Is Purgatory Biblical
I am going to review the Catholic doctrine of purgatory and why it’s not Biblical. I will review what Catholics believe purgatory is, and the purpose for it. I will discuss the arguments for and against it. I will examine indulgences and almsgiving in the light of scripture. I will show you how we can experience the Beatific Vision. Most importantly, I will explain why I believe purgatory is a dangerous doctrine to believe in, that can affect one’s salvation.
The Bible describes both heaven and hell in vivid detail, but it’s surprisingly silent about purgatory. If purgatory exists, it would be purely speculation as to what it’s like.
I highlighted things in different colors. Catholic doctrines and quotes will be in purple and Bible verses will be in blue.
What is Purgatory?
Mortal and Venial Sins
Catholics put sins into two categories, mortal and venial sins. They
believe a mortal sin sends someone to hell, and venial sins are those God are
willing to forgive. If you only have venial sins, you will go through a
purification process called purgatory. This is where you’ll be punished for the
sins you committed while on earth, in order to be pure enough to enter heaven.
Catholics believe mortal sins keep you from heaven so, let’s look at what the Catechism says about Mortal sins.
IV. The Gravity of Sin: Mortal and Venial Sin
1857 - For a sin to
be mortal, three conditions must together be met: "Mortal sin
is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with
full knowledge and deliberate consent."
1858 - Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments, corresponding to the answer of Jesus to the rich young man: "Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother."132 The gravity of sins is more or less great: murder is graver than theft. One must also take into account who is wronged: violence against parents is in itself graver than violence against a stranger.
I agree the person to whom the sin is committed is very important. Lying to a sibling is vastly different than lying to the Supreme Court. Keeping that in mind, any sin we commit in this world is technically against God. He created the person to whom you have lied to. That person was created in his image, whether they are sitting on the Supreme Court or not.
Based on what the Catechism says, it looks like murder or adultery is the red line for heaven? The Bible says in 1 John 3:15, Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. So, if you ever hated someone, you’re in deep trouble? Matthew 5:28, But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Should we close our eyes all the time, in fear we could be eternally dammed before we can get to confession?
The CCC - 2181 says, if you miss the Sunday Eucharist, it’s a mortal sin. It also says you are obligated to participate in the Eucharist on the 10 holy days of obligation. Do you know what they are? Could you have a mortal sin on you and not know it? The list of mortal sins I have found on Catholic websites are long and most of us have probably failed. Is there any hope?
Yes, there is! Jesus offered to pardon us from all our sins, not just the venial sins, but the mortal sins, even the ones in our heart!
Biblical Contradictions to Purgatory
Psalm
103:10, He does not
deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. If there was a place
called purgatory, why would the Bible say that? Per the Catholic church,
purgatory is a place specifically designed to punish us, according to our
iniquities?
Isaiah 53:11, After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities. It sounds like we won’t have to bear them.
Hebrews 1:3, The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. If he provided purification for our sin, then why do we still need to be purified?
Going to a place called purgatory after death, would contradict scripture. In Luke 23:43 Jesus said to the thief on the cross next to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise”. Numbers 23:19 says God can not lie. So, we know this thief was in paradise with Jesus on the same day he died. How can that be if he was a thief? Clearly, he has venial sins that need to be purified. Shouldn’t Jesus have said after a period of time in purgatory, then you will be with me? Jesus didn’t say that because he was speaking the truth. The thief on the cross was in the presence of Jesus, in paradise, that very day.
Philippians 1:21-23, For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. When Paul departs, he believes he will be with Christ. Knowing what the Bible says about Paul, we can’t believe he was a superior man of little sin. We know Paul was responsible for killing Christians and after he was saved, he still struggled with “venial” sins per his confession in Romans. Romans 7:19, For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.
2 Corinthians 5:8, Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. If Paul believes he had to go through a period of time in purgatory, why would he say this? It doesn’t say away from the body and in purgatory. This was another opportunity for Paul to discuss purgatory and yet he is silent. Paul is also bringing the rest of us into that statement by using the word, we, twice. The Bible is clear, when you are away from the body, you are at home with the Lord.
Jesus will return in the last days to gather his church off the earth. 1 Thessalonians 4:17, Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. From that moment on, it says we will always be with the Lord. This would not be an accurate statement, if Jesus needed to place all or most of us in purgatory?
The Purpose of Purgatory
The text in purple has been pulled directly from the Catholic Catechism. I included paragraph numbers, so you can easily look them up. I added some asterisks and numbers to points I would like to address below.
The Catholic Catechism - The punishments of sin.
1472 - To understand this doctrine and
practice of the Church, it is necessary to understand that sin has
a double consequence. *1 Grave
sin deprives us of
communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life,
the privation of which is called the "eternal punishment" of sin. On
the other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to
creatures, *2 which must be purified either
here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification
frees one from what is called the "temporal punishment" of sin.
These two punishments must not be conceived of as a kind of vengeance inflicted
by God from without, but as following from the very nature of sin. A conversion
which proceeds from a *3
fervent charity
can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no
punishment would remain.
*1 It's not just grave sin that separates us from God, it’s any sin. James 2:10, For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. If I do something illegal and get arrested. It doesn’t matter that I didn’t break the other 612 laws on the books. One single act, breaking one single law, gets me sent to jail. The same thing with God. Perfection is the standard of heaven. If he lets sin into heaven, then heaven would be no better than earth.
If you were arrested and sent to prison, you couldn’t bail yourself out. Neither can your fellow inmates bail you out (mass card, indulgences, almsgivings), because they are in jail themselves. You need a free person who hasn’t committed any crimes (sinless), who can come and pay your bail. It's not going to matter how well behaved you are, if you make your bed, or the number of jobs you did around the prison (good works). None of your good works will play a role in whether you get bailed out or not. You need someone who hasn’t broken the law, who is free, to come pay your fine, and bail you out (Jesus). When your fine is paid, you are immediately released from prison. The judge is not going to say you need to remain in the prison and finish paying the penalty for your crimes (purgatory) even though you have been bailed out. That defeats the whole purpose. Romans 8:2, For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. Galatians 5:1, For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Our freedom only comes from the penalty the person on the outside of the prison is willing to pay to free us. Psalm 49:7-8, Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice.
*2 What must we do, so we receive our purification on earth instead of purgatory? How are we purified in purgatory? Where in the Bible does is say we receive a temporal punishment of sin? I don’t see any of these important questions addressed in scripture.
*3 The Catholic answer to *2, how are we purified, is giving money to charity. Not just charity, but intense, fervent, charity. I wish the Catholic Church would provide a verse from one of the 66 books in the Bible that talks about this. It appears they believe charity can bring about our purification and eliminate our punishment. Does this seem right to you? Have any of you been able to maintain that kind of charity throughout your life?
1473 - The forgiveness of sin and restoration
of communion with God entail the remission of the eternal punishment of sin,
but temporal punishment of sin remains. While patiently bearing
sufferings and trials of all kinds and, when the day comes, serenely facing
death, the Christian must strive to accept this temporal punishment of
sin as a grace. He should strive by works of mercy and
charity, as well as by prayer and the various practices of penance, to put off
completely the "old man" and to put on the "new man."
There’s nothing in the Bible that says Jesus removed the eternal part of sins, but left the temporal punishment for us. That is purely speculation with no Biblical foundation. What it does say is that Jesus paid the price for our sins. 1 Corinthians 7:23, You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. Jesus did not charge it and expect you to pay the price after your death. Jesus’ sacrifice was complete! He doesn’t need us to pay part of the price. His last words were “It is finished.” (John 19:30).
Jesus was beaten so bad before he went to the cross that he no longer looked human (Isaiah 52:14), and he died horrifically on that cross with nails in his hands and feet. Was the excruciating pain Jesus endured, not sufficient for all our sins?
Galatians 2:21, I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”
Romans 7:1-6 tells us, we have been RELEASED from the law because of the death of Jesus. Jesus didn’t lie, steal, lust. He honored his mother and father, he kept the sabbath, the feast days. He kept every letter of the law because we are unable to.
Romans 9:30-32, What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone. When you go back to trying to keep the law (sacraments) that you think will lead to your righteousness, you lose your salvation (Galatians 5:3-4).
Colossians 2:14, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
Micah 7:19, He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast ALL our SINS into the depths of the sea. If he casts our sins away, then what sins are we paying for in purgatory?
Romans 8:1, Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
There’s not a partial removal of sins but a full cleansing of your sins by the blood of Jesus. Your sins no longer remain on you!
In the Communion of Saints
1475 - In the communion of saints, "a perennial link of
charity exists between the faithful who have already reached their heavenly
home, those who are expiating their
sins in purgatory and those who are still pilgrims on earth. between
them there is, too, an abundant exchange of all good things."86 In this
wonderful exchange, the holiness of one profits others, well beyond the harm that the sin of one could cause others. Thus
recourse to the communion of saints lets
the contrite sinner be more promptly and efficaciously purified of the
punishments for sin.
This says you need to expiate your sins in purgatory. From Webster’s dictionary, the word expiate derives from the Latin expiare ("to atone for"). If a believer has to atone for their own sins in purgatory, then why did Jesus need to die a painful death on the cross?
Biblical Contradictions
Romans 5:11, …We also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by
whom we have now received the atonement. If we have already received (past
tense) atonement, then what is the purpose of purgatory? The Bible doesn’t say
we will receive it, after we go through a period of time in purgatory. It uses
the word now, not after.
The Bible tells us what purifies us from our sins. 1 John 1:7, …The blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from ALL sin.
Titus 2:14, Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from ALL iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. This says he redeemed us and purified us from all iniquity, not just mortal sins, all sins! Ephesians 1:7 says it’s by grace.
Revelation 1:5, says Jesus washed us from our sins in his own blood.
We have redemption and forgiveness through the blood of Jesus. A purification through purgatory does not allow us to enter into the presence of God, it’s by Jesus’ blood, alone.
Hebrews 10:19, Therefore, brothers and sisters, since WE have confidence to ENTER the Most Holy Place BY the blood of Jesus. See also Hebrews 9:12.
Who should have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place (Beatific Vision)? We should! By what means? The blood of Jesus!
Ephesians 2:13, But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought NEAR BY the blood of Christ.
We accept this purification through faith in Jesus. Acts 15:9, …purifying their hearts by faith.
Psalm 103:12, As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
1 Corinthians 6:11, …you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
If we have been reconciled by Jesus’ death. If we have purified our hearts through faith. If we were washed, sanctified, justified and cleansed of our sins, by his blood, with our sins far removed, (all past tense words). Having the confidence to be brought near and enter the most holy place. How can a believer who has placed their faith in Jesus, go to purgatory? If someone ends up in this place, it would mean, they haven’t been cleansed by his blood, or purified their hearts through faith. There is one place for a person whose sins still remain, and it's not purgatory.
Acts 11:19, “The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’
Introduction of New Doctrines
If we have
been purified, washed and redeemed from all our sins, by the blood of Jesus,
why is the Catholic church putting our sins
back on us after we die? I’ll tell you the reason why I believe they did this,
but keep in mind, the church’s actions in the past or present does not reflect
on Catholics as individuals.
Everyone is flawed, priests, cardinals, and even popes. Romans 3:10, As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one. Jeremiah 19:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
Over the years people have entered the church who viewed it, as more of a business. I believe when they needed to raise finances, they didn’t seek God, but came up with creative ways to make some money. Purgatory, almsgiving and indulgences were introduced into the church’s teachings. The church told their congregants that through indulgences they could get their loved ones out of this place of punishment and purification earlier as a way of collecting more donations through fear.
1 Timothy 6:10, For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. I’m sure a measure of power and control was also at play as well. If people think the Catholic church holds the keys to salvation, it would be fearful for them to walk away.
Prior to the printing press and mass production of Bibles, the average lay person did not have access to the Bible. They had to fully trust their priests to interpret scripture for them.
The Reformation
The reformation started when a Catholic monk/priest from
Germany who was also a professor of theology named Martin Luther, claimed that
the Catholic Church was teaching doctrines that were not
scriptural. Father Luther translated the Hebrew and Greek scriptures into
German for the Catholic Church. He rejected the teaching that someone can
purchase the forgiveness of sins through indulgences or almsgiving. Martin
Luther felt this teaching was hindering people from repenting of their sins. He
believed scripture said, salvation was a free gift from God, received by those
who believed in Jesus.
Because there was such an uproar, the Catholic church needed to justify their new teachings. More than fifteen hundred years after Jesus died, the church added new scriptures to the already established Bible. It was at the councils of Florence and Trent in 1546 that the teaching of purgatory was formulated and the apocrypha was added to the Word of God. The apocrypha does not contain any Divinely inspired writings, and should not be considered scripture. Christian doctrine should not be rooted in any of these books. The apocrypha was added in response to the reformation, because the teachings of purgatory, almsgiving, indulgences, praying for the dead, along with other doctrines, needed to have some kind of scriptural foundation. The Bible did not contain anything they could pull from, but the apocrypha did.
Here are some examples as to why the apocrypha should not be considered scripture.
· The Jewish people never considered the Apocrypha
to be Divinely inspired. They are the ones to whom God entrusted with his Word
(Romans 3:2).
· Jesus and the writers of the New Testament
specifically quote and refer to the books in the Old Testament giving them
validity. You can do a search and find lists with hundreds of New Testament
verses directly quoting or referring the OT books. There isn’t one direct
quote from any of the books in the Apocrypha.
· All of the Old Testament writers were called
prophets (Luke 1:70, Luke 24:27, Romans
16:26). The writers of the apocrypha do not claim to be
prophets, in fact they say that the prophets have ceased to appear (1
Maccabees 9:27 & 1 Maccabees 4:46).
· The Bible is filled with quotes from God.
Unlike the authors of the Old and New Testament, the authors of the apocrypha
never claimed to be divinely inspired. The apocrypha does not have any quotes
from God. Not a single, Thus says the Lord, The Word of the Lord came
to me saying…. Not one verse says, God said or God spoke. This is because God
did not speak through the authors of the apocrypha.
· One third of the Bible is prophetic. The
apocrypha does not have any prophecies to verify the authenticity of the
author.
Almsgiving
and Indulgences
The Catholic
Catechism - III. The Final Purification, or Purgatory
1032 - This teaching is also based on the practice of
prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: "Therefore *1 [Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the dead,
that they might be delivered from their sin."609 From
the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered
prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that,
thus purified, they may attain the beatific
vision of God. 610 *2 The
Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works
of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead:
Let us help and commemorate them. *3 If Job's sons were purified by their father's sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.
*1 Here are the verses from the apocrypha that the first paragraph is referring to.
2 Maccabees 12:43-46, He then took up a collection among all his soldiers, amounting to two thousand silver drachmas, which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sacrifice. In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection in mind; 44 for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. 45 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. 46 Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be absolved from their sin.
Notice it said Judas made atonement for the dead! Atonement has to do with blood sacrifices, not finances. Leviticus 17:11, For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.
*2 The only atonement that matters is the blood from the Lamb of God! You can’t bribe the judge of the universe for forgiveness of sins with silver or any kind of monetary sacrifice.
This verse in Isaiah is talking about the Lord’s coming salvation. Isaiah 52:3, For thus says the LORD: “You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money.”
Job 36:18-19, Because there is wrath, beware lest He take you away with one blow; For a large ransom would not help you avoid it. Will your riches, Or all the mighty forces, Keep you from distress?
1 Peter 1:18-19, For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
Even though the Catholic church no longer sells indulgences for cash, knowing that was wrong. They now offer mass cards for a monetary offering, to lessen your time in purgatory. They have modified indulgences where you can now earn them based off of good works, which is also wrong. You also can’t bribe the judge of the universe with good works.
Isaiah 64:6, All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.
Isaiah 57:12, I will declare your righteousness and your works, for they will not profit you.
*3 If this statement about Job were true, then you would have read that Job continued to offer sacrifices for his children after they died. I searched through the whole book of Job and it does not say any offerings or sacrifices were made after his children died. Only before they were killed were the sacrifices and offerings made.
Clarifying
It appears to me, from the viewpoint of the Catholic church, that most or all of our sins were not covered by Jesus.
Sins NOT covered by the sacrifice of Jesus
·
An un-repented mortal sin, is not covered by
Jesus, and sends someone to hell.
·
Venial sins are paid for in purgatory, by the
believer. Their time in purgatory can be reduced by family members through
monetary offerings or their good works. Jesus’s sacrifice does pay for venial
sins.
If mortal sins are not covered because you go to hell, and venial sins are paid for by you and your family. What sins did Jesus pay for?
Sins POSSIBLY covered by Jesus
·
The only sins that may be covered by Jesus, are
mortal sins that were repented of. This creates the question of, do people who
commit mortal sins get off Scott free because Jesus paid for that mortal sin,
or does a mortal sin, turn into a venial sin?
o If
the mortal sin is absolved, then Jesus paid for that sin.
o If
a mortal sin turns into a venial sin, then Jesus did not pay for that sin,
because the person will pay for it in purgatory. If they get off Scott free
from that mortal sin, is that fair to those who are in purgatory for lesser
venial sins?
Something to think about.
People would
have to suffer longer in purgatory if they have little to no family or because
they’re poor. Yet, the rich, snobby, kids get a free pass when their
parents pay up. How is that Just?
Let’s say, a rich man, whose son was convicted of DUI causing death, went to the judge. If he offered him cash in exchange for his son’s sentence to be lessened or commuted, or if he offered to clean his office and detail his car. If the Judge was willing to take either of those bribes, then he would be unjust. Why are we putting this same characteristic on God? God would seem like an unjust judge if he is willing to take bribes for shorter sentences. Do you believe God plays favorites with those who have more money? For God to shorten a sentence in exchange for goods or services, and willingly keep others in purgatory longer, due to poor finances, or lack of someone to bribe the judge on their behalf, contradicts the very nature of God.
Leviticus 19:15, “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.
Acts 10:34, Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism.
Arguments For and Against Purgatory
Argument #1
When asked for Biblical evidence of purgatory, 1 Corinthians 3, is often quoted. Chapter 3 doesn’t
say we will be physically tested in place of refining fire for a period of time
to pay for our sins. It’s talking about testing the works that we did while on
earth. Our works earn us rewards, if they pass the test.
1 Corinthians 3:13-15, Their 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 person’s work. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
All our good deeds must be come from the foundation of Christ. The good works of the unbeliever will not receive a reward because it wasn’t built on the foundation of Jesus.
If a believer’s work is burned up, the believer will be saved, but will enter heaven without a reward. Good works must be done with the right heart and intentions. Matthew talks about this in Matthew 6:1-4. Bragging how much you give to charities will not reap you any rewards in heaven. These are the works that God is testing.
Argument #2
1 Peter 1:6-7 is
also cited as confirmation for purgatory. In this
you rejoice, though now (not after death) for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved
by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith
more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire may be found
to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. The testing of our faith through various trial is done
on earth as our faith develops and grows. It would be pointless to test our
faith after we died. Testing by
fire is a metaphor. Gold becomes more beautiful when it goes through a
fire because it burns away the impurities leaving the gold shiny and pure.
God is saying our faith is more precious than gold after it goes through trials. There are no trials or tests in heaven. All examples of testing in the Bible are here on earth. David was tested (Psalm 17:3). Abraham was tested (Hebrews 11:17). All men are tested (Psalm 66:10, & Revelation 2:10).
Argument #3
The Catholic
Catechism - III. The Final Purification, or Purgatory
1031 - The
Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the
elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. 606 *1 The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of
Florence and Trent. *2 The tradition of the Church,
by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:
*1 It’s her (the Catholic Church’s) formulated doctrine of purgatory. Matthew 15:9, In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.
*2 Mark 7:13, Thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.
As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that *3 whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.
*3 I went to the scripture the Catechism is referencing.
Matthew 12:32, …but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. This is telling us that those who speak against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven now or in eternity. This is emphasizing you can’t change your status after death. It says nothing about sins being forgiven in the future. Forgiveness of sins after death would be a status change.
I looked up Mark’s version of conversation and this is what he
said.
Mark 3:29, but whoever blasphemes
against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty
of an eternal sin. I read the whole chapter and there was
nothing that even hinted at the possibility that sins can be forgiven in the
age to come.
I did a search for the words “age to come” in the Bible. Mark 10:30 and Luke 18:30 both say, age to come followed by eternal life. It simply means eternal life.
I did a Bible search for the word “forgive” and “forgiven”, and read all of those passages. Not one time did the Bible say sins can be forgiven in the age to come or allude to anything like that. Matthew was just emphasizing that the sin of blasphemy will not be forgiven, ever. This is not a reference to a place called purgatory.
Argument #4
The
Catholic church believes after Jesus died, he went and spoke to the spirits in
purgatory.
1 Peter 3:19, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison.
Prior to Jesus dying on the cross every soul went to a place called Sheol when they died. Sheol is located in the center of the earth and consists of two parts, hell and paradise (AKA Abraham’s bosom). You can see a clear picture of both of these compartments in the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16. Hell is where the unsaved went and Abraham’s bosom is where the souls of the saved dwelt before Jesus died and rose again.
The reason the righteous could not enter
heaven is because the real, sinless, sacrifice, had not been made. Without the
atoning blood of Jesus there is nothing we can do to gain entrance.
Adam and Eve did not have the option to go to
purgatory to get out of prison (Sheol) quicker. They had to wait until the
final sacrifice of the true Lamb of God. Hebrews 10:4,
For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Ephesians 4:8-9, Therefore says, “When he ascended on high, he led a host of
captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it
mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth)? When Jesus died and
went to the paradise section of Sheol, located in the center of earth (Matthew 12:40). He proclaimed the good
news to all the souls who died before him as per 1 Peter 3:19 above. Jesus led the
host of captives that were waiting there, to go to heaven. When he was
resurrected paradise was emptied and is
no longer a holding place of souls
Matthew 27:51-53, And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs (plural) also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When Jesus was raised from the dead, all the Old Testament saints were also raised with him. They were released from the prison of earth (Sheol) and went to heaven.
Zechariah 9:11, As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. See also Job 33:24.
Now when a righteous person dies, he or she goes directly into the presence of God, in heaven.
Ephesians
3:12, In Him and
through faith in Him we may enter God's presence with boldness and confidence.
I wrote an article called, Where Did People Who Died Before Jesus Go? To read more about that topic click HERE.
Beatific Vision
Per the Catholic doctrine, once you’re purified, you can experience the Beatific Vision. I looked up what Beatific Vision means from Catholic.com. Here is the definition. The immediate knowledge of God which the angelic spirits and the souls of the just enjoy in Heaven.
When I read the Bible, it tells me we can experience the Beatific Vision now. We already have the knowledge of God and are currently seated in the heavenly realms.
Proverbs 2:1-5 says if you receive God’s word and treasure God’s commandments, then you will find the knowledge of God. 1 Corinthians 15:34 rebukes those who don’t have the knowledge of God.
Paul says we have already been seated (past tense) with Jesus in heavenly places. As a believer this is our current status. Ephesians 2:6, And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 4:16, Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. We are not going need mercy or help after we have died. This command to come boldly before the throne is what children of God should do now, and not after our death. Our current spiritual position is in the throne room of heaven, next to Jesus, with the knowledge of God.
Based on the Bible, it appears we are currently able to experience the Beatific Vision if, we belong to God.
Romans 5:2, Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Why believing in Purgatory can affect your salvation
Purgatory is a dangerous doctrine because it dismantles the trust that’s needed in Jesus for salvation. I fear the doctrine of purgatory may cause two negative side effects that lead to the loss of salvation.
You will have one type of person always striving to be good enough for God to accept them. They keep trying to fulfill the man-made law of the sacraments through works. This could cause many to be scared of God and of death, because they’re anticipating the punishing fire that awaits them.
The other type of person will have the mindset of, live life anyway you want. They won’t have a desire to turn from their sins, thinking they will just need to spend a longer time in purgatory to work off their sins.
Neither of these mindsets produce the fruits of righteousness that leads to salvation. One is scared of God, not fully trusting what Jesus did on the cross to save them, and the other has forgotten God, living a sinful lifestyle.
The Body of Jesus
Our relationship with Jesus, that leads to salvation, is symbolic of a marriage. When two people marry, the Bible says they become one body, one flesh (Ephesians 5:30-32). The church is the bride of Christ and because of this union, we have become one body with him (Romans 12:5 & 1 Corinthians 12:27). The body of Jesus already paid for our sin on the cross. It means we as individuals do not have to. It would be like double jeopardy if God was to take his wrath out on Christ at the cross and again on the body of Christ (the Church). Colossians 1:22, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.
1 Corinthians 3:16, Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If the Holy Spirit is in you, and you are in purgatory, isn’t this another example of double jeopardy? God’s Spirit and his temple do not belong in a place of punishing fire.
Those who have the mindset that they will receive any kind of punishment from God, cannot be a-part of the body of Christ. It means they would be responsible to take on their own punishment.
Matthew 25:46, And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. It’s everlasting life or everlasting punishment. There is not a single verse in the Bible about a temporal punishment. So, if you believe you’re going to receive any punishment for your sins, unfortunately, there is only one place where that punishment is received, and it’s everlasting.
The Gift of God
Hebrews 4:1-3, Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,’ ” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. We have all sinned and have earned death. Jesus would still be alive today, if he didn’t freely give up his life. There was no sin in him to have died a natural death (1 Peter 2:22). This is why Jesus had to freely lay down his life to be killed (John 10:17-18).
When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, that is when death entered the world (Genesis 2:17). Our sins have placed us all on death row. Wages are something we earn, based on things we have done. We can earn our sinful wages, or we can trust that all the works were finished by Jesus perfectly, and he will give us the sinless wages he has earned.Romans 4:2-6, For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are NOT counted as a gift but as his due. (If I am working for my salvation, I will get the wages that I’m due, and will forfeit the gift. I, being a sinner, do not want the wages I have earned.) And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works. If I stop striving to earn my salvation based on my own merits, and transfer my trust from myself to Jesus, then God counts me as righteous.
Jesus completed all the works on the cross and is giving to us (as a gift) the sinless wages he earned. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.
If someone came to your house and said here is a gift, and then they asked you to pay for some of it, is it truly a gift? No, it went from being a gift, to maybe a good deal. Jesus is not offering you a deal, where you pay for part of your sins in purgatory. He is giving you a free gift, already bought and paid for. 1 Corinthians 6:20, For you were bought at a price…1 Timothy
1:3-4, …that you may
command certain people not to teach false doctrines any
longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such
things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s
work which is by faith.
Ezekiel 33:13, Though I say to the righteous, that he shall surely live, yet if he trusts in his righteousness and does injustice, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his injustice that he has done he shall die. If you place your trust in yourself, then sin, it doesn’t matter how many righteous deeds you have done, you will end up in hell.
Hebrews 10:8, When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law). He does not desire your sacrifices in purgatory. This is because only the sacrifice of the perfect, sinless, lamb of God, would suffice.
Hebrews 10:10-11, And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
Hebrews 10:14, For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
Then he adds in Verses 17-18, “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.
Galatians 3:1-3, O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?
When you believe that you need to pay for your sins, even one, then the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross, wouldn’t apply to you. You have nullified his sacrifice and his grace. Romans 11:6, Now if by grace, then it is not by works; otherwise grace ceases to be grace.There is a life and death difference between doing good works for salvation, and being grateful for your salvation by doing good works. Good works are pleasing to God because you represent him on this earth. He will one day reward our good works, but that reward never includes salvation!
If you want to receive the free give of salvation remember the ABC's.
ACKNOWLEDGE you’re a sinner in need of salvation by asking God to forgive you (1 John 1:8-9, Psalm 32:5 & Proverbs 28:13). When you are genuinely sorry, it will lead to a repentance of sins (2 Corinthians 7:10, Luke 13:3 & Acts 3:19).
BELIEVE in your heart that Jesus being fully God, died to take the punishment for your sins, that he was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3-11 & Colossians 2:8-9). You need to believe salvation is by grace and nothing you can earn yourself. It is a free gift fully paid for by Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9).
CONFESS out loud that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9-10).
The last thing to do is relax and thank Jesus for the marvelous gift of his righteousness!
