Is there Purgatory?

I believe purgatory is only a catholic concept but i'm not sure if there are any biblical passages supporting it. I would be interested on what other religions have to say about a purgatory and whether anyone can find any passages about purgatory because i am preety sure there arnt any but stilll i would like some input

SECOND BOOK OF MACHABEES 12:42 - 46
MATTHEW 12:32
FIRST EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS 3:11- 15

Just for starters

yeah thats is intersting it is very big in catholicism but as far as Im aware a majority of Christian Relgions do not believe in it but correct me if Im wrong

Protestants do not believe in Purgatory. It was not preached by Luther or Calvin.

Pbrez

Machabees is a apocryphal book, and not in any protestant version of the Bible. I do have a copy of it around here somewhere though and will have to dig it up and read it later.

Mathew reads to me more like Christ is speaking of the Deep, or what happens to unsaved spirits after they die. It literally reads like someone wandering the earth and coming back to their home and haunting it.

I cannot find anything in 1st Corinthians that has anything to do with the subject.



Kaiser617

The word Purgatory does not even exist in the Bible, and I am pretty confident in saying its not in Machabees either, even without reading it. It is a purely Catholic concept that was created to help spread the other un-Biblical teachings of praying to saints, and was a real boon to the sale of Indulgences back in when the Church was in need of cash to fund it big cathedrals.

The closest thing that you are going to find in any Christian/Hebrew Religious book, is in the psudopigraphal book of Enoch, when he is given a tour of the places where souls go until they are taken to final judgment.

Either way, the concept that the saved soul is cleansed and then allowed to go to Heaven, exists in NONE of these texts.

Christ himself said we are saved by grace, that means there is no punishment period anywhere for someone that is a Christian.

You might also find it interesting that the word Hell does not exist in any original translation of the Bible either. Hades, The Deep, and the Lake of Fire are mentioned, however.

sp

[edit on 9/28/2004 by defcon5]

Originally posted by defcon5
Pbrez

Machabees is a apocryphal book, and not in any protestant version of the Bible. I do have a copy of it around here somewhere though and will have to dig it up and read it later.

Mathew reads to me more like Christ is speaking of the Deep, or what happens to unsaved spirits after they die. It literally reads like someone wandering the earth and coming back to their home and haunting it.

I cannot find anything in 1st Corinthians that has anything to do with the subject.



Kaiser617

The word Purgatory does not even exist in the Bible, and I am pretty confident in saying its not in Machabees either, even without reading it. It is a purely Catholic concept that was created to help spread the other un-Biblical teachings of praying to saints, and was a real boon to the sale of Indulgences back in when the Church was in need of cash to fund it big cathedrals.

The closest thing that you are going to find in any Christian/Hebrew Religious book, is in the psudopigraphal book of Enoch, when he is given a tour of the places where souls go until they are taken to final judgment.

Either way, the concept that the saved soul is cleansed and then allowed to go to Heaven, exists in NONE of these texts.

Christ himself said we are saved by grace, that means there is no punishment period anywhere for someone that is a Christian.

You might also find it interesting that the word Hell does not exist in any original translation of the Bible either. Hades, The Deep, and the Lake of Fire are mentioned, however.

sp

[edit on 9/28/2004 by defcon5]

First these are scriptures from the Douay-Rheims Bible. Tell me where did the King James Bible come from? I don�t now how the King James Version does not have the book of Machabees since it is from the Old Testament. Anyways the word purgatory comes from the Latin word Purgare (to purify). The concept of purgatory comes from early Christian traditions of praying for the dead. The tradition was given the name purgatory as early as about 200 AD. Now then Luther broke from the church he felt the purgatory was unneeded but many Protestants will use the phrase �middle state� or most common a waiting place to go into heaven. There is a dark side of the term purgatory is in the 1100�s when priest started using purgatory as a way to make money. This is part of a checkered past. Now I got into debates about this and one thing to remember is purgatory is no happy place. The difference between purgatory and Hades is that there is hope in purgatory. Now Catholics do not believe that everyone should go to purgatory. The goal is heaven. Now here is the scripture from the CORINTHIANS �For other foundation no man can lay, but that which is laid; which is Christ Jesus. Now if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay stubble: Every man's work shall be manifest; for the day of the Lord shall declare it, because it shall be revealed in fire; and the fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is. If any man's work abide, which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work burn, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire�

"Purgatory" would be the state of rest before judgement. It has nothing to do with being saved because there has not been any judgement. I agree that clergy have used this term to scare people just like hell but there is nither because judgemnet has not come to pass.

Rest in peace literally is purgatory. A resting/holding period.

I may have been their once via astral projection. If not I was obducted but that s another forum and Im not into the alien thing too much. The point is it looked like a holding area. It reminded me of a Hospital/Dorm/Mall type place.

By All definition and Speculation, we are IN PURGATORY. If you believe in Purgatorial Limbo or a chance to work off enough Sin Time to ascend to higher Glory, then wouldn't your current existence fit that description.
Why, there are even little tests (and Big Tests) in morality and Faith everyday,perhaps some of them stepping stones to a greater...Purity of Soul.

And Free Will-Who wants to wade into that morass, same with Pre-Destination:
but don't those philosophical conundrums point to- You guessed it- Purgatorial Issues.
In all (my) searches and ponderings as to "The Meaning Of Life", I'm about convinced ITS ALL PURGATORY, again and again.

"The Wheels of the Universe Grind exceedingly slowly, but they Grind exceedingly Fine"

Even our Children, Relatives, friends and Mates are, how can you say, "Soul Groups" (Like the Temptations!?).

Maybe my Dad was the Son, or whatever, in another Incarnation, oh wait!-Incarnations could easily fit as "Levels" of PURGATORY.
Dante' never quite hit on it, but what if the "Circles" of Hell and Purgatory were divided or defined by TIME.

And while I'm on a rant, it's always bothered me that so many "Lightworkers" and Re-Incarnates always talk About PAST lives, often chronologically
" I was Septmet II, but then I was a Roman Senator, then a Lawyer in The Dark Ages..." YAWN Who's to lmit the Lords of Karma (Purgatory) to sequential, much less chronological order.
How about this: YOUR PAST LIFE was actually in the future from here, Now.
Minds like nDaVinci and Jules Verne, Minds light years ahead of their time, may have been just that.

OK, enjoy your personal Purgatory