Catholics, explore purgatory - Where does it mention it in the Bible?

Question

and how does it work?

Is it like a toll bridge, where you have to pay to get into heaven?

Correction: "EXPLAIN" purgatory.

& while you're at it, explain the saint system...Who's the greatest saint of them all, and who's the lowest?

How are they ranked?

Answer 1

no where in the bilble it is not a true statement that you will find in the bible. after you die you go in front of the allmighty that is all. you either were good in the earth or you weren;t

Answer 2

We can gather evidence of Purgatory without calling it that in:
2 Macc. 12-36-46; Matt. 5:25-26;; 12:31-32; and 1 Cor 3: 11-15. A place of purification after death for the souls not yet ready for heaven has been a part of the Traditions of the Church since the early days. For most people, Purgatory is a part of living with suffering and is also experienced here, before death.

Answer 3

There is great debate on what exactly purgatory is in the Church today. Some say it could be your time on Earth. But, it is mostly seen as a probation or a stint in county jail where good souls go to repent their sins. As opposed to going directly to heaven, or to Hell (maximum security prison).

Mary is the holiest of the Saints.
All other saints are equal below her.

Answer 4

If a person dies and their sould isn't pure enough, they don't enter heaven. However, if they haven't been evil they don't go to hell. So they are in a purification place called purgatory which is biblically based.

Baruch 3:4 - Baruch asks the Lord to hear the prayers of the dead of Israel. Prayers for the dead are unnecessary in heaven and unnecessary in hell. These dead are in purgatory.

When their souls are cleaned, they can enter heaven.

Answer 5

For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit -1 Peter 4:6.
Hmm. Preaching to the dead before Judgment. Sounds a lot like purgatory to me.

Answer 6

Purgatory is the time of purification after death.
Malacahi 3:3 can be used as one biblical reference.

Answer 7

The word is not in the Bible, no. But neither is Trinity, or the word bible.

Your understanding of purgtory may not be what the Catholic Church teaches.

It may surprise you to know that the Church makes very few binding statements about what purgatory is. The sections in the Catechism of the Catholic Church are very short. The most important statement is: "All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven" (CCC 1030). So, you see, purgatory is not a second chance after this life. It is only for those who "die in God’s grace and friendship."


The language of dying in God’s grace is another way of saying that when we die we must have faith in Christ, as Romans 10:9 says. But Paul did not intend his words in this text to be taken as the complete story. We have to interpret one text in the Bible in the light of the whole Bible.

Look at 1 Corinthians 3:14–15: "If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire." You see, the Latinate word purgatory means a purgation or burning by fire. Paul in these verses refers to a purgation process whereby a man is saved even though his works are burned away. This is precisely what the Catholic Church teaches. A person at death who still has personal faults is prevented from entering into heaven because he is not completely purified. He must go through a period of purgation in order to be made clean, for nothing unclean will enter heaven (cf. Rev. 21:27).

2 Maccabees 12:40–45. When Judas prays and has sacrifices offered for soldiers who died in battle, he is commended for acting "very well and honorably." Even before Christ the Jewish people recognized the need for purification from sins after death and believed that the prayers and sacrifices of those still living could aid in this purification. The Catholic Church didn’t make up this idea.
And before you say Maccabees isn't in your Bible, it was until the Reformation.

Furthermore, the New Testament shows a continuity with this idea. For example, Matthew 12:32 says that some people who sin "will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come." This suggests that there are some sins that will be forgiven in the age to come. If there is no purification after death, then this passage doesn’t make much sense.

The Church doesn’t exclude the possibility that purgatory could be an instantaneous purification, but there are indications in the Bible that souls do exist in some state that is neither heaven nor hell. Look at 1 Peter 3:19–20. These verses show Jesus preaching to "to the spirits in prison." The "prison" cannot be heaven, because the people there do not need to have the Gospel preached to them. It cannot be hell, because the souls in hell cannot repent. It must be something else. As you can see, there is nothing unbiblical about the claim that those who have died might not immediately go to heaven or to hell.

On the contrary, the idea of purgatory, when properly understood, is entirely consistent with the love of God. God wants us to be perfect (cf. Matt. 5:48). If we are not perfected by the time we die, we will be perfected in purgatory. He loves us too much to allow us to be less than what he created us to be. Purgatory is not about an angry God inflicting punishment upon his creatures. It is about a loving Father who "disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness" (Heb. 12:10).

Answer 8

Purgatory is the place where most people will pass through. Very few people will go directly to Heaven - only those who have lived Christ-like lives will go to Heaven immediately.

Purgatory is for those "who have had all mortal sins forgiven, but whose soul's are clean enough for Heaven."


"For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin" (2 Macc. 12:44-45).

"Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison; truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny" (Matt. 5:25-26).

"Each man’s work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire" (1 Cor. 3:13-15).

"For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit; in which he went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly did not obey . . ." (1 Peter 3:18-20).

"But nothing unclean shall enter it [heaven] . . ." (Rev. 21:27).

Answer 9

Sorry, I'm Baptist not Catholic, but I don't know why they believe there's a purgatory. You go to Heaven if you're saved, and Hell if you're not. That simple, that's as bad as Mormons think they can be baptized for a dead loved one and get them out of Hell.

Answer 10

Everyone is piping in making the correct definition of what purgatory is but I don't see a really explanation for you, so I'll try.

Evangelical Christians believe in what is formally called 'justification by faith alone' or 'your saved, your forgiven, end of story'. Catholics believe in justification by faith and works...even Paul trembled to 'work out his salvation' it didn't appear that it was 'be saved and be couch potato for God' mentality was there? Now that I got that I got the clarification out of the way allow me to give you an analogy regarding Purgatory.

Let's say I'm driving down the road, and being silly putting make up on not paying attention to the road and "BAM!" I run smack dab into the back of your truck. I get out all flustered, run to you and say "Are you okay?" You say "yes". I say "Oh! Goodness gracious I'm so relieved! Will you forgive me?" And you say "Yes". I say "Fabulous!" And I run back to my car, back up, and begin to drive away. You seeing this run after me and say "Hey! Wait! you need to PAY for this!!" And I say back to you:" No I don't need to pay you-- you forgave me". Do you think that I should stop and pay for this? Of course you do. What about God? We sin, and through His precious Blood we are forgiven; but we still have the vestige of that sin that we have to 'pay back' God. Now, we all know it's simply impossible to pay back God. But we can in showing love, charity to others, working for someone, assisting someone to please God, as that wounds His heart so much that we would wish to do all we can to please him.

Understand that there are three types of members of the Church.
The Church Militant; those of us on Earth (not alot of Catholics use this particulary terminology...just sharing) The Church Triumpant (just a fancy-schmancy word) which are those that are in Heaven. The Church Suffering (those in Purgatory).

As for Purgatory being a 'toll bridge' no it isn't. However you can not enter heaven at all unless your soul is spotless and the white fire of purgatory cleanses those souls, it is a way of repaying God. However many people, Catholics included; fail to remember to pray for those souls in Purgatory, have Masses said for them, anything to assist them (offering the household duties or whatever for the Holy Souls, etc) They are on their way to heaven and their greatest pain is knowing-- that for whatever just reason God has them in purgatory --the fact they are sooo close to God yet so far because of their venial sins.

Now you asked about Saints. Saints are souls that have gone to heaven, this is after Purgatory if they went there...not all people go to Purgatory, most do... Catholics believe that the soul is eternal. Those that get to Heaven have a great opportunity to assist us in interceding in prayer with us. We don't pray TO Saints, we simply ask them to pray for us, with us, just like you meeting your friends and having a prayer meeting, same thing.

Addedum:
Who is the greatest of all Saints? Mary, Jesus' mother. She was absolutely obedient to the will of God in all things.

The lowest? Can't answer that for you. However I will state that God created each of us to love, honor and serve Him. And we are to strive to be like Christ, to be Saints on earth. God DOES have a 'ranking', how He does that is unknown; it is said that St. Francis of Assisi now sits at the seat where Lucifer sat prior to Lucifer being cast out of heaven--and it is well known that Lucifer was a very high ranking Angel prior to being disobedient to the will of God...just a sidebar.

Answer 11

im not Catholic but once someone said its in the 16th chapter 19-31 but what book? I FORGOT to write than part down! ugh sorry