Why do Catholics believe in Purgatory? if its not mention in the bible?

Question

if it is, tell me where I can find it in the bible?

Answer 1

the catholic church has many doctrines that are not biblical. Infant baptism, praying to the saints, praying to Mary, preists not being allowed to marry, etc.....

Somewhere along the line the popes starting declaring that their word was equal to scripture. Yikes!

Many religions have false doctrines. You have to really be careful to read the bible for yourself and not believe everything you hear. Paul commended the Bereans for this in the book of ACTS. The catholic church does not even encourage people to read the scriptures for themselves. MAybe becuase they are afraid people will discover the truth.

Answer 2

+ Purgatory +

The concept of purgation is hinted at in the Bible. Here are a couple of places:

"But if someone's work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire." 1 Cor 3:15

"So that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1 Pet 1:7

Are you perfect now? Most people would say no.

Will you be perfect in heaven? Most people believe yes.

Purgatory (or purgation) is the process of God's love changing our imperfect selves on earth into perfect beings in heaven. Depending on the amount of change needed by different people, this can be an easy or slightly harder process. Everyone in purgatory is on his or her way to heaven. I do not think Mother Teresa of Calcutta had a very hard time of it.

+ Sources of Doctrine +

The Catholic Church does not only use Holy Scripture for the basis of doctrine. The early Catholic church existed before and during the time that the New Testament was written (by Catholics).

Catholics also believe that the Holy Spirit was guiding the early church (and is guiding the church today) to make the correct choices about things like
- The Holy Trinity (which is also only hinted at in the Bible)
- Going to church on Sunday instead of Saturday (which is actually directly against one of the ten commandments)
- Which books to include in the New Testament?
- How do our imperfect selves on earth get to be perfect in heaven?

This second source of doctrine is called Apostolic Tradition.

+ With love in Christ.

Answer 3

I believe that there is a reference to purgatory in the book of Maccabees, which is an apocryphal book not found in the Protestant Bibles that kept to Jewish formats for the Old Testament. However, it was recognized as canonical material by the Catholic Church, and Purgatory would naturally follow as scriptural.

Answer 4

Purgatory was invented by the Catholic Church to scam ignorant followers into buying indulgences for souls in the made-up Purgatory.

Answer 5

Most Catholics really don't know what they believe regarding purgatory. Most just go with what the church teaches about it. I know that when we discuss purgatory we kind of say well if their is one. Scientifically in NDEs an event similar to purgatory has shown up called the void, where you wait before you can continue on.

Answer 6

Many things aren't found in the Bible and not all Catholics believe in Purgatory. Also also not everything has to be determined by what the Bible says. You do that your an idiot in the long-run because there are many parts that are different.

Answer 7

What I do know is that Jesus bore our sins in His body, paid the penalty for them, and died and defeated death so that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. On the cross He said, "It is finished," (John 19:30) In Greek, the phrase, "It is finished" is one word, "tetelestai". In ancient Greek papyri texts that were receipts for taxes, when a debt was paid in full, the word tetelestai, was written on the document. This meant that the debt had been paid in full. In other words, Jesus had finished the work of atonement. But not only atonement (to make amends, to make right), but also of propitiation (turning away God's wrath). He had fully paid the debt invoked by the sinner. There was nothing more to be done... It was finished!

Yet, the doctrine of Purgatory, in effect is saying that we must suffer in purgatory for sins not 'covered by baptism' and not covered by the cross. It is to say that the work of Christ is not finished and that there are still things we must do to complete the sacrificial, cleansing work of Christ. This amounts to earning heaven by our good works, albeit, a work of suffereing. Additionally, the doctrine of Purgatory implies that a person must atone for his own sins. It implies that the person must do more than what the Law of God requires of him. This is called superergation.

When Jesus said, "It is finished," all that was necessary in the atonement was concluded and all in Christ were justified. We cannot complete or add to Christ's work through our suffering.

Purgatory is not only unnecessary, but it contradicts God's word.

Answer 8

I have never met a Catholic that has read or understood the Bible. Half of my family is Catholic. If you want to check out some good CD's on the subject sign up on John MacArthur's web site to be on his mailing list! I have a few CD's (free) that discuss what the Bible teaches about all religions/especially Catholicism.

http://www.gty.org/index.php

Disclaimer: Some Catholics do read & understand.. I just haven't met any. I am a non-denominational Christian!

Answer 9

Catholics believe in Purgatory because it's church doctrine to believe in Purgatory. Some genius dreamed it up hundreds of years ago and it caught on. These things have inertia.

Answer 10

Catholicism is a business that is called religion. Most religions break God's Commandments.

Purgatory was invented so as to charge a price to the people for indulgences. These indulgences were way for the Catholic Church to gain large sum of money for nothing.