Session 6 – Purgatory & Other Catholic Teachings

Before we look at the final week of this class, we will be reviewing the previous classes so we have a final,

overall picture of Catholicism

We started off week one talking about the protestant reformation

Titus 3:5A: “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us”

We looked at the most influential reformers and what the big issues were initially for them

Next we looked at the Papacy and what the Catholic church believes in regards to the Pope

Acts 16:31: “So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and

you will be saved, you and your household.”

On this third week we looked at the topic of Sola Scriptura

2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,

and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,”

Week 4 we looked at the four Marian Dogmas of the Catholic Church

1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men,

the man Christ Jesus;”

On week 5 we looked at the Roman Catholic Mass and their doctrine of justification

1 John 2:2 "and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the

whole world,"

Let’s move onto the final session

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1030,

"All who die in Gods 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."

The Second Vatican Council, p. 63, says, "The truth has been divinely revealed that sins are

followed by punishments. Gods holiness and justice inflict

them. Sins must be expiated. This may be done on this earth through the sorrows, miseries

and trials of this life and, above all, through death. Otherwise the expiation must be made in the next life through fire and

torments or purifying punishments."

This process of purification occurs in a place designated by the Catholic church as purgatory. According to Catholic doctrine, purgatory is not supposed to be a place of punishment, but of

purification. The nature of this purification, according to different Catholic theologians, ranges from an

extreme awareness of loss to an intense, excruciatingly painful "purifying fire."

But purgatory is not for everyone. Baptized infants who have died before the age of accountability and Catholic saints who lived such holy lives are excused

from the "purifying fires."

The length of time that someone must suffer in this state is never known, but it is considered to be

proportional to the nature and severity of the sins committed. Therefore, it could be anywhere from a

few hours to millions of years.

What is the support for purgatory?

2 Maccabees 12:39-45

We read of a group of Jewish fighters all of who were idolaters, they carried Pagan idols with them and God

strikes them down for their idolatry .

39 On the next day, as by that time it had become necessary, Judas and his men went to take up the

bodies of the fallen and to bring them back to lie with their kinsmen in the sepulchres of their

fathers. 40 Then under the tunic of every one of the dead they found sacred tokens of the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbids the Jews to wear. And it became

clear to all that this was why these men had fallen. 41 So they all blessed the ways of the Lord, the

righteous Judge, who reveals the things that are hidden; 42 and they turned to prayer, beseeching that

the sin which had been committed might be wholly blotted out.

And the noble Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their

own eyes what had happened because of the sin of those who had fallen. 43 He also took up a collection, man by man, to the amount of two thousand drachmas of silver, and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for a sin offering. In

doing this he acted very well and honorably, taking account of the resurrection. 44 For if he were not

expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the

dead. 45 But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement

for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin.

The Priest then prays for those who are dead. That proves praying for those who have passed

and are in purgatory?

Prayers for the dead by the early church are cited as evidence for purgatory, but these prayers

contradict purgatory

But idolatry is a mortal sin and they would be in hell according to catholic church

When you look at these prayers though they use terms about heaven and the joys of the world beyond the grave etc. not referring to some purgatory of pain

after death.

By the time of Tertullian (2nd century) “As often as the anniversary comes around, we make offerings for the dead as birthday honors... If you look in Scripture for a formal law governing these and similar practices, you

will find none. It is tradition that justifies them, custom that confirms them and faith that observes

them.” de. Cor. 4.1, ANF Vol. 3, p. 94.

Prayers for the dead are based on some lines of tradition, not the scripture

We admit this was an early church debate, but those who promote it admit it’s based on tradition

Where does the idea of purgatory come from in the first place?

The Apocalypse of Peter & Paul present this type of afterlife derived from Greek thinking that

influenced some of the early church

Council of Florence (15th Century) is when the dogma of purgatory was defined

What Biblical evidence is cited for the existence of purgatory?

Matthew 12:31-32: “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the

blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of

Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him,

either in this age or in the age to come.

First thing we need to look at is if there is a parallel passage that sheds light on this

Sins can be forgive in the age to come?

Mark 3:28-29“Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may

utter; 29 but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal

condemnation”

This verse clarifies that the other verse is simply states that blaspheme of the holy spirit is not a

forgivable sin

Let’s look at another verse that is often used to “prove” the idea of purgatory

1 Corinthians 3:8-15: “Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the

grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds

on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that

which is laid, which is Jesus Christ…

…Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s

work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer

loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

Paul is talking about ministers in the church and the foundation he has made in his ministry

Each leaders “work” not “souls” are tested, nothing here about punishment of sin

it’s the quality of their work that is tested (not punished) in this passage

the fire reveals “Of what sort” is their work (What was their motivation, why did leaders do what they did)

the fire reveals (does not purge) and is used on all (and therefore can’t be in purgatory)

to suffer loss is to loose reward, not to suffer the punishment of atonement which is what

purgatory is about

Biblical case against purgatory

There is a vast difference between conforming us to the image of Christ, and punishing us for our sins.

We are disciple, not under judgment

The denial of the all sufficiency of Christ is the problem

1 Peter 2:24: ”who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might

live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.”

2 Corinthians 5:21“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,

that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Substitutionary atonement

Romans 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those

who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

Hebrews 7:25: “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

Polycarp (69 - 150), “…This do in the assurance that all these have not run in vain, but in faith and

righteousness, and that they are now in their due place in the presence of the Lord, with whom also

they suffered. For they loved not this present world, but Him who died for us, and for our sakes was raised again by God from the dead." (The Epistle of Polycarp

to the Philippians, 9)

What about the early church?

The idea of purgatory became a money maker for the Catholic church…

It created the system of indulgences

For example: If you want to help a dead relative in purgatory make it to heaven, you need to have

Masses said for that person. How do you have Masses said? Pay the church!

Catholics are also taught that if they don’t suffer enough in this world, they will have to in purgatory.

The apocrypha books

Added to the Bible by the Catholic church in 1546

These books are Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (also known as

Ecclesiasticus), and Baruch.

Why did the early church reject these books? There are errors in them

Salvation by works:

Tobit 4:11 , "For alms deliver from all sin, and from death, and will not suffer the soul to go into

darkness."

Tobit 12:9, "For alms delivereth from death, and the same is that which purgeth away sins, and maketh to

find mercy and life everlasting."

1 John 1:7“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we

have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Money as an offering for the sins of the dead: 2 Maccabbees 12:43, "And making a gathering, he sent twelve thousand drachms of silver to Jerusalem for

sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the dead, thinking well and religiously concerning

the resurrection."

Judith 1:5, "Now in the twelfth year of his reign, Nabuchodonosor, king of the Assyrians, who reigned in Ninive the great city, fought against Arphaxad and

overcame him."

Other kinds of problems

Baruch 6:2 , "And when you are come into Babylon, you shall be

there many years, and for a long time, even to seven

generations: and after that I will bring you away from thence

with peace."

Baruch 6:2 says the Jews would serve in Babylon for seven generations where Jer. 25:11 says it was for 70 years. "And this whole land shall be a desolation and

a horror, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years."

Memory verse

Hebrews 7:25: “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”