Cross for the atonement of sins and the redemption of Man.

If Christ paid the penalty of our sins,the blood atonement, then it seems to me Purgatory can be considered a contradiction. If Jesus’s atonement for sins is not complete as to require Purgatory do we not have a contradiction in the teachings of the Church? How can these two teachings be reconciled. Bare in mind here that the Church teaches that Purgatory is for both cleansing of the soul, cleansing the soul of attachments to the world and or sin, but also to make satisfaction for sins committed.

The distinction that needs to be made is that there is a difference between spiritual/eternal consequences of sin and material/temporal consequences of sin. Christ’s atonement completely deals with the spiritual and eternal consequences. But even if one is completely forgiven by God, there may be remaining temporal consequences. Restitution and pennance may be required to remit temporal effects of sin. If you steal something and are forgiven by God, you don’t get to keep what you stole. You must give it back or repay the victim somehow. If you slander someone, you need to correct the misrepresentation and mitigate the damage.

The Bible says that God is not mocked, whatever a man sows he will reap. There are temporal consequences for sin. But not all consequences are immediately felt. Any temporal consequences that are deferred—either by avoidance or chance—are dealt with in Purgatory. Penance is a voluntary submission to suffering that results from sin, which minimizes the need for later cleansing in Purgatory.

I recommend Jimmy Akin’s book, The Salvation Controversy. He explains the difference between temporal and eternal effects of sin very well.

 

[Church_Militant]

Michael G

Perhaps you need to have a careful look at This Thread.

There is no contradiction in Purgatory. Just poor understanding.
Pax tecum,

 

[Alexius]

First let me explain I firmly blieve that the church is right in its teachings on purgatory from both Scripture, Church Fathers and Authority of the Church. This teaching has been taught by the church from the get go, and there are only three churches which teach Purgatory, Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church and Jewish Church although they have a different name for the concept of Purgatory. That being said, I have a question which I have never seen an adequate explaination. The Catholic Church teaches just as all Christian church teach that Christ Passion and Death on the Cross for the atonement of sins and the redemption of Man.

If Christ paid the penalty of our sins,the blood atonement, then it seems to me Purgatory can be considered a contradiction. If Jesus’s atonement for sins is not complete as to require Purgatory do we not have a contradiction in the teachings of the Church? How can these two teachings be reconciled. Bare in mind here that the Church teaches that Purgatory is for both cleansing of the soul, cleansing the soul of attachments to the world and or sin, but also to make satisfaction for sins committed.

Well, actually Orthodox Catholics have a different concept of Purgatory itself. The term Purgatory, is used by Latin Catholics and dates to the Scholastic period. Orthodox and Eastern Catholics commonly use the term “final theosis” to refer to the purification one receives upon entering Heaven. This is not always seen as a literal fire, but is not the less a true cleansing. This is not seen by Orthodox as a way of satisfying God’s justice and wrath, but rather a spiritual glorifying of the body for approachment of the throne of the King. Now I am sure we’ve had this discussion before…

Prayers and petitions,
Alexius