are there proofs that purgatory exists?

Answer 1

NO.

It is not found in the Bible.
It is a traditional teaching of the catholic church.

Answer 2

Very good question, i have wonderd that many times, I have never in my life read about it in the Bible. I have asked other people about it, including Catholics and have had millions of answers. Many of which told me that it is justmade up by people who dont wanna face the fact that Hell exists and that it is possible to go there.

When we die and we go to heaven, our souls are already purified by the Holy Spirit, and purgatory is not needed.

Answer 3

Yes. Scripture, in several places, speaks of a "third state' of the afterlife.

For instance, 2 Maccabees tells us that it's a holy thought to pray for the dead, so that they may be loosed from their sins.

These "dead" cannot be in hell, because no praying can possibly help those in hell. And they cannot be in heaven either, because there's no need to pray for them if they're in heaven.

2 Maccabees clearly speaks of a third place -- a place that's temporary, since it speaks of "being loosed from sins." That place is purgatory.

In the Gospels, Jesus speaks of being "put in prison until you pay the last penny."

This "prison" from which we're released by "paying the last penny" does not refer to either heaven or hell. There's no need to "pay" to get out of heaven, and it's not possible to do this from hell.

So, these words of Jesus clearly speak of a third state.

Finally, 1 Peter tells us that after His death and before His resurrection, Jesus went to "preach to the spirits in prison."

Such preaching is not needed for those in heaven, and it cannot possibly help those in hell.

This "prison" must therefore be a third place. If it's not purgatory, it's a place very much like purgatory.

.

Answer 4

no - its not in the bible
its catholic superstition
which is why the protestants rejected it

and 2 Maccabees is in the Aprocrypha - not the Bible proper
The protestants dont accept the Apocrypha either.

Answer 5

No, because it doesn't.This is another one of those things the catholic church came up with. There is no in between heaven and hell time for those who didn't make it up there right away. It's either one or the other.

Answer 6

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Purgatory is “a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who, departing this life in God's grace, are, not entirely free from venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions.” To summarize, in Catholic theology, Purgatory is a place that a Christian’s soul goes to after death to be cleansed of the sins that had not been fully satisfied during life. Is this doctrine of Purgatory in agreement with the Bible? Absolutely not!
Jesus died to pay the penalty for all of our sins (Romans 5:8). Isaiah 53:5 declares, “but He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” Jesus suffered for our sins so that we could be delivered from suffering. To say that we must also suffer for our sins is to say that Jesus’ suffering was insufficient. To say that we must atone for our sins by cleansing in Purgatory is to deny the sufficiency of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus (1 John 2:2). The idea that we have to suffer for our sins after death is contrary to everything the Bible says about salvation.

The primary Scriptural passage Catholics point to for evidence of Purgatory is 1 Corinthians 3:15, which says, “If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” The passage (1 Corinthians 3:12-15) is using an illustration of things going through fire as a description of believers’ works being judged. If our works are of good quality “gold, sliver, costly stones,” they will pass through the fire unharmed, and we will be rewarded for them. If our works are of poor quality “wood, hay, and straw,” they will be consumed by the fire, and there will be no reward. The passage does not say that believers pass through the fire, but rather that a believer’s works pass through the fire. 1 Corinthians 3:15 refers to the believer “escaping through the flames,” not “being cleansed by the flames.”
Purgatory, like many other Catholic dogmas, is based on a misunderstanding of the nature of Christ’s sacrifice. Catholics view the Mass / Eucharist as a re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice because they fail to understand that Jesus’ once for all sacrifice was absolutely and perfectly sufficient (Hebrews 7:27). Catholics view meritorious works as contributing to salvation due to a failure to recognize that Jesus’ sacrificial payment has no need of additional “contribution” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Similarly, Purgatory is understood by Catholics as a place of cleansing in preparation for Heaven because they do not recognize that because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are already cleansed, declared righteous, forgiven, redeemed, reconciled, and sanctified.

The very idea of Purgatory, and the doctrines that are often attached to it (prayer for the dead, indulgences, meritorious works on behalf of the dead, etc.) all fail to recognize that Jesus’ death was sufficient to pay the penalty for ALL of our sins. Jesus, who was God incarnate (John 1:1,14), paid an infinite price for our sin. Jesus died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3). Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 2:2). To limit Jesus’ sacrifice to atoning for original sin, or sins committed before salvation, is an attack on the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. If we must in any sense pay for, atone for, or suffer because of our sins – that indicates Jesus’ death was not a perfect, complete, and sufficient sacrifice.

For believers, after death is to be "away from the body and at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). Notice that this does not say "away from the body, in Purgatory with the cleansing fire." No, because of the perfection, completion, and sufficiency of Jesus' sacrifice, we are immediately in the Lord's presence after death, fully cleansed, free from sin, glorified, perfected, and ultimately sanctified

Answer 7

only to those who trust the catholic church..

Answer 8

http://www.scripturecatholic.com/purgatory.html
http://www.catholic.com/library/Purgatory.asp