Purgatory
What are purgatory and temporal punishment?
The Catholic Catechism states that
“...every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in a state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the ‘temporal punishment’ of sin” (para. 1472).
And that
“The forgiveness of sin and restoration of communion with God entail the remission of the eternal punishment of sin, but temporal punishment of sin remains” (para. 1473).
Note that no Scripture references are cited for these two statements. The Catholic Catechism also tells us that
“The Church gives the name ‘Purgatory’ to this final punishment 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...” (para. 1031).
The Catechism refers to 1 Corinthians 3:15 and 1 Peter 1:7 to support the doctrine of the cleansing fire of Purgatory. Let’s look and see what those verses say:
“But if someone’s work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:15).
“...so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7).
Do these verses teach that if a person is not completely purified when he dies, that person will have to undergo punishment in purgatory? The first verse says,
“...the person will be saved, but only as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:15).
Does “as through fire” mean, or even suggest, that a person may have to go through purgatory? When referencing a verse or a quotation from any source, it is important to read it in context to make certain the meaning of the text is not misconstrued. Let’s read the entire passage from where this verse comes, that is, 1 Corinthians 3:5–17:
“What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul? Ministers through whom you became believers, just as the Lord assigned each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth. Therefore neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters are equal, and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor. For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, the work of each will come to light, for the Day [Judgment Day] will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire [itself] will test the quality of each one’s work. If the work stands that someone built upon the foundation, that person will receive a wage. But if someone’s work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire. Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.” ( Corinthians 3:5–17)
This passage starts out with the apostle Paul describing “The Role of God’s Ministers,” which is the heading for this passage in some versions of The New American Bible for Catholics. Paul wrote that he was laying a foundation for our faith and that the foundation is Jesus Christ. Others had been put in charge of the churches that Paul had started. Paul explained that those who were put in charge of those churches then built upon what Paul had started. Paul compared wise building according to God’s Word and will with building with gold, silver, or precious stones, which normally withstand fire.
On the other hand, those who do not build wisely and do not build according to God’s Word and will are compared to those who build with wood, hay, or straw—things that easily burn in a fire. Therefore, the quality of work that ministers have done and how they have built upon the foundation of Jesus will be revealed in the Day of Judgment. Work done according to God’s will and Word will stand up to His quality requirement, and the person who did that work will be rewarded, or receive a wage. Verse 8 says, “Each will receive wages in proportion to his labor.” But work done for selfish motives or not according to God’s Word will not stand up to God’s quality test and will be considered worthless. The loss that this person will suffer is the loss of all that he or she labored for that was not according to God’s Word and will. The person who has done this type of work can still be saved, “but only as through fire.”
These verses tell us that even though someone may have built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ in a way that was not completely according to God’s will, if that person knows Jesus, they will still be saved but will have nothing for which to receive a reward, or wage. Everything built upon Jesus that is not according to God’s Word will be destroyed. The person who builds in such a manner will be like someone who watches the house he built burn to the ground. That person will have nothing left—except his life. If that person truly knows Jesus, he or she will still be saved.
This passage of Scripture is also sometimes applied to believers and how they build upon their faith in Jesus. We must be careful how we build upon our faith in Jesus and must consider how the things we do bring honor and glory to the Lord. If the things we do in life honor and glorify the Lord, that is like building with gold or silver or precious stones. If the things we do in life do not honor and glorify the Lord, that is like building with wood or hay or straw. In the Day of Judgment, only what we have done for the honor and glory of the Lord will remain, and we will be rewarded, or “receive a wage,” for our efforts. This does not mean that we will have earned our salvation, because God has already saved us. It does mean that God will reward us if we have stored up our treasures in Heaven, as Jesus described in Matthew 6:19–21:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroys, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroy, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” (Matthew 6:19–21)
On the other hand, all the things we did without regard to the Lord will be meaningless and worthless.
Now please notice that nowhere does 1 Corinthians 3:5–17 say anything about sin or purification from sin—not even once. When you consider the context of verse 15, and after having read the entire passage in which it is found, does 1 Corinthians 3:5–17 teach that some will have to suffer in purgatory to be purified before entering Heaven?
Another passage used in the Catechism to explain purification by fire is 1 Peter 1:3–9:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith, to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time. In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain the goal of [your] faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:3–9)
This passage does not speak of any future suffering after death, but tells us that “now for a little while you [Christians] may have to suffer through various trials.” Now, in this life, we suffer through various trials that allow us to show the genuineness of our faith, for which we will be rewarded “at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” This passage, just like the first passage, does not mention purgatory or sins. Again, after having read the entire passage in which 1 Peter 1:7 is found and when you consider its context, does this passage teach that some will have to suffer in purgatory to be purified before entering Heaven? Clearly it does not.
The Catholic Catechism also states the following about purification after death and before entering Heaven:
“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” (para. 1030).
This statement from the Catechism tells us that when we die, we may be “imperfectly purified” and therefore may need to be purified before we enter Heaven. But the Bible tells us that we have been made perfect forever by Jesus’ offering of Himself on the cross:
“...by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated” (Hebrews 10:14).
By Jesus’ offering of Himself we have not only been made perfect, but we have been “made perfect forever”—no additional purification is required of us after we die. It is God who makes us perfect—not works, not sincere acts of devotion, and not purgatory, but God. I do not think I am perfect on my own, for I know that I most definitely am not. But through Jesus, because He has already paid the price for our sins, God will accept us as perfectly holy, even though we do not deserve it. That is why what Jesus did for us by dying on the cross is such an amazingly awesome gift. On our own we are not perfect. But through Jesus, because of His sacrifice for us, God accepts us as perfect if we submit to His righteousness. As Christians we are, or should be, “being consecrated,” or set apart, from the sins of this world. It is through Jesus that God accepts us as perfect right now, even though we are going through a process called “consecration” that continually draws us away from the sins of the world.
The Catholic Catechism further tells us that those in purgatory expiate, or make satisfaction for, their own sins:
“...those who are expiating their sins in purgatory...” (para. 1475).
Yet as we read earlier in 1 John 2:2 the Bible says,
“He [Jesus] is the expiation for our sins...” (1 John 2:2)
Jesus is the expiation for our sins; therefore, we do not have to—and in fact we could not and cannot—expiate our own sins.
Finally, the Bible teaches,
“...human beings die once, and after this the judgment” (Hebrew 9:27).
After death comes judgment, not opportunities to expiate our own sins. But for those who truly know Jesus, this judgment will not lead to condemnation. As the Bible tells us,
“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24).
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