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Purgatory
What Is
Purgatory and Is it in the Bible?
Jessica Galán
Upon dying, does the human soul really travel to a
temporary place to purify itself?
Can the soul “cleanse” itself before entering the fullness
of Heaven?
Whether you believe in purgatory or not, this historical
doctrine regarding its existence is intriguing.
And how can Protestant Christians lovingly engage with
Catholics beyond just an intellectual understanding of the doctrine?
Let’s explore this how this idea is understood today as
well as what famous theologians like Augustine and Martin Luther thought about
it.
Purgatory: What is it?
According to Dictionary.com, purgatory is “a condition or place in
which the souls of those dying...are purified...from sins.”
Essentially, purgatory is part of the Catholic doctrine of
faith where a “final purification” occurs in order to “achieve the holiness
necessary to enter... heaven,”
(Catechism of the Catholic Church,
CCC 1030-31).
The famous theologian Augustine – considered a founding
father of Christianity – advocated praying for the dead. He felt prayer removed
the final traces of sin after a human passed away.
According to Catholic Online, St. Augustine lead a life
of drinking and sexual immorality.
Could Augustine’s inner-guilt from his personal
experiences with sin lead him to embrace the idea of purgatory? Perhaps so.
The Council of Trent
In 1545, in response to Martin Luther and his Protestant
Reformation, the Catholic Church established a commission
to assess the deep levels of corruptions including the selling of indulgences
and bribery.
The Gospel Coalition reported on 450th anniversary
of the Council of Trent in their article, “9 Things You Should Know About the
Council of Trent.”
“Under Catholic teaching, every sin must be purified
either here on earth or after death in a state called purgatory... The council
affirmed the doctrine of purgatory and damned anyone who claimed, ‘that after
the grace of justification has been received the guilt is so remitted and the
debt of eternal punishment so blotted out for any repentant sinner, that no
debt of temporal punishment remains to be paid,’” The Gospel Coalition reported.
Does Scripture Support Purgatory?
The very popular Pope John Paul II, with the support of
the Italian Vatican, published a second edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in
1997.
It states, praying for the dead was necessary: All who
die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed
assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification,
so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. (CCC 1030).
Devout Catholics also look to the book of 1 Corinthians to
support their beliefs about purgatory.
“If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss,
though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire,” (1 Corinthians 3:15).
What Did Jesus Say About Purgatory?
Jesus mentioned nothing about the existence of purgatory.
If anything, Jesus spoke more about the realities of hell than the doctrine of purgatory.
During his crucifixion, Jesus offered a profound answer to
a dying thief.
“Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into
your kingdom.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me
in paradise,’” - Luke 23:42-43.
Jesus is Author and Finisher of our faith.
Jesus’s words are true. If He said, “today,” than he
meant it.
In Matthew 13:49, Jesus spoke of what would come
at the end of the Church Age – that angels would separate an evil humanity from
a righteous one.
Matthew 13:50 goes on to tell us the
wicked would be thrown into a fiery furnace where weeping and gnashing of teeth
would occur. This scripture does not support the doctrine of purgatory.
The Refiner’s Fire Occurs Here on
Earth
Malachi 3:3 states, “He will sit as a
refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine
them like gold and silver and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the
Lord.”
For contextual purposes, Bible readers
must consider what is written in the prior verse, “But who can endure the
day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears?” - Malachi 3:2.
Every waking day of a Christ-follower’s life is a day for
Christ to spiritually refine us. Spiritual refinement is a lifelong process
which occurs while we live and breathe on earth.
Challenging circumstances refine and
purify us.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,
whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of
your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you
may be mature and complete, not lacking anything,” - James 1:2-4.
As the Holy Spirit prompts questions like these
in your heart, think of them as refining trials, and “consider it pure joy.”
● Could I have responded
in a gentler manner?
● Did I serve others
without complaint?
● Has bitterness caused me
to harbor resentment towards others?
● Am I judging the walk of
a recent convert?
● Do I show the love of
Christ to others?
“Fires” will come to every believer because this life doesn’t absolve
us of difficulties. Challenging circumstances refine and purify us.
How Should I Respond to Catholics?
Let’s review the scripture which Catholics use to
support purgatory:
“If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet
will be saved – even though only as one escaping through the flames,” - 1 Corinthians 3:15.
“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,” - 1 Corinthians 3:13-14.
Upon death, one does not work. If purgatory does exist,
what kind of “work” is done?
We are living testimonies.
While we are alive, we are living testimonies. We are
God’s workmanship.
Are we showing others the love of God?
Are we living in such a manner that compels others to ask,
“Why are you so happy? Why are you so positive?”
It is Christ in us which will convince
the lost. This is how we “build” the Kingdom of God.
It probably isn't the best witness to yell or ridicule the
beliefs of devout Catholics.
Instead, let’s focus on four things that Protestants and
Catholics have in common:
1. We believe that Christ died for
the sins of humanity.
2. We believe that grace alone saves
us.
3. We believe he rose again.
4. We believe that he will one day
return to reclaim us.
Apostle Paul encouraged the Body of Christ with these
words, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one
another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the
bond of peace,” - Ephesians 4:2-3.
Timothy Paul Jones on Purgatory:
Timothy Paul Jones, author and associate vice present at
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, talks about purgatory in his
Crosswalk.com video, “Does the Bible Support the Idea
That Purgatory Exists?”
Jones discusses the theological idea from the perspective
of Augustine in the 5th century, Martin Luther in the 16th century,
and modern Roman Catholic thinking on the issue.
“The same problem remains with purgatory. It’s requiring
something other than – more than – the finished work of Jesus on the cross to make us right with
God,” he said.
Jessica Galán encourages her readers to embrace malleability in
the midst of life’s difficult moments. She spends her day teaching amazing
students from diverse backgrounds in Fairfield County, Connecticut. She’s wife
to a super-creative man and the proud mother of three resilient young women.
She’s served as a writing facilitator for Lysa TerKeurst through COMPEL
Training. She enjoys daily cups of steaming hot café con leche and breaks out
in sporadic salsa dancing when no one’s looking. You’ll find her stories at jessicagalan.net. Connect
with her here: Twitter || Instagram ||Facebook
For more insight on purgatory
and other common misconceptions of what happens afer death, read, "Does the Bible Say What Happens After Death?"
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