Where in Scripture does it say Purgatory exist?

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I’m a Protestant thinking of becoming Catholic but I’m not sure about Purgatory. I can’t really find that much about it in my Bible. I mean no disrespect by my question in fact I really like the Catholic Church. I greatly admire their stand on Pro-Life issues. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
Jason54321 said:
I’m a Protestant thinking of becoming Catholic but I’m not sure about Purgatory. I can’t really find that much about it in my Bible. I mean no disrespect by my question in fact I really like the Catholic Church. I greatly admire their stand on Pro-Life issues. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
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Jason:

The first place you might want to start is with the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC for short). It’s actually online. If you have more questions, then ask your question in the Apologetics forum. The philosophy forum is really for the purpose of digging human beings out from under conundrums.

That said, if you wait awhile, you’ll probably get some answers here too.🙂

JD
 
Jason54321 said:
I’m not sure about Purgatory. I can’t really find that much about it in my Bible.
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From Purgatory:
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines purgatory as a “purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven,” which is experienced by those “who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified” (CCC 1030). It notes that “this final purification of the elect . . . is entirely different from the punishment of the damned” (CCC 1031).
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The purification is necessary because, as Scripture teaches, nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in heaven (Rev. 21:27) and, while we may die with our mortal sins forgiven, there can still be many impurities in us, specifically venial sins and the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven.
…
Christ refers to the sinner who “will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come” (Matt. 12:32), suggesting that one can be freed after death of the consequences of one’s sins. Similarly, Paul tells us that, when we are judged, each man’s work will be tried. And what happens if a righteous man’s work fails the test? “He will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire” (1 Cor 3:15). Now this loss, this penalty, can’t refer to consignment to hell, since no one is saved there; and heaven can’t be meant, since there is no suffering (“fire”) there. The Catholic doctrine of purgatory alone explains this passage.
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Also check out The Roots of Purgatory.
 
Purgatory in the Bible!
1 Corinthians 3:13-15
“But if someone’s work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, 8 but only as through fire.”
Can’t go to Hell and still be saved, No more testing needed in Heaven, so where could they be?

Matthew 12:32
“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.”
We can be forgiven in the Age to Come? Again no forgiveness in Hell, and no need in Heaven.

Just my ,02 cents. Oh no, I’m original at all, there is a great talk and even better booklet bible study on biblechristian.com. Under booklets, Mary and Purgatory. Cheers! HTH
 
Purgatory as it’s been explained to me, is probably one of the concepts that is within the catholic christian tradition that I most agree with.

It’s not “in” scripture, it’s a result of interpretation as are most things religious.
 
Jason,

Purgatory is so easy!

Does the Christian faith teach that we are now perfect, without sin or inclination to sin? I’m sure you will say “no”.

Does the Christian faith teach that in heaven we will be perfect, without sin or inclination to sin? I’m sure you will say “yes”.

What causes the change, a change which must happen before we enter heaven? It is simply the process which the Church calls Purgatory. It is God’s final mercy to those who have been saved. He finishes the perfection, the detachment from sin that we should have been working on in life, but may not (probably not!) have completed before our death.

The funny little secret is that every non-Catholic Christian also believes in Purgatory, even if they don’t use the name.
 
Jason54321 said:
I’m a Protestant thinking of becoming Catholic but I’m not sure about Purgatory. I can’t really find that much about it in my Bible. I mean no disrespect by my question in fact I really like the Catholic Church. I greatly admire their stand on Pro-Life issues. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
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I usually explain it the way VociMike did in #9 where you can see we have to be purified before entering heaven. You might also want to search what C.S. Lewis wrote about Purgatory. He believed in it and was not Catholic, but a great Christian apologist though.
 
VociMike said:
Jason,

Purgatory is so easy!

Does the Christian faith teach that we are now perfect, without sin or inclination to sin? I’m sure you will say “no”.

Does the Christian faith teach that in heaven we will be perfect, without sin or inclination to sin? I’m sure you will say “yes”.

What causes the change, a change which must happen before we enter heaven? It is simply the process which the Church calls Purgatory. It is God’s final mercy to those who have been saved. He finishes the perfection, the detachment from sin that we should have been working on in life, but may not (probably not!) have completed before our death.

The funny little secret is that every non-Catholic Christian also believes in Purgatory, even if they don’t use the name.
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Guess what as well - all of us will end up in Purgatorty (the saved) for the cleansing through the “cool” fire). We will look up and see the millions of the souls of the babies killed by abortion as well as the souls of the children who died - remember - Jesus said that the eyes of these children will behold the angels. When we are as pure and loving as these - then the process will be complete.
 
brownjt said:
Guess what as well - all of us will end up in Purgatorty (the saved) for the cleansing through the “cool” fire). We will look up and see the millions of the souls of the babies killed by abortion as well as the souls of the children who died - remember - Jesus said that the eyes of these children will behold the angels. When we are as pure and loving as these - then the process will be complete.
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Thanks VociMIke and Brownjt and everyone. This greatly helps. Do we spend a long time in purgatory depending on how bad we’ve been or is it simply an instantaneous process for those who are believers?
 
It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins. (2 Maccabees 12:46)
 
Hebrews 12:29
Code: 
    for our God is a consuming fire.
**Matthew 5:48 **
"Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

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.

**Revelation 21:27 **

and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

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.

1 Corinthians 3
12Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,

13each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.

14If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.

15If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

“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).

Daniel 12:10
10 Many shall be chosen, and made white, and shall be tried as fire: and the wicked shall deal wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the learned shall understand.

Daniel refers to this refining by saying many shall purify themselves, make themselves white and be refined.

**Sirach 2:5 **

5 For gold and silver are tried in the fire, but acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation.

From Scripture Catholic on Purgatory
scripturecatholic.com/purgatory.html
 
brownjt said:
pretty flippant sounding and somewhat self-righteous tone!
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I am sure that the accompanying smiley was intended to diffuse that. After all, the OP stated, “I’m a Protestant thinking of becoming Catholic but I’m not sure about Purgatory. I can’t really find that much about it in my Bible.”

From Purgatory (emphasis mine):
Then, of course, there is the Bible’s approval of prayers for the dead: “In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view; for if he were not expecting the dead to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin” (2 Macc. 12:43–45). Prayers are not needed by those in heaven, and no one can help those in hell. That means some people must be in a third condition, at least temporarily. This verse so clearly illustrates the existence of purgatory that, at the time of the Reformation, Protestants had to cut the books of the Maccabees out of their Bibles in order to avoid accepting the doctrine.
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If the OP’s Bible doesn’t have the books of the Maccabees, no wonder he can’t find much about Pugatory in it! 🙂
 
Erich said:
I am sure that the accompanying smiley was intended to diffuse that. After all, the OP stated, “I’m a Protestant thinking of becoming Catholic but I’m not sure about Purgatory. I can’t really find that much about it in my Bible.”

From Purgatory (emphasis mine):

If the OP’s Bible doesn’t have the books of the Maccabees, no wonder he can’t find much about Pugatory in it! 🙂
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I guess not - there you go - I am a catholic in training - and never saw that book either…I will llok tonite though…🙂

So when we are doing all the things we are supposed to be doctrinally with salvation, etc…I say most of us if not all will be in purgatory…
 
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