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A
Grave Rejection of the Gospel
.
By
Mike Gendron
The
John Ankerberg Show
Was the atonement of Jesus Christ sufficient
to purify all sins? The Roman Catholic Church says an emphatic “No!”
In this article Mike Gendron explains what
the Roman Catholic Church teaches and supplies Scriptures which answer their
claims.
Purgatory — A Grave Rejection of the Gospel
Was the atonement of Jesus Christ sufficient
to purify all sins? The Roman Catholic Church says an emphatic “No!”
They deny what the Scriptures have clearly
affirmed concerning the expiation of sin.
Rome dares to say
that purgatory is necessary because Jesus is unable to fulfill His promise — “to
present the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such
thing… holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:27).
The new Catechism of
the Catholic Church (CCC) defines purgatory as a place where those “who die
in God’s grace, but still imperfectly purified… undergo purification, so as to
achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven” (CCC 1032).
The Catechism
teaches: “every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to
creatures, 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.” (CCC 1472)
Let us put that notion to rest with the very
words of Pope John Paul II.
In a message he delivered on June 2, 1998
entitled: “I Urge Catholics to Pray for the Dead,” he not only affirms
purgatory but, at the same time, rejects the sufficiency and necessity of Jesus
Christ for salvation:
Those indeed who are
in ignorance of Christ’s Gospel and of his Church through no fault of their
own, who search for God in sincerity of heart, and who, acting according to
conscience, strive under the influence of grace to fulfill his will…can obtain
eternal salvation. Others have died and are being purified, while still others
are in glory. During the Eucharist, through the Memento for the dead, the
assembled community presents to the Father of all mercies, those who have died,
so that through the trial of purgatory they will be purified, and attain
eternal joy. The Church believes that the souls detained in purgatory “are
helped by the prayers of the faithful and most of all by the acceptable
sacrifice of the altar” as well as by “alms and other works of piety.”
I therefore encourage
Catholics to pray fervently for the dead, for their family members and for all
our brothers and sisters who have died, that they may obtain the remission of
the punishments due to their sins. As I entrust the faithful who will pray for
the dead to the intercession of Our Lady and of St. Joseph, patron of a happy
death, I cordially grant my Apostolic Blessing to them. I willingly extend it
during the millennial year to all…who offer sacrifices for the dead (emphasis mine).
Purgatory was first defined as a dogma by the
Council of Florence.
The essential components of the doctrine of
purgatory are:
(1) that a
purification after death exists,
(2) that it involves
some kind of pain, and
(3) that the
purification can be assisted by the prayers and offerings of the living to God.
From the Council of Trent we read:
“If anyone says that
after the reception of the grace of justification the guilt is so remitted and
the debt of eternal punishment so blotted out to every repentant sinner, that
no debt of temporal punishment remains to be discharged either in this world or
in purgatory before the gates of heaven can be opened, let him be anathema”(Canon 30).
Rome’s Invention of Temporal Punishment
The doctrine of purgatory is based on Rome’s
denial that all sins are mortal.
In one of the many traditions that oppose
God’s word, the Catholic Church creates another classification of sin called
“venial.”
They are “small” less serious sins that bear
only temporal punishment which can be purified by personal charity or
purgatory. (CCC
1394)
Purgatory is said to be under the
jurisdiction of the pope, who has the power and authority to transfer merit
from an invisible treasury to those who are being purged.
This transfer of merit is done in the form of
indulgences and is said to shorten the time of suffering.
The most common indulgence is the sacrifice
of the Mass — a re-presentation of Jesus as a “victim” on Catholic altars.
The Catholic Church defines an indulgence as
the means of remitting the temporal punishment for sin. (CCC 1471-1479)
Rome’s Distortion of Scripture
The Vatican would want Catholics to believe
that its doctrine of purgatory is confirmed and supported by Holy Scripture.
However, the Roman Catholic Church makes
invalid attempts to do so by misconstruing the following Scriptures and
Apocryphal writings:
“Under the tunic of
each of the dead they found amulets sacred to the idols of Jamnia. Turning to
supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out. 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. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from
this sin.”
- (2
Maccabees 12:40-46)
The book of Maccabees, along with the other
Apocryphal books, were never included in the Jewish canon because they contain
historical, geographical and theological errors.
It only shows the ignorance of the Jews
regarding the unchanging destiny that awaits those who die in sin.
For the Catholic Church to support a dogma
based on this heretical practice of the Jews only perpetuates the error.
Furthermore, in Catholic theology, the sin of
idolatry is mortal and punishable in hell, not purgatory.
Paul wrote: “…each
man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be
revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s
work. If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a
reward.” -
(1 Corinthians 3:13-15).
Paul is clearly teaching that man’s “work”
will be judged and tested by fire.
He does not say man must suffer a temporal
punishment in order to be purified from sin. The teaching here is about loss of
rewards not punishment.
Whatever works a man does for Christ and His
glory will survive the fire and bring reward while whatever works are done for
self-glory and personal gain will be burned and lost.
Peter wrote: “…the
proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even
though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at
the revelation of Jesus Christ.” - (1 Peter 1:7)
Peter is explicitly teaching about a man’s “faith”
being tested by fire, not the purging of the man’s sin.
Peter uses gold as a metaphor for faith which
grows stronger when it encounters the heat of certain trials and tribulations.
Jesus said: “I say
to you, you shall not get out of there until you have paid the very last cent.”
- (Luke 12:59)
In this passage Jesus is exhorting his
listeners to get right with God the judge. Otherwise, when He comes, they would
be found guilty and condemned to pay an eternal punishment.
When Jesus says they would not come out until
they had paid the very last cent, He means they would never come out because it
is impossible to satisfy the eternal debt for sin.
“And whoever shall speak a word against the
Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever shall speak against the Holy
Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age, or in the age to
come.”
- (Matthew
12:32)
Jesus is saying the sin of blaspheming the
Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. He then makes it emphatically clear what “never”
means: neither in this age or the future age.
For Catholics to suggest that sins can be
forgiven in a future age after death violates Scripture.
Finally, Rome points
to this verse for the necessity of purgatory: “nothing unclean… shall ever
come into it (heaven.)” - ( Revelation 21:27)
Rome interprets this verse correctly but
incorrectly teaches that purgatory is what purifies and cleanses souls for
entrance into heaven.
The Scriptures conclusively and irrefutably
teach that only Jesus and His shed blood can purify sin.
He (Jesus) has now reconciled you in His
fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and
blameless and beyond reproach. (Colossians 1:22)
When He (Jesus) had made purification of
sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. (Hebrews 1:3)
He (Jesus) is able to save forever those who
draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for
them. (Hebrews
7:25)
(Jesus) who gave Himself for us, that He
might… purify for Himself a people for His own possession. (Titus 2:14)
“… the blood of Jesus
His Son cleanses us from all sin.” - (1 John 1:7)
And according to the Law… all things are
cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. (Hebrews 9:22)
No man can buy any means redeem his brother,
or give to God a ransom for him, for the redemption of his soul is costly, and
he should cease trying forever. (Psalm 49:7-8)
With its doctrine of purgatory, Rome not only
denies the blood of Christ is sufficient and necessary to purge sin but it
blasphemes the efficacy of Christ’s blood with this common funeral prayer:
O gentle Heart of
Jesus, ever present in the Blessed Sacrament, ever consumed with burning love
for the poor captive souls in Purgatory, have mercy on them. Be not severe in
Your judgments, but let some drops of Your Precious Blood fall upon the
devouring flames. And, Merciful Savior, send Your angels to conduct them to a
place of refreshment, light and peace. Amen.
It is time for all who love the Lord Jesus
Christ to stand on the authority of His word and renounce the doctrine of
purgatory as a blasphemous substitution for His precious blood.
The truth must be proclaimed to set Catholics
free from this terrible bondage. The consequences for believing in purgatory
are eternal not temporal.
To believe in purgatory is to reject the
perfect sacrifice of Christ and thus be lost for all eternity. Catholics must
repent and believe the glorious Gospel of grace.
Dr.
John Ankerberg is founder and president of The John Ankerberg Show, the most-watched Christian worldview
show in America. His television and radio programs are broadcast into 106
million American homes and are available in more than 200 nations in 12
languages. Author, co-author, or contributor of 158 books and study guides in
20 languages, his writings have sold more than 3 million copies and reach
millions of readers each year online.
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