M
Minks
Guest
@tgGodswaySure Minks. What did the Apostles teach concerning the believer after they leave this earth? This is the question. Catholic teaching tells us most of them go to a place called Purgatory.
There isn’t even an elusion to such an idea among the inner circle of Apostles and Christ. When it came to eternal life, Jesus said it this way: "He who hears my word and believes him who sent ME, has eternal life and does not come into (a sinner’s) judgment, but has passed out of death into life. John 5:24.
Hence eternal life is already possessed when you believe in Jesus. The same can be said of the thief on the cross, and also the words of the Apostle Paul who did not anticipate any such idea of purgatory when He said, “Yes we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” 2 Cor. 5:8.
In answer to the question: What must I do to be saved, Paul said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.” Acts. 16:31. Notice what he didn’t say: He didn’t say, believe and confess your sins to a priest, do penance, or said anything about purgatory.
Peter the alleged founder of the CC declared, "Christ also suffered for sins ONCE, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God. (1st. Pet. 3:18.) Hence we cannot be made to suffer for that sin a second time. His suffering was sufficient and therefore supreme. Nor can God remember our sins, see Hebrews 10:17.
There are many more passages all pointing away for this idea of purgatory by the first-hand witnesses to the resurrection.
If you choose to spurn the Biblical references to purification of your soul before entering heaven, that’s your call . . . and your soul that is at stake.
If you choose to ignore the Church set up to Christ’s specifications, that, too, is your choice. Since you apparently think Christ was joking when He told Peter about binding and loosing here on earth and about forgiving or retaining sins, it would be interesting to hear how loudly you laugh at Christ on your judgment day. Good luck with that.
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