Where did the teaching of purgatory come from?

Answer 1

* The doctrine of Purgatory, established by Gregory I 593

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.

Answer 2

Purgatory is a Roman Catholic teaching.

Protestants reject the doctrine of purgatory because it is not taught in the 66 books of the Biblical Canon.
The teaching also goes against the idea that Christ's death on the cross was the sufficient payment for ALL of our sins. In the Catholic view, the Christian must go to this intermediate place in order to "purge" oneself of any remaining sins. The Protestant view is that the Christian goes immediately to be in the presence of Jesus -His death had already paid the price of that one's sin; no additional work is needed.

One of Martin Luther's 95 theses addressed the problem he had with the Roman Church was the selling of indulgences (for people to get their sins forgiven ahead of their actual sin) and the selling of "get out of purgatory" indulgences to the loved ones of the already deceased.
Johannes Tetzel, selling indulgences to finance the construction of St. Peter's Basilcia in Rome, promised potential buyers, "When the coin in the offering box doth ring, the soul released from purgatory shall fling."

Answer 3

An incorrect doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church.
Purgatory is the belief that there exists a place after death where some of the sins of people are purged through suffering. After a period of time corresponding to the suffering necessary for the sins committed, the person is then set free and enters heaven. "Gifts or services rendered to the church, prayers by the priests, and masses provided by relatives or friends in behalf of the deceased can shorten, alleviate or eliminate the sojourn of the soul in purgatory.

This is an unbiblical doctrine rejected by the Protestant church. It reflects the misunderstanding of the atonement of Christ as well as adding insult to the finished work of the cross. The error of purgatory is the teaching that we might perfect ourselves and remove sin through our sufferings. If that were possible, then why did Christ need to die? Gal. 2:21 says, "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" (NIV)

Additionally, on the cross Jesus said, "It is finished" (John 19:30). In the Greek, this was an accounting term which meant a debt was paid in full. If the payment for our sins was paid in full on the cross, then how could purgatory be a reality -- especially when the scriptures don't mention it and even contradict it: "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment" (Heb. 9:27).

Answer 4

It came from the Catholic Church. A convenient way to sell indulgences, I imagine.

The Catholic Chrurch explained Purgatory as a "waiting room" to Heaven. Those whose sins were not bad enough to go to Hell, but who were still not pure enough to go to Heaven, had to wait in purgatory and cool off for a while.

It was made to explain the fact that if the dead go to Heaven, then why the Hell (no pun intended) why would you need to pray for them? So they created the concept of purgatory, since they didn't want to admit that "praying for the dead" was a silly idea.

Answer 5

>>Where did the teaching of purgatory come from?<<

A Jewish text called 2 Maccabees that predates the founding of the Catholic Church (proof that the Catholic Church did not 'make it up').

Answer 6

It came from the intertestamental books, I think one of the books of Maccabees. I don't remember the exact reference. This was one of the reasons for the exclusion of these books from the protestant Bible.


Edit:

I found the referene I was looking for. It was 2Maccabees 12:39-46, where the Jews prayed for dead soldiers found with idols. If prayer were not effecacious at this time, why would the faithful offer such?

Answer 7

The place of Sheol in the Old Testament, it was neither heaven or hell, but a place for the dead, where all who died were waiting for the Messiah, the Christ to come and release them. Catholics call it purgatory.

Answer 8

To Mr. Works: the scripture you cited is discussing works being burned and has nothing to do with purgatory.

When we are at the judgment seat we are saved but our works will be tried. If they burn you get no reward.

Read the whole chapter.

Purgatory was thought up by Pope Gregory I in 593 A.D. not Jesus Christ. The Council of Florence made this official in 1439 for Roman Catholics

Answer 9

Catholics Believe

That, as nothing defiled can enter heaven (Apoc. 21:27), souls with the slightest stain upon them must go through a process of purgation before coming face to face with Him "whose eyes are too pure to behold evil" (Hab. 1:13).

"I am thy father's spirit, Doomed for a certain term to walk the night, And for the day, confined to waste in fires Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature Are burned and purged away!" (Hamlet, Act 1, scene 5).


Catholics Believe

That there is a "prison," a place of temporal punishment, where souls (whose guilt of sin has been forgiven) go to make restitution for their transgressions:

"I (Christ Jesus) say to thee, thou wilt not come out from it, until thou has paid the last penny" (St. Matt. 5:25-26).


Catholics Believe

That the prayers, good works, acts of mercy, of the living help the souls of the departed who are in purgatory.

"Pray for my soul. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of" (Tennyson).

"Lay this body anywhere: be not concerned about that: but one favor do I beg of you, that wherever you may be you will always make a remembrance of me, when you stand at the altar of God" (St. Monica to her son St. Augustine).


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Answer 10

The Roman Catholic Church invented it. There are many different reasons said why, but I was taught by a historian, that the reason they did come up with it, at the time of the prorestant reformation, the church had michelangelo paint the sistene chapel. they ran out of money. they came up with the idea of it and sold indulgences to get you out of it or reduce your time or the time of a loved one. So basically it originated from the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.
Hope that helps!!!! God Bless