Why do some Christians not believe in purgatory when the Bible clearly teaches it?

Question

I think that most Catholics would agree that Purgatory is more of a hospital than a jail.

Cleansing or sanctification is a gradual process and we must endure to the end to be saved.

(Mat 10:22 DRB) And you shall be hated by all men for my name's sake: but he that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved.

(Mat 24:13 DRB) But he that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved.

(Mar 13:13 DRB) And you shall be hated by all men for my name's sake. But he that shall endure unto the end, he shall be saved.

Catholic soteriology recognizes that for some of us the process was not completed at death or that we died with unrepentant sin.

(Heb 9:27 DRB) And as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment:

The judgment is our eternal destiny and for those whose name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life, heaven is assured. But we know that one must be free of sin to be in God’s presence.

(1Ti 6:14 DRB) That thou keep the commandment without spot, blameless, unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,

It may be that one is not prepared to be in our Lord’s presence as we may still be with spiritual shortcomings or temporal effects of forgiven sins on our soul making it necessary for some form of purification to enter heaven in God’s presence. Since this is a process of purgation it is called purgatory and it is in keeping with prophecy of the prophet Habakkuk who said that only that which is holy may enter heaven.

(Hab 1:13 DRB) Thy eyes are too pure to behold evil, and thou canst not look on iniquity. Why lookest thou upon them that do unjust things, and holdest thy peace when the wicked devoureth the man that is more just than himself?

St. Paul also taught of a process of purgation which may involve suffering on the soul of Christians and in his first letter to the Corinthian Church he describes the process of purgation after death.

(1Co 3:10 DRB) According to the grace of God that is given to me, as a wise architect, I have laid the foundation: and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

(1Co 3:11 DRB) For other foundation no man can lay, but that which is laid: which is Christ Jesus.

(1Co 3:12 DRB) Now, if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble:

(1Co 3:13 DRB) Every man's work shall be manifest. For the day of the Lord shall declare it, because it shall be revealed in fire. And the fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is.

(1Co 3:14 DRB) If any man's work abide, which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

(1Co 3:15 DRB) If any mans work burn, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.

St. Paul speaks metaphorically that the results of sin that remain on one’s soul is like “wood, hay and straw” and are burned away in the process of final purification to be received in the presence of the Lord. St. Paul also speaks of one’s works as “gold, silver and precious stones” which are refined and retained.

This passage reminds me of what Christ said in the following indicating that some sins may be forgiven after death.

(Mat 12:32 DRB) And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but he that shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world, nor in the world to come.

Purgatory is also related to the parable of the unforgiving servant which is as follows…

(Mat 18:32 DRB) Then his lord called him: and said to him: Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all the debt, because thou besoughtest me:

(Mat 18:33 DRB) Shouldst not thou then have had compassion also on thy fellow servant, even as I had compassion on thee?

(Mat 18:34 DRB) And his lord being angry, delivered him to the torturers until he paid all the debt.

After telling the parable Christ emphasizes His message lest it be misunderstood with this warning……..

(Mat 18:35 DRB) So also shall my heavenly Father do to you, if you forgive not every one his brother from your hearts.

Christ was warning us of the danger of a hard heart or anger making us unwilling to forgive others. We should acknowledge that these are the signs and example of a defective soul in need of purgation so that he that is imperfect may be in the presence of God and dwell in glory. (See CCC 1030-1032)

In Christ
Fr. Joseph

Father K, I understand your points but by theological speculation alone, if there is no purgatory heaven may well be an empty place for eternity.

Michael m,

You misunderstand the doctrine of purgatory. It is not a second chance but a place of purification where one may enter into the presence of our Lord after they have run a successful race and endured to the end. When one enters purgatory they are already saved.

James W,

The Catholic Church has NEVER denounced its doctrine of purgatory or changed it in any way. I believe you are speaking of the theological speculation of limbo and have the two confused.

TroothBTold,

I think your view comes from the Protestant misunderstanding of purgatory. At least one protestant minister, John Wesley, spoke of perfectionism in this life, possible but rare. He is one of the few to proclaim that one can be sanctified in this life and he left the Moravian Church over this issue after a rebuke by Count Zinzendorf for this teaching.

People in purgatory are already justified by receiving the supernatural eternal life into our souls through Baptism making us a part of the Body of Christ. Those in purgatory have accepted Christ by faith and have not rejected Him by unrepentant mortal sin. It is a place where one is purified by fire (Mal 3:2). Imagine the joy of being in purgatory and knowing that you are there because you have passed judgment and are assured of being in the presence of God in heaven. Purgatory is not an eternal destination, there are only two, heaven or hell.

We should not think of purgatory as some kind of legal punishment for past sins as it would be under the old law. Those in purgatory are already new creatures changed by Christ’s grace, they are the adopted children and part of God’s family in purgatory one receives final discipline and cleansing preparing one for the perfection of heaven. Catholics believe that sanctification is a process and is not completed when one comes to belief. So purgatory is not a suggestion that Christ’s atonement is insufficient but that we have not yet completed our sanctification through the grace of Christ.

KarenW,

In these discussions it serves no purpose when you create a straw man and then argue against it. Instead, try addressing the true beliefs in purgatory and not your straw man. Perhaps a better place to get your theology would be in Christ's Church or through personal study instead of off TV. Until you understand the doctrine of purgatory it is useless to argue from a position of ignorance.

Lone Ranger,

It amazes me when copious Scriptures are quoted supporting doctrine and some one refutes those Scriptures by saying that they do not exist or are misquoted. Neither of these accusations are true. One may disagree with the exegesis but it is bearing false witness to say that it is false doctrine based on such an obvious lie. May I remind you that Dante wrote fiction.

You are also calling Christ a liar when you say that His Church is apostate because He promised when He created His Church that the gates of hell will never prevail against His Church. His promise remains true despite the attacks such as the fanciful history and comparisons of people like Alexander Hislop.

Bill,

There is no reincarnation. Therefore if there is no immortal soul as the4 bible teaches then we have no hope in Christ thus there is no Gospel message to the world through Christ's sacrifice. What you teach is truly false doctrine.

Answer 1

It doesn't matter if purgatory is specifically mentioned in the Bible. The Bible tells us that the Church Christ founded is "the pillar and foundation of truth". The Bible makes no such claim about itself. The Bible tells us that whatsoever Christ's Church defines as binding teaching on earth is bound in heaven. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit guides the leaders of Christ's Church to all truth. The Bible tells us that whoever listens to Christ's church listens to Christ Himself. Christ's Church has infallibly taught for 2,000 years about the reality of Purgatory. The doctrina is bound in heaven. It is divinely guaranteed truth. It was the belief of every Christian on earth for 1,500 years after Christ. Not believing in Purgatory is a modern tradition of men, within a system of thousands of unauthorized, conflicting denominations who can't agree with one another on virtually any doctrinal matter. It doesn't metter whether Purgatory is mentioned in the Bible because the Word of God tells us that EVERY doctrinal teaching of Christ's Church is true. And history plainly shows us that Christ's Church is the Catholic Church, no other.

Answer 2

1. The Catholic Church does NOT teach that Mary is God. Read our catechism and find out for yourself. 2. The Bible supports the idea of being fully cleansed after death so we enter Heaven whiter than snow. The process is called purgatory and it's not between heaven and hell; it's between death and heaven. See the following verses: Ps 66:12, Mt 12:32, Phil 2:10-11, Ecc 12:14, Lk 16:19-31, 1 Thess 3:13, Is 4:4 (cf. Eph 4:8-10; 4:7 6:5-7 1 Pet 3:19-20) 2 Tim 1:16-18, Mic 7:8-9, 1 Cor 3:11-15, Heb 12:14, Mal 3:1-4 15:29 12:29, 2 Cor 5:10, Rev 5:3,13, Mt 5:25-6, Lk 12:58-9, 7:1, 21:27 3. Christ instituted the Mass as a fulfillment of Passover, transforming the Judaic covenant between God and His people into the Christian covenant. It's Christ's same once-and-for-all Sacrifice, made present for people today. It's not a new one, so we Catholics DO believe that His work on the Cross is fully sufficient. 4. Catholicism does not teach that we have mediators between us and God, other than Christ, who is the only mediator. However, the Bible says that we share in Christ's work, and if we share in His work, then we are responsible for evangelism and praying for our Christian brothers and sisters. This is a form of mediation, and I'm quite certain you do it, too. So pot, meet kettle. 5. The Bible tells us that we must practice works and "work out our salvation with fear and trembling." We do not think works take the place of faith; rather, we believe that our faith leads us to good works, which is fully Scriptural. See Mat 7:16-20, Matt: 19:21, Mat 25:40-43. Mt 25:15-28, 2 Cor 5:10, Rev 20:12, Lk 19:6, Gal 6:2, Gal 6:4, 1 Cor 9:16, James 5:20, James 2:14-16 ff, 1 Cor 9:16, Jer. 17:10; 32:19. Catholics do read the Bible, all the time and in every Mass. In fact, we have Scripture reading every day that helps us work through the entire Bible systematically in like 3 years time, some parts (Gospels and Psalms) covered more than once. Today's readings are: Sirach 44:1,10-15, Psalm 132 and Matthew 13:16-17. I hope and pray that you get some FACTS before making accusations. You posted a lot of lies about Catholicism -- remember who the father of lies is, please and stick to the truth next time you want to criticize your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Answer 3

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RE:
Why do some Christians not believe in purgatory when the Bible clearly teaches it?
I think that most Catholics would agree that Purgatory is more of a hospital than a jail.

Cleansing or sanctification is a gradual process and we must endure to the end to be saved.

(Mat 10:22 DRB) And you shall be hated by all men for my name's sake: but he that shall persevere unto...

Answer 4

Nothing unclean may enter Heaven (Rev 21:27) which is not primarily a place( though we will be resurrected bodies as well as immortal souls so there is some sort of "placeness' too) but a state of unobstructed union with God.
Mortal sin unrepented prevents us from becomingmembers of Heavens state and venial (lesser sin) ,even the smallest, is an obstruction and must be yielded to. We must let grace cleanse us completely: that is what purgatory is. We must not confuse the imagery of Purgatory with itsbasic reality since there are no bodies in the post-death state of purgatory but only souls and spirits.
I pray for all the deceased and ask God that I may grow in the discipline of graced will and love that i will not need the post death cleansing but that I will be totally converted in mind and life to Christ in this life,but I am very greatful for the mercy of the state of Purgatory after death and for the fellowship with the Holy Souls experiencing it.
Please,everybody, check out the Catechism of the Catholic Church'The Final Purification" 1030-1037

Answer 5

even though you posted scriptures to qualify the reality of purgatory they deny truth, whats new about that? Nothing they've been doing it for 500 yrs. If they did admit, they'd have to become catholic. the scripture also does not say the word "trinity, it teaches that truth, so it is with purgatory it does not say the word, but scripture teaches its truth. In Rev. it states "Nothing defiled shall enter therein" I wonder how they think that the moment of their death shall find them pure and undefiled from the slightest sin? Scripture does not promise this. To enter heaven, there are too many "Unless you's" It is not a one time event as they falsely believe.

Answer 6

The Catholic Bible teaches about Purgatory in the Apocrypha.
The King James omits those books .

Answer 7

I DO believe in Purgatory. But it's nothing I'd be willing to break fellowship over if somebody did not...

It's "majoring in the minors", Padrecito mio....

Besides, do you really think that the dogma of Purgatory truly fits with the Vincentian Canon?

Trent can hardly be part of "everywhere, by all and for all time"?

The Orthodox might question that same point, brother.

Answer 8

Main problem: Protestantism has no teaching authority. Everyone is free to interpret as they will; even when we see in the New Testament St. Peter clearly telling us scripture is not for individual interpretation ( See 2 Peter 1:20; Know this first of all, that there is no prophecy of scripture that is a matter of personal interpretation.) . A huge problem.

Answer 9

I always likened purgatory to be like a soul that is in a waiting zone, almost ready to be released.

Answer 10

I know this comes 6 years late but I disagree with your statement. I haven't read ANYWHERE in my Bible that the Disciples knew or thought or represented in any way shape or form, that there indeed is a purgatory...I think that is because there ISN'T one! If one thing CAN be clear, it's that the Bible (God's word) states once a person has passed, they are "in the presence of the Lord." I'm pretty sure God didn't mince words! I don't care about what kind of "history" the Catholic Church decides to throw at me or others to try and convince me otherwise because it's the discernment I get from the Holy Spirit that tells me otherwise...men have been saying all kinds of things for centuries; they've been fighting battles for years over this kind of thing...we can't REALLY be 100% sure about who is right or who is wrong...but what we CAN KNOW, is that the Lord was very clear. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that WHOSOEVER believe in HIM (JESUS), will NOT DIE, but have everlasting life." John 3:16 Nowhere does it talk about Purgatory in that verse and the reason why that is, is because there is NO NEED for purgatory because Christ took ALL SIN onto himself when he died on the cross...when he did that our SIN DEBT was PAIN IN FULL...NO need to go off to some place where we are "sprinkled in light and love and all that garbage." Why? Because it just isn't SO! For those years after Christ died and rose again on the third day, NOT ONCE did he mention this purgatory stuff...it was only when the Bible was "transformed and changed" by the Catholic religion to suit it's religious connections. It's wrong. Sorry folks but it is...the scam is this...you have to "purchase" your salvation by good works and all of this stuff.. when in fact, that is false doctrine. It is a SMACK in the face of almighty God to insist that one has to "earn" one's way into heaven or be apart of some kind of 'sprinkling' system' in order to purge one's "final sins"...it's not biblical. I was a strict Catholic for a number of years but as time went by and I began to pray and seek his knowledge, I began to understand this awesome truth...We are no longer prisoners of sin when we ask him into our hearts and our lives...when we do this, it doesn't mean we can go half ****** and do what we want...and why would we if we believe in Christ Almighty and his saving Grace on Calvary's Cross? We wouldn't! We are "changed" in that we WANT to obey..and when we fall (which humans do thanks to our human nature due to the fall in the Garden of Eden), we feel extreme guilt about it and want to make amends, no because we were caught but because we know we've hurt our heavenly father beyond measure...I have no idea what you're talking about when you mention Church Christ...but the "pillar and foundation of truth" is this...when you die, you do not go to purgatory...you are instead standing in front of almighty God...Absent from the body, present with the Lord...it doesn't get any clearer than that...there's no need to ADD or SUBTRACT words...