Why do you believe in purgatory?

Question

You can call me what you want or tell me to stop harrassing catholics, but I just want to know why you believe this. I give scripture because reading that than thinking about purgatory makes no sense. Will you use Daniel 13? it's not in the KJV but in the catholic bible, so you see it was made up because it can't agree with hebrews 1:3

Hebrews 1:3. It reads: " Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;"

The definition of purge means to free from impurities; purify or rid of sin. The definiton of purgatory is a condition or place in which the souls of those dying penitent are purified from venial sins. So, if Jesus has already purged our sins by himself as the bible says, then what is the point of purgatory.

Do you have scriptures that can prove purgatory?

Answer 1

I belive Catholocism has taken way too many wrong turns over the past two millenia. I believe it has become more of a "man" based Christianity following mostly man-made rules rather than a "Christ" based Christianity following His rules. I have no problem with Catholics at all, as my grandparents are devout ones. My problem is that it has been warped and twisted over many centuries by corrupt men only seeking power and then abusing that power. Hence, why I don't believe in purgatory either.

Answer 2

First, you need to recognize that Catholics added NOTHING to the Bible. The Catholic Bible was the original Bible, and Protestants actually removed books after the split. The Catholic Bible was the original Christian Bible. Luther even wished (so I've been told ... I haven't seen primary documentation yet) to remove the book of James because of the statement "Faith without works is dead." and its implication that works may be necessary.

The second thing that you need to recognize is that people have sinful natures ... even Christians. Unless you think that people will be able to sin in heaven, how do you think that sinful nature is removed from the person when they enter heaven? Do you think that people will simply not be inclined to do so? What is that process by which a person's inclination is no longer bent toward sin? That is the definition of purgatory.

Many protestants enjoy pointing to the verse, where Jesus was on the cross and said to the thief "Truly I say to you this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise" as a clear indication that there is no purgatory. If you will note though, I've included no comma in that sentence. In the original texts, there is no punctuation. If I were to add a comma after the word "you", it would be a clear indication that the thief was to be in paradise "This Day". However, if the comma is placed after the word "Day", it assures the thief that he was to be in paradise with Christ that day.

The problem with the second interpretation is that it flies in the face the idea that Christ descended to hell. So, was he hin hell, or was he in Paradise that day?

Anyway, I'm not Catholic. I'm not even a Christian. I just think the fighting among various Christians, and what they don't know about their own history or each other leads to entertaining arguments. You know ... the house divided as it were.

Answer 3

I don't have any Scriptural references that support the idea of purgatory. That is a 100% Catholic concept, coming from the apocrypha. The apocyrpha is an account of the intertestamental time (in between the OT and NT) but is not doctrinally sound. It is a historical account that reflects the passions and hopes of the Jewish people, but is not anything that can be depended on for theology.

Answer 4

"The word purgatory is nowhere found in Scripture." This is true, and yet it does not disprove the existence of purgatory or the fact that belief in it has always been part of Church teaching. The words Trinity and Incarnation aren’t in Scripture either, yet those doctrines are clearly taught in it. Likewise, Scripture teaches that purgatory exists, even if it doesn’t use that word and even if 1 Peter 3:19 refers to a place other than purgatory.

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. Similarly, 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.

Answer 5

I don't. I'm an atheist.

You remind me of Star Trek fans who argue incessantly about details of various episodes, as if Captain Kirk actually existed.

Sorry, but you can interpret the Bible to say whatever you want by reading more into it than is there and not recognizing that the whole is just myth based on superstitions. Therefore, there is no right or wrong to the answer of whether the Bible supports the idea of purgatory, just as there is no right or wrong about the question of what Captain Kirk really did with the green female alien.

Answer 6

There is no purgatory its more Catholic dogma. The belief in purgatory is based on twisting scripture into believeing that "Abraham's Busom" or paradise is purgatory. When Christ died and was raised the doors of heaven were open and paradise ceased to exist. To be absent with the body is to be present with the Lord or burning in hell.

Answer 7

the belief-approximately purgatory as a place isn't and by no potential has been component of the catholic church's doctrine, although the belief-approximately a state of very final purification is shared between many faiths stretching returned long till now Christianity to judaeism. that's maximum extensively seen although interior the catholic, anglican protestant, methodist and mormon church homes besides as judaeism and islam. i do no longer understand which saint it became into as quickly as gave the respond - "definite I do have self belief in purgatory and that i've got self belief that's empty"

Answer 8

The apostolic tradition is not reduced to the testimony of the Scriptures (for sixteen centuries this was the accepted ethos of Christianity). One believes in purgatory because one has hope in God's mercy and the transformative power of his grace.

Answer 9

The Bible never mentions this, it is a man made invention.

The motivation behind it is to make the members think they have the power to save people.

Only Jesus Christ can save us.

Answer 10

No, because it cannot be proven. Someone came up with it and everyone started believing it. It can't be proven with the bible, because it does NOT exist.