Purgatory…
the name brings to mind creepy images of dark caves filled with suffering souls
in smoke and fire. There is much
speculation, even from the “experts,” about how it actually works, and the
degree of suffering, or how long one stays there. But is Purgatory real? Is it another place or state of being somewhere
between Heaven and Hell? Is it something
that Christians should be concerned about?
And most importantly, does the Bible teach this concept?
Official Catholic Teaching
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
teaches:
1031 The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:
As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final
Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that 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.
Let us help and commemorate them. 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.”
So, according to this, when most people die, they may not be “fully
purified” and ready to enter Heaven, since nothing unclean can enter it (Revelation
21:27). According to the
Catechism, we should pray for the souls in Purgatory and offer “works of
penance” on their behalf, apparently, to lessen their pain and to help get them
out sooner than “scheduled.” But this is
not the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Works-Based
What is
offensive to the gospel is not so much the possibility of having “another place
or state” besides Heaven and Hell, but the idea that a mere human can pay for
sins, whether his own or someone else’s.
First and
foremost, we reject the concept of Purgatory (as all Christians should) because
it involves a works-based salvation (Romans 4:4-5, Ephesians 2:8-9). That is, Purgatory involves a sinner having
to work or to endure some sort of suffering for his sins, and this work or
suffering supposedly helps to atone
for those sins. But according to
Scripture, this is impossible. Atonement
for sins involves the death of a PERFECT substitute (Hebrews 7:25-28; 10:14),
and we know that there is only one Person who fits in that category, the Lord
Jesus Christ. No sinner can atone for his own
sins, because he is tainted. So, no
one is qualified but Jesus, and we can do nothing to add to His work on the
cross. See also this article:
Other Problems
Ok, so what
about the time of the Rapture / Resurrection? (1 Corinthians 15:50-52) Those who are still alive when the
Resurrection happens will not have time
to go to Purgatory because Paul says that when it happens, “So shall we ever be
with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Wouldn’t
it be unfair that those who rise on that day (still having imperfections in
their life) won’t have to endure the pains of Purgatory, like all those who
died before them?
But Catholic
apologists may say, “Punishment in Purgatory does not have to be months, years,
or centuries long. Their purification could possibly last just one second! We just don’t know ‘how time operates’ in the
next life.” Maybe so, but the doctrine
of Purgatory has more serious problems to work out than “how time operates in
the afterlife.”
Anyway,
concerning the length of time it takes to be “purged” and ready for Heaven, we believe
that we will be changed instantly
after death. If our bodies are changed and perfected in the “twinkling of an eye” in
the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:52), then why can’t our soul and spirit be
changed in like manner when we die? We
see no biblical reason to believe otherwise.
Temporal Punishment
The Sixth
Session of the Council of Trent says:
"If any one saith, that, after the
grace of Justification has been received, to every penitent sinner the guilt is
remitted, and the debt of eternal punishment is blotted out in such wise, that
there remains not any debt of temporal punishment to be discharged either in this
world, or in the next in Purgatory, before the entrance to the kingdom of
heaven can be opened (to him); let him be anathema." (CANON XXX)
Purgatory is
largely based on the concept of “temporal punishments.” According to Trent, the sinner destined for
Purgatory is forgiven the guilt and
the eternal punishment of his sins, but he still has “temporal punishment” to pay.
According to
the online New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia, (under Purgatory, subheading
“Temporal Punishment”) it is “clearly the teaching of Scripture” that temporal
punishment is due (to be paid) even after a sin is pardoned by God. It goes on to give examples, like Adam being
given the power to govern all things, yet he still had to work the ground which
was cursed. Moses was forgiven for
striking the rock twice, yet he was not allowed to go into the Promised Land
(Canaan). David was forgiven for his sin
with Bathsheba, yet their child still died.
Again, through these examples, the New
Advent Catholic Encyclopedia is attempting to prove that the concept of
“temporal punishment” in Purgatory is biblical.
But these examples were earthly
punishments! These are consequences that
happen here on earth, not in the
afterlife.
To use
another example, if someone who is married commits adultery, there can
certainly be “temporal consequences” for his / her actions. The two involved in the sin may be forgiven
by God, but there are still possible consequences to their sin. That is, 1) there is always the threat of a
venereal disease, 2) one offended spouse could want a divorce, 3) the offended
spouse could be violently jealous, or 4) a pregnancy could result from the
adulterous affair. Again, these are all
earthly consequences. But according to Scripture, there is no punishment,
temporal or otherwise, for the Christian
in the next life. The only after-death punishment
that the Bible speaks of under the New Covenant is Hell, and ultimately, the
Lake of Fire… but that is only for
the UNbeliever.
Are We Forgiven…Or Not?
One popular
Catholic priest said in a debate that the idea of Purgatory is “Pay now, or pay
later,” in the sense of working out a debt.
But that is certainly not the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ. The simple truth is, if we are “forgiven” for
a sin but there is STILL some kind of punishment for us to pay, then we are not
really forgiven, are we? And it must
follow that the work of Jesus on the cross was not really enough to pay the full penalty for your sins after all (1 John
1:7-9). But would any real
Christian dare say that? That’s
blasphemy! If HIS payment was not enough
for your sins, there will NEVER be enough payment for them. But thank God that His suffering on Calvary is
totally sufficient.
Catholic
apologists will say, “But Purgatory is how redemption is actually applied to us. It is the “final push” of the sanctification
process. This was God’s plan all
along.”
No, this was
not God’s plan. God plainly tells us,
over and over, that redemption is “applied” BY FAITH, TRUSTING, BELIEVING in
HIS work and suffering, not ours. See
also this link:
Conclusion
To make matters worse, our Catholic friends
are obligated to believe this false
doctrine under penalty of anathema (condemnation), as noted in the Council of
Trent quote above. But there is
absolutely nothing in Scripture to indicate that there will be additional
punishment after death for those who are forgiven. Otherwise, the word “forgiven” is
meaningless.
Purgatory is a denial of the sufficiency of Jesus’ work
and suffering at Calvary. But proud and
fallen man likes to think that he can work
or earn his way into Heaven. He
doesn’t like it when people point to the cross, and that alone, for salvation.
Next month, we will
conclude this series by taking a look at the Scriptures that Catholics (and
others) use to try and support the doctrine of Purgatory. Stay tuned…
