Why do Protestants object to Purgatory?

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To tell you the truth, when this was brought up in RCIA, this is what happened.

Set the scene. 20 x 30 room. Chairs lined lengthwise pointed towards the front center portion of the room. The priest looks just like George Castanza (sp?) from Seifeld. He took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes, sighed, and went into trying to explain it for some.

He was excellent teacher. Understanding the principle is easy. But what are you always told to do when confronted with something difficult. You turn to your Bible. Where is something that provides even somewhat conclusive proof for this? There isn’t any.
That’s what I did at first…I questioned everything just by looking into the Bible myself. Then I discovered oral tradition, which the Bible DOES speak about and supports. I learned about what the Early Church Fathers taught. Some of these guys were disciple of the Apostles themselves. I mean, how reliable a source is that? The things that are not so clear in Scripture are made known to us by the Holy Spirit working through the Church. Jesus promised that the Spirit of Truth would lead us into all truth, and God doesn’t lie. I understood then WHY something like Purgatory was believed in, and I looked into it, and I tell you brother, I never looked back after that. It made sense and what I thought the Church taught about Purgatory was wrong. You say it’s not in the Bible? Fine. Neither is worshipping on Sunday. Neither is the idea of the Trinity. Why do we do these things if they are not in the Bible? And don’t tell me they are because they are not explicit readings. The readings only hint at these crucial areas. That’s why we use readings in the Bible to support Purgatory…they hint at it.
Oh, and your earlier comment about why go to confession if there’s a Purgatory? Right there you’re totally not understanding the role of the Sacrament of Confession. Purgatory is not us going through a repentant phase from sin after death…Purgatory is a cleansing of our souls from the sins that have hurt us during life. Even though our sins have been forgiven by God through Christ, we still feel the EFFECTS of the sins we had committed during our one and only chance. These effects are what are removed, and that may hurt since we’re so used to them. We will struggle with sin for the rest of our lives. When our lives have ended, we will finally be free of the struggle…Praise God, all due to His Death and Ressurection, we have been set free from the bondage of our sins. When we die will be set free from it’s effects…get it?
-P7
 
Now watch Apo come out and say…

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
 
That has to be some of the most screwed up reasoning I have ever seen.
  1. Purgatory is not a lie.
  2. It creates no “false sense of security”, since in order to even make it to Purgatory you have to already be judged to be going to heaven and there is nothing whatever in the Purgatorial teachings of the Catholic faith that would even remotely imply that a grave and flagrant sinner would get some sort of alleged “second chance” to get right with God at that point. Only the ignorant will even make a case for that.How do you figger, trigger? Only someone ignorant of the cleansing fire of the love of Almighty God would make such a statement. What does the Word of God say? “For our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:29) To be imperfect and to be in His presence may be all the Purgatory that any of us ever need, but the suffering of that exposure to pure goodness may very well be the most excruciating pain we ever experience.
Look at 1st Corinthians 3:13 Every man’s work shall be manifest; for the day of the Lord shall declare it, because it shall be revealed in fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abide, which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work burn, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire. Rationalizations all and all based on fallacious presumption upon God’s mercy and grace. Since they are fallacious (and unscriptural) then only the unconverted will try to make use of them.
Fallacious reasoning that the reality will very quickly dispel.That’s crazy as hell and that kind of reasoning is precisely what will send people there.
Who cares…it’s wrong anyway…
Been there and done that.
Thank you for sending a verse to discuss, but you’ve taken it out of context. Don’t just pick a single verse out of a passage and think you can understand it.

1 Corithians 3:11-15 (I love these verses)

11For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire

Our foundation is our belief in Christ, pretty clear by passage 11. We grow in our faith in Christ through our works. (faith without works is dead - James 2:14).
12 I think we’d agree that anyone who believes in Christ will perform works and not boast about it (Eph 2:8-9). The works are the elements that we do.
13 The fire represents the judgment of God according to our works. Rev 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. Not to mention we will all have to confess our sins before God at the judgment.
14 Those works that were of Christ will survive the fire and our rewards will be great.
15 Those works which were burned up, they were not of Christ. We don’t receive the rewards of God.
So the fire (judgment) reveals the Godliness of our works. We’ll still be saved for we have accepted Christ and tried to live according to his teaching.

This certainly makes more sense then the purgatory theory. Not to mention, it’s supports and parallels other scripture.
 
I will add this as well. It shows somewhat the neccessity of Purgatory.

Twins are separated at birth and are put up for adoption.

Twin A gets adopted by a pious Christian family. Twin A accepts Jesus as his Lord and Savior and lives a pious life.

Twin B gets adopted by a non Christian family. Twin B lives a sinful life.

70 years pass since birth.

Twin A and Twin B end up in the Hospital on their death bed in the same room. Twin A tells Twin B about Jesus. Twin B accepts Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.

1 minute later, Twin A and Twin B die.

Obviously we could say that Twin A goes to heaven. Whether or not Twin A passed thru the state of Purification is not the issue.

Twin B?

From a Protestant viewpoint, They say that both would end up in Heaven at heaven to stand before God at the same time.

I see a problem with this. This belief says I can live a sinful life and continue so as long a I at some point before death repent for my sins and ask for forgiveness provided I don’t get taken out of this life in a untimely manner such as an Automobile accident, Heart Attack, etc, etc, etc.

Twin A has never known Sin. Twin B has known Sin all his life.

The wages of Sin is death. Where does the death part come into play for one that has sinned all his life and by chance happens to get saved just prior to death?

Purification removes this problem. Twin B has a lot of straw, hay, and thistle to be burned away.

Of course there is no way to determine how long this purification takes place. Could be 1 millionth of second or could last until Christ comes back again.

Purgatory just makes sense from the Twin analogy.

Otherwise I can just start sinning again. Fornicate, steal, lie and hope I don’t get taken out by a MAC truck before I repent and ask for forgivenss…hmmmmmm…hey this path sounds like more fun and enjoyable…bye.😃
 
I will add this as well. It shows somewhat the neccessity of Purgatory.

Otherwise I can just start sinning again. Fornicate, steal, lie and hope I don’t get taken out by a MAC truck before I repent and ask for forgivenss…hmmmmmm…hey this path sounds like more fun and enjoyable…bye.😃
You hit it on the head:
Of course there is no way to determine how long this purification takes place. Could be 1 millionth of second or could last until Christ comes back

:amen:

1 Corithians 15:51-54
Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep (believers still alive), but we shall all be changed, 52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

This is when Christ comes back (at the 7th & last Trumpet) to take up his Church.

Here Christ is explaining the mystery (Behold, I show yo a mystery) of the death & resurrection (those that died in Christ), and transfiguration (those believers alive that did not receive the mark of the beast during the tribulation) of his Church. He’s explaining the mystery to those so that they understand.
 
You hit it on the head:
Of course there is no way to determine how long this purification takes place. Could be 1 millionth of second or could last until Christ comes back

Soooooo…you admit there is a purification stage?
 
You hit it on the head:
Of course there is no way to determine how long this purification takes place. Could be 1 millionth of second or could last until Christ comes back

:amen:

1 Corithians 15:51-54
Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep (believers still alive), but we shall all be changed, 52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

This is when Christ comes back (at the 7th & last Trumpet) to take up his Church.

Here Christ is explaining the mystery (Behold, I show yo a mystery) of the death & resurrection (those that died in Christ), and transfiguration (those believers alive that did not receive the mark of the beast during the tribulation) of his Church. He’s explaining the mystery to those so that they understand.
Sooooo…you admit there is a purification stage?
 
Sooooo…you admit there is a purification stage?
I never said that there wasn’t that I’m aware of. I object to the theory of purgatory. For some oddball reason, act of God, who knows, but I just thought of this.

I’m getting goose bumps as I’m typing this.
  1. Nothing impure can enter the kingdom of God. We all would agree.
Revelations 21:27
27And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
  1. Well in the twinkling of the eye at the last trump, the dead will rise and we all will be changed.
1 Corithians 15:51-52
51Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
  1. We will meet the Lord in the air for the marriage supper where Jesus will share in the eucharist with us.
Revelations 19:7-9
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
  1. We will be cleansed of our sins by way of the eucharist as we’re cleansed of temporal sins here on earth.
The only thing is the twinkling of an eye - How long is it for time is only relative to us.

Well there will be silence in heaven for one half hour and this is when the marriage supper should take place. How long is the eucharist portion of mass. Close to 1/2 hour.
Rev 8:1And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
 
I never said that there wasn’t that I’m aware of. I object to the theory of purgatory. For some oddball reason, act of God, who knows, but I just thought of this.

I’m getting goose bumps as I’m typing this.
  1. Nothing impure can enter the kingdom of God. We all would agree.
Revelations 21:27
27And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
  1. Well in the twinkling of the eye at the last trump, the dead will rise and we all will be changed.
1 Corithians 15:51-52
51Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
  1. We will meet the Lord in the air for the marriage supper where Jesus will share in the eucharist with us.
Revelations 19:7-9
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
  1. We will be cleansed of our sins by way of the eucharist as we’re cleansed of temporal sins here on earth.
The only thing is the twinkling of an eye - How long is it for time is only relative to us.

Well there will be silence in heaven for one half hour and this is when the marriage supper should take place. How long is the eucharist portion of mass. Close to 1/2 hour.
Rev 8:1And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
Why try and make this stuff up on your own? Christ told us He came to establish His church and He promised His eternal protection to that Church.

Does anybody really believe that God Himself bothered to come down here to earth and suffer ignominy on the cross just to have us all believe, willy-nilly, whatever we want?
 
Why try and make this stuff up on your own? Christ told us He came to establish His church and He promised His eternal protection to that Church.

Does anybody really believe that God Himself bothered to come down here to earth and suffer ignominy on the cross just to have us all believe, willy-nilly, whatever we want?
I’m not sure what your talking about with making stuff up. I cited the scripture and I can the parallel scriptures that testify to it as additional proof.

Yes. Chirst came for our salvation and the establishment of His church. God’s eternal word is incorruptible.

How is it willy-nilly? It’s scripture. I defy you to put light on matters and make it make sense. One thing with my beliefs, they’re consistent and don’t contradict for they’re backed by scripture.
 
I’m not sure what your talking about with making stuff up. I cited the scripture and I can the parallel scriptures that testify to it as additional proof.

Yes. Chirst came for our salvation and the establishment of His church. God’s eternal word is incorruptible.

How is it willy-nilly? It’s scripture. I defy you to put light on matters and make it make sense. One thing with my beliefs, they’re consistent and don’t contradict for they’re backed by scripture.
Sorry, I’ll try to clarify my questions.

In your response you said, “I just thought of this” and gave the idea that it was like a new revelation to you - you even got goosebumps. My contention is that, if one will simply look at history and the teachings of the Early Church Fathers, one can find that Christ came to give us His church to guide us all toward salvation and to teach us His ways. It is not necessary for every generation to discover God or His Word on their own. He already left us His Church. We merely are required to look to her.

By the willy-nilly comment, I was referring to the practice of some to interpret Scripture on their own, even against what Christ and His Church have taught us for 2000 years now.
 
I never said that Satan would want purgatory to really exist for he doesn’t. He only desires the lie of purgatory
Purgatory is not a lie. Satan is a liar. God’s Mercy is Truth and Purgatory is God’s Mercy.
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shawn34_a:
to exist so that individuals have a false sense of security about themselves.
This does not make any sense whatsoever. Just because I know Purgatory exists does not mean that I have a false sense of security. That’s OSAS.
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shawn34_a:
Purgatory eliminates the fear of consequences, relative to hell, related to dying with temporal and venial sins.
Purgatory and Hell are two different things. I do want to go to Heaven and I want to avoid Purgatory as best as I can but the reality of temporal punishment due to my sins kicks in and Purgatory is where I might end up. That does not mean that I want to go there. I try my best to avoid it by doing more penance here on earth. My penance is the fruits of my repentance, just as it says in Scripture that I should do.
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shawn34_a:
Why go to confession if I’m going to purgatory anyways?
If I don’t go to Confession then I go to Hell not Purgatory.
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shawn34_a:
Why repent if I’m going to purgatory anyways?
If I don’t repent I go to Hell.
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shawn34_a:
Why perform works if I’m going to purgatory anyways?
I do good works because Jesus commands it as proof of my repentance. And if I don’t show that repentance then my stay in Purgatory is longer or harder whatever the case may be since we don’t know if this is an actual place or not; more than likely not.
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shawn34_a:
If purgatory doesn’t exist, we always have the fear of the consequences of living a sinful life. If purgatory exists, we only have the fear of a longer sanctification process.
Not true. Having a fear of the consequences of living a sinful life is fearing Hell not Purgatory. If we don’t repent of our sins we will end up in Hell not Purgatory.
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shawn34_a:
If purgatory exists, we nolonger have to fear the Lord our God too.
Sure we do because Hell exists.
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shawn34_a:
Which sounds more plausible? Which perspective can be substantiated scripturally in many places? If purgatory can be substantiated, let’s discuss where in the Bible it can be found.
There are Scripture quotes all over this thread. Why don’t you go through this thread again if you want to see Scripture proof so bad?
 
I never said that there wasn’t that I’m aware of. I object to the theory of purgatory. For some oddball reason, act of God, who knows, but I just thought of this.

I’m getting goose bumps as I’m typing this.
  1. Nothing impure can enter the kingdom of God. We all would agree.
Revelations 21:27
27And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
  1. Well in the twinkling of the eye at the last trump, the dead will rise and we all will be changed.
1 Corithians 15:51-52
51Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
  1. We will meet the Lord in the air for the marriage supper where Jesus will share in the eucharist with us.
Revelations 19:7-9
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
  1. We will be cleansed of our sins by way of the eucharist as we’re cleansed of temporal sins here on earth.
The only thing is the twinkling of an eye - How long is it for time is only relative to us.

Well there will be silence in heaven for one half hour and this is when the marriage supper should take place. How long is the eucharist portion of mass. Close to 1/2 hour.
Rev 8:1And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
Shawn, you’re getting close dude…you might be getting the point we’re trying to make…We are being cleansed of our sins by way of the Eucharist even now as we receive it in Mass. The sins however are not so much temporal as the NATURAL CONSEQUENCES of those sins are. You see? There are sins I have committed in my life that even to this day hurt me, even though I know I have been forgiven by the grace of God. Yet I still feel the temporal pains of that which I did, not because God wants me to suffer for it, but that the suffering is a natural effect of my mistakes. I share in the sufferings of Christ because He suffered in mine. There’s a unity there between our Savior and us, yes, even in the realm of pain and trial that has a cleansing effect on our souls even now. Haven’t you felt it Shawn? Those trials you’ve been through and had the sense that God was there…IS there? Cleaning you, making you right with Him?
This is a process that is completed not before death, but AFTER death…this process is called Purgatory, but if you don’t like the name, call it something else like the “soul wash”…it’s happening even now in our walk with the Lord Shawn…it’s more apparent in our sufferings and trials, and that’s what makes our suffering blessed…then finally “He will wipe all tears from (our) eyes” (Revelation 21). Those wiping of the tears is Purgatory dude. It’s not a bad thing. It’s a wonderful thing.
-P7
 
Shawn, you’re getting close dude…you might be getting the point we’re trying to make…We are being cleansed of our sins by way of the Eucharist even now as we receive it in Mass. The sins however are not so much temporal as the NATURAL CONSEQUENCES of those sins are. You see? There are sins I have committed in my life that even to this day hurt me, even though I know I have been forgiven by the grace of God. Yet I still feel the temporal pains of that which I did, not because God wants me to suffer for it, but that the suffering is a natural effect of my mistakes. I share in the sufferings of Christ because He suffered in mine. There’s a unity there between our Savior and us, yes, even in the realm of pain and trial that has a cleansing effect on our souls even now. Haven’t you felt it Shawn? Those trials you’ve been through and had the sense that God was there…IS there? Cleaning you, making you right with Him?
This is a process that is completed not before death, but AFTER death…this process is called Purgatory, but if you don’t like the name, call it something else like the “soul wash”…it’s happening even now in our walk with the Lord Shawn…it’s more apparent in our sufferings and trials, and that’s what makes our suffering blessed…then finally “He will wipe all tears from (our) eyes” (Revelation 21). Those wiping of the tears is Purgatory dude. It’s not a bad thing. It’s a wonderful thing.
-P7
The concept might be wonderful, but it’s not scriptural. There is no honest support for it, just a stretch of one verse in 2 Maccabees. We will be cleansed at the marriage supper with Christ at our resurrection so that we enter the kingdom of God clean.
I suppose the toughest problem I have is people accepting one concept with little to no scriptural support, but ignoring the multiple scriptures that tell other wise? Jewish jurisprudence. It’s applicable to the bible. Are you familiar with the concept? Two or more witnesses are conclusive.
 
The concept might be wonderful, but it’s not scriptural. There is no honest support for it, just a stretch of one verse in 2 Maccabees. We will be cleansed at the marriage supper with Christ at our resurrection so that we enter the kingdom of God clean.
I suppose the toughest problem I have is people accepting one concept with little to no scriptural support, but ignoring the multiple scriptures that tell other wise? Jewish jurisprudence. It’s applicable to the bible. Are you familiar with the concept? Two or more witnesses are conclusive.
Scripturally, it would be closer to St Paul’s description of some being cleansed “as though by fire”, but that’s beside the point.

The deposit of faith includes both oral and written tradition (as instructed by 2 Thess. 2:15, among others). The Church’s understanding of purgatory predates the Bible and we must accept it as the Bible commands.
 
Scripturally, it would be closer to St Paul’s description of some being cleansed “as though by fire”, but that’s beside the point.

The deposit of faith includes both oral and written tradition (as instructed by 2 Thess. 2:15, among others). The Church’s understanding of purgatory predates the Bible and we must accept it as the Bible commands, for, as you well know, the Bible teaches us that The Church is “the pillar and foundation of truth”.
 
The concept might be wonderful, but it’s not scriptural. There is no honest support for it, just a stretch of one verse in 2 Maccabees. We will be cleansed at the marriage supper with Christ at our resurrection so that we enter the kingdom of God clean.
The “marriage supper of the Lamb” is the Mass.
I suppose the toughest problem I have is people accepting one concept with little to no scriptural support, but ignoring the multiple scriptures that tell other wise?
Only when wrenched out of context and forced to mean something they don’t actually say.
 
Scripturally, it would be closer to St Paul’s description of some being cleansed “as though by fire”, but that’s beside the point.

The deposit of faith includes both oral and written tradition (as instructed by 2 Thess. 2:15, among others). The Church’s understanding of purgatory predates the Bible and we must accept it as the Bible commands.
Please, let’s not chop off the rest of the verse. Your doing exactly what the Church is doing regarding purgatory. Your taking the parts out of the verse to make it suit you looking.

Where do you think these teachings came from? Excuse me, but I think they were rooted in Jesus Christ. I don’t think the apostles wrote down every single thing or word of Chirst. Some were passed on via tradition such as the eucharist. I don’t recall any instance of the Lord’s supper being passed on by the apostles, only Christ (maybe I’m wrong on that. Let me know where it is if I am). Obviously there is contraversy regarding this because of the different interpretations.

NIV
2 Thess 2:15So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings[c] we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

ESV
2 Thess 2:15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.

But if this is the case, why do Catholics not call for circumcision for it was tradition. I’m sure there’s many traditions that related to the Jews that were not passed on. Was that not the reason for the formation of the Council of Jerusalem? (Rhetorical question). But I do believe Peter’s teachings were of Christ, while James were of the Jews.
 
Please, let’s not chop off the rest of the verse. Your doing exactly what the Church is doing regarding purgatory. Your taking the parts out of the verse to make it suit you looking.

Where do you think these teachings came from? Excuse me, but I think they were rooted in Jesus Christ. I don’t think the apostles wrote down every single thing or word of Chirst. Some were passed on via tradition such as the eucharist. I don’t recall any instance of the Lord’s supper being passed on by the apostles, only Christ (maybe I’m wrong on that. Let me know where it is if I am). Obviously there is contraversy regarding this because of the different interpretations.

NIV
2 Thess 2:15So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings[c] we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

ESV
2 Thess 2:15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.

But if this is the case, why do Catholics not call for circumcision for it was tradition. I’m sure there’s many traditions that related to the Jews that were not passed on. Was that not the reason for the formation of the Council of Jerusalem? (Rhetorical question). But I do believe Peter’s teachings were of Christ, while James were of the Jews.
I will reply to the last part of this…you’re confusing tradition with Law. According to Jewish Law, all baby boys must be circumsised by the 8th day. Whenever the apostles or Jesus Himself broke down tradition, it was the tradition of the Old Law which Jesus came not to destroy, but fullfill.
Oral tradition is not practice so much as it is teaching. Purgatory is a teaching from Judaism that was passed on to Christianity. It’s an oral teaching. Just because it’s not explicidly taught in Scripture does not mean it’s not true, just like worshipping on Sunday is not explicidly taught in Scripture but you know it’s true, right?
And of course the Lord’s supper was passed on to the apostles…“Do this in rememberance of Me…”
So therefore, you need to understand the difference between apostolic tradition which is biblical, and the letter of the Law which is all those Laws and codes of Leviticus and stuff that do not apply anymore because of Jesus…
P7
 
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