A question about purgatory...?

Question

Could you tell me which churches believe in purgatory, and the verses in the Bible that support it's existence.

Many thanks for any help.

Could anyone provide a link that tells about the Popes choice to revoke the idea of purgatory.

I'm so confused...did the pope, or did he not due away with the belief of purgatory.

Where can I buy a Bible with the scripture that is left out in protestant Bibles? I am curious to read the scripture myself. (And I like the idea of Purgatory...maybe I should convert to Catholisim).

Answer 1

Here are the Scripture verses:
http://www.scripturecatholic.com/purgatory.html

Recommended reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_for_the_dead

BTW, the Pope has NOT rescinded Purgatory (or Limbo).

>>Could anyone provide a link that tells about the Popes choice to revoke the idea of purgatory.<<

Good for you for asking for proof! Always demand to see a Church document, not just a news report. For example, look at this headline -- "The Pope ends state of limbo after 800 years". http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/04/23/wlimbo23.xml

But what does the document actually say? It says just the opposite -- that the theory of Limbo "remains a possible theological opinion"!
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/cti_documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20070419_un-baptised-infants_en.html

>>Where can I buy a Bible with the scripture that is left out in protestant Bibles?<<

Catholic bookstores, Amazon, Barnes and Noble. You can also find those scriptures online in various translations. Here is the RSV (scroll down to 'Apocrypha')
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/r/rsv/browse.html

>>(And I like the idea of Purgatory...maybe I should convert to Catholisim).<<

That's what I did. Purgatory just makes so much sense. If we aren't perfect when we die, and we have to be perfect to enter Heaven, obviously there is a process of purification after death.

Answer 2

Purgatory is a belief in the Roman Catholic Church and possibly the Eastern Orthodox churches. The passage which supports it is in 2 Maccabees in the Deuterocanon/Apocrypha.

2 Maccabees 12:44 (NRSV): "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." It doesn't exactly mention anything about Purgatory, but the theology was based on this quote. One could conceivably pray for the dead and help speed them through Purgatory a bit and on towards Heaven.

Answer 3

The pope didn't do away with either purgatory or limbo he just said unborn and/or unbaptized babies go directly to heaven. And the Catholic Church is the only church that I know of that believes in Purgatory.

I don't know why people think the Church doesn't believe in Purgatory anymore. I guess it shows that they don't know much about Catholics. The Pope would never do away with Purgatory completely because there are too many saints that say they've been there. (And it's not a happy place)

And another interesting fact: The books of Maccabees are only found in the Catholic Bible. The Jewish holiday, Hanukkah is based on the stories found in Maccabees and yet they aren't in their bible.

Answer 4

The Catholic Church believes in Purgatory-- It is a place for those who are saved to purify themselves if they have any venial (lesser) sins on their soul.
The purification is necessary because, as Scripture teaches, nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in heaven (Rev. 21:27) and, while we may die with our mortal sins forgiven, there can still be many impurities in us, specifically venial sins and the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven.

Christ refers to the sinner who "will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come" (Matt. 12:32), suggesting that one can be freed after death of the consequences of one’s sins. Freed by the purification in purgatory.

Paul tells us that, when we are judged, each man’s work will be tried. And what happens if a righteous man’s work fails the test? "He will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire" (1 Cor 3:15).
Now this loss, this penalty, can’t refer to consignment to hell, since no one is saved there; and heaven can’t be meant, since there is no suffering ("fire") there. The Catholic doctrine of purgatory alone explains this passage.

There is the Bible’s approval of prayers for the dead: "In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view; for if he were not expecting the dead to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin" (2 Macc. 12:43–45).
Prayers are not needed by those in heaven, and no one can help those in hell. That means some people must be in a third condition, at least temporarily. This verse so clearly illustrates the existence of purgatory that, at the time of the Reformation, Protestants had to cut the books of the Maccabees out of their Bibles in order to avoid accepting the doctrine.

Muslims believe in a form of purgatory, of course this is one of the many beliefs copied from the church in the 600's by Muhammed.

Jews believe the dead go to Sheol, a purgatory-like place.

****like many modernist ideas, purgatory and hell are things that are not talked about by the new age church, although the deposit of faith has not waivered on the beliefs of an eternal hell and a temporary place of purification of purgatory.
So no, the Popes have not ever abolished purgatory, nor do they have the authority to do so. They are bound to teach and enforce these beliefs.
A few months ago,Pope Benedict ended the belief of "Limbo" where the souls of unbabtized children go. That is something in my opinion, he shouldn't touch, that's God's decision.

Answer 5

It USED to be Catholic, but the Pope has rescinded that...just as he's rescinded the idea of Limbo. Um...Ten Commandments...what do you think Limbo was? It was a place where unborn and unbaptized innocent souls went in liu of heaven. Now...according to the Pope...those souls go directly to heaven...because there IS no Limbo.


You people who think the Catholic bible is different from yours, don't research before you start in...do you? (I'm not Catholic so don't even go there). The Catholics merely have an 'Apocrypha' between the old and new testaments, which actually spans the 500 years of MISSING TIME in most other bibles.

Answer 6

It is always surprising at the number of people that believe in purgatory even though there is no Biblical support for that belief.

Answer 7

The Roman Catholic Church believes, teaches and supports purgatory. It's an important doctrine which has existed and developed throughout the Church's history.

Hebrews 12:14 "Pursue after peace with all men, and after the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord." The footnote for this verse sends us to Hebrews 9:28 "so Christ also, having been offered once to beard the sins of many, shall appear a second time, not to bear sin, to those who eagerly await Him for salvation." These are the souls in Purgatory that are there being purified, because only perfection can enter the gates of Heaven. When Jesus returns, He will take the souls from Purgatory to Heaven with Him. Another footnote is to Matthew 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Jesus says they 'shall' see, not they 'do' see God. Meaning they aren't seeing God yet, they are somewhere besides Heaven, waiting to see God. That place is Purgatory, the place of purification.

These are from the New American Standard Bible First Edition.

Others verses I have are: James 3:2 "we all fall short in many respects"
Rev 21:27 "nothing unclean shall enter Heaven"
1 John 5:16-17 tells about levels of sins
2 Samuel 12:13-14 tells us that even though David was forgiven, he was still punished for it
Matthew 12:36 "account for every idle word on judgment day"
2 Maccabees 12:44-46 - atoned for dead to free them from sins
2 Timothy 1:16-18 tells us that Paul prays for his deceased friend [why pray for the deceased if Paul believed they were either in Heaven or hell, prayers would lost words for the deceased, this shows us that Paul knew that some souls would be elsewhere]
1 Corinthians 15:29-30 mentions Paul talking about people baptizing the dead [same comment as above, no need to baptize if a soul goes to Heaven or hell, so Paul knew about Purgatory]

The best scriptural reference is found in 2 Macc 12:38-46 The Expiation for the Dead. The book of Maccabees was deleted from the Bible later by Protestants. Pre-Christian Jews during the time of Christ knew this scripture. This is one of their references toward offering sacrifices for the atonements of their sins. It's about people who die while in the state of grace but who aren't pure of heart upon death.
(many hearts aren't pure) Prayers for the deceased aren't needed for the souls in Heaven because they are already in Heaven. And the souls in hell (fire) are damned and prayers won't help them anymore. So the prayers for the deceased are for the souls in purgatory (the word Catholics used). We honestly don't know who is in Heaven, hell or Purgatory. But we still pray. No prayer goes unused. If I pray for my mother and she doesn't need it, then my prayers go to another soul that is in Purgatory. God listens to all prayers and applies them accordingly. Now, the word 'Purgatory' isn't in the Bible. But neither are "Trinity" and "Incarnation" and Christians believe in these doctrines.

In Luke 12:47-48, Jesus says, "That servant who knew his master's will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severally; and the servant who was ignorant of his master's wil be acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more." Meaning each of us will be punished according to our personal degree of culpability. [Also a reference to venial and moral sins.] This suffering cleanses us (1 Peter 1:6-7) and makes us spiritually pure. We suffer with Christ, we are to carry our own cross like Christ did so we may also be glorified with Him (Romans 8:17). Since no unclean thing can enter into Heaven (Rev. 21:27), the Holy Spirit continues our sanctification process in Purgatory. Purgatory not only purifies the souls but also prepares them for Heaven and to meet God, their Creator face to face.

Peace and God bless you and yours!

Answer 8

Purgatory - yeah - great song from Iron Maiden!

Answer 9

The Pope just got rid of it. I thought they were the only ones.

Answer 10

The Catholic church does and I guess their Bible would support its "existence". Its not Biblical and is not real, Heaven is where you go if you are saved and Hell if you're not, period.