Protestants say purgatory is unscriptural. Catholics, what is purgatory, and what is the biblical evidence?

Question

Father K, Luke 16:19-31 translates Hades as "hell" and describes "a great chasm [that] has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'" Sure this is purgatory?

Julia, your argument from the gospel, "Jesus speaks of being put in prison "until you have paid the last penny" is a strong one. Can you edit to give chapter and verse?

Answer 1

"But if someone's work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire." (1 Cor 3:15)

"So that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Pet 1:7)

Are you perfect now? Most people would say no.

Will you be perfect in heaven? Most people believe yes.

Purgatory (or purgation) is the process of God's love changing our imperfect selves into perfect beings.

Depending on the amount of change needed by different people, this can be an easy or slightly harder process.

Everyone in purgatory is on his or her way to heaven.

I do not think Mother Teresa of Calcutta had a very hard time of it.

For more information see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 1030: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art12.htm

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

http://www.call2holiness.org/ScriptureAlone/ScriptureAlone.htm

http://scripturecatholic.com/purgatory_qa.html



Purification necessary for heaven Heb 12:14; Rev 21:27
An intermediate state of purification Mt 5:26; Lk 12:58-59
Degrees of expiation of sins Lk 12:47-48
Can be aided by prayer 2Mac 12:45
Salvation; but only as through fire 1Cor 3:15
Temporary agony 1 Cor 3:15; Mt 5:25-26
Christ preached to spiritual beings 1 Pet 3:19
Nothing unclean shall enter heaven Rev 21:27
Sacrifice for the dead 2 Mac 12:43-46
A reality beyond the two realms of Heaven and Earth a place between or near 2 Cor 5:10; Rev; 5: 2;3 Rev; 5:23; Phil 2:10; Matt 18: 23-25 Luke 23:42
No forgiveness in this age nor in the age to come. Mt 12:32
"Extra" suffering. Col 1:24; 2 Sam 12:14


Scripture Alone – do not expect Catholics to prove the Truth using a lie.

Answer 3

Purgatory is a place of purification.

See
Revelation 21:27
Matt 22 1-14
Matt 12:32
Matt 18 21-35
Luke 16: 19 -31
2 Maccabees 12:38-46

Answer 4

thats a stretch of imagination for a purgatory check out another interpretation: 1Cr 3:13 But there is going to come a time of testing at the judgment day to see what kind of work each builder has done. Everyone's work will be put through the fire to see whether or not it keeps its value. 1Cr 3:14 If the work survives the fire, that builder will receive a reward. 1Cr 3:15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builders themselves will be saved, but like someone escaping through a wall of flames.

Answer 5

There is alot of people that don't believe it. But the Jews believe they are purified until they can get into heaven. They also believe if they die and they have some sins they will have to be in a type of "hell" for no more then a year getting refined for heaven. This sounds like purgatory to me. This was told to me by someone who's close friend is a Jew if this isn't true - sorry Jewish people I don't mean to offend. Just repeating what I heard.

Answer 6

The Free Dictionary encyclopedia has a rather comprehensive article on Purgatory and other beliefs about what happens between death and judgment.
It certainly explains Purgatory and the history of the doctrine. Check it out.

Answer 7

As the name implies, Purgatory is a place of purging oneself of sins and faults that were not addressed during one's lifetime. The doctrine is based on both logic and Scripture, although Protestants rejected the book from which its primary reference is taken (for obvious reasons.)

2nd Maccabees, 12: 40-46, Judas Maccabee, the leader of the army of Israel, sends 12 thousand drachmas of silver to the Temple as a sacrifice for the sins of those who died in battle. If there was no intermediate state between earthly life and Heaven, then his sacrifice would have been pointless. However, it was obvious that he felt such an offering to God would be beneficial to the souls of the faithful departed.

A second indication that there is a cleansing process after death is that God cannot look upon sin. Logically, nothing sinful or impure can enter Heaven, and most people die with many sins and impurities on their souls. In order to be at Home in Heaven, it stands to reason that we would need to be purged of everything that is unfit for such purity and holiness.

C.S. Lewis, an Anglican by faith, summed up Purgatory perfectly:

Our souls demand Purgatory, don't they? Would it not break the heart if God said to us, 'It is true, my son, that your breath smells and your rags drip with mud and slime, but we are charitable here and no one will upbraid you with these things, nor draw away from you. Enter into the joy'? Should we not reply, 'With submission, sir, and if there is no objection, I'd rather be cleaned first.' 'It may hurt, you know' - 'Even so, sir.'

Answer 8

Purgatory is the spiritual dwelling of the souls of people who have had their sins forgiven before they died but have not done sufficient penance for them.

Purgatory is not mentioned by name in the Bible, but it is mentioned. (Remember that "Trinity" and "Incarnation" are not mentioned by name in the Bible either, but all Christians believe in them.)

In the Gospels, Jesus speaks of being put in prison "until you have paid the last penny." This "prison" cannot refer to hell (no "payment" can release a soul from there), nor cannot it refer to Heaven (no "payment" is necessary there).

Jesus was clearly speaking of a third spiritual state here.

In 2 Maccabees, we read that "it is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins."

Again, this praying cannot be done for souls in Heaven or in hell -- they're not needed for the former, and they cannot help the latter. 2 Maccabees was clearly speaking of a third place.

Finally, in Revelation, we are told that nothing unclean is allowed into Heaven.

Our souls cannot be "cleaned" in hell, because that state is permanent. By creating an "in between" spiritual state in which our souls may meet the Heavenly requirement of being clean, God has actually done us a great and merciful favor.

..

Answer 9

1 Cor. 3:12-17: "If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple."

In these passages, Paul explains how God judges our works after death, using a string of metaphors (we are God's building; works are good and bad materials, etc.). Paul says that if a person builds with good materials, he will receive a reward. If he builds with a mixture of good and bad materials, his work is burned up, but he is still saved. If he only builds with bad materials, he has destroyed the temple, and God will destroy him.

Looks like Paul taught purgatory.

CDF

Answer 10

As always an excellent answer from Fr.K
here also is a link to the doctrine of Purgatory that you can study at your convenience.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12575a.htm