LET'S TALK ABOUT PURGATORY
Is purgatory real? No, it is not. Nowhere does the Bible teach this doctrine, and this belief contradicts basic truths of the Word of God.
Defenders of this doctrine appeal to a passage in 2 Maccabees to support their belief: “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. 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. 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.” (2 Macc 12:43-45)
First and Second Maccabees belong to the collection of books called the Apocrypha. In general, Christianity does not accept the Apocrypha as the inspired Word of God. Those who support this doctrine accuse Protestant Christians of removing the Apocrypha from their Bibles to avoid this belief. Unfortunately for them, that is not the case. The Jewish community never recognized the Apocrypha as God’s Word. Neither Jesus nor the New Testament writers affirmed it as inspired. Even the book of Maccabees itself admits that there were no prophets in the time it was written (1 Macc 9:27), which means it does not claim prophetic authority. The Roman Catholic Church officially added the Apocrypha to their Bibles in 1546—about three decades after Martin Luther and the Reformers publicly spoke against this practice and its related corruption.
Even if we examine 2 Macc 12:43–45 closely, we find that it has nothing to do with the doctrine of purgatory. The passage simply reflects the belief of that time about the resurrection of the dead—not purgatory—a theme seen throughout the book (see also 2 Macc 7:9; 14:46). Furthermore, the Bible never approves of the practice of praying for the dead.
Those who argue for purgatory often cite 1 Corinthians 3:13–15 as their biblical basis. The passage speaks of fire that "will test what sort of work each one has done" (v. 13). Believers in the doctrine claim this refers to the fire of purgatory that believers must pass through before entering heaven. A Catholic Answers article explains: “Now this loss, this penalty, can’t refer to consignment to hell, since no one is saved there; and heaven can’t be meant, since there is no suffering (‘fire’) there. The Catholic doctrine of purgatory alone explains this passage.”
This might seem valid if we ignore the context.
By reading just a few verses earlier, it is clear that 1 Cor 3:13-15 is part of Paul’s analogy about building (v. 9). The phrase “the Day will disclose it” (v. 13) clearly refers to Judgment Day, which Paul already mentioned earlier (“on the day of the Lord Jesus Christ,” 1:8). This Day is consistently associated with fire (Zeph 1:18; Isa 66:15–16). So, it is not about a time or place one must pass through before entering heaven. The fire here is symbolic, representing God’s judgment that evaluates the quality of a believer’s work (1 Cor 3:12). It reveals whether their work is of excellent quality ("gold, silver, and costly stones") or poor quality ("wood, hay, or straw"). The fire does not purge believers (as defenders of purgatory claim) but tests their works (v. 13). Paul explains that if a believer’s work is good, he will receive a reward (v. 14). If not, he will suffer loss (v. 15). In the analogy, if the building is poorly constructed, it is only right that the builder receives no reward. The correct interpretation shows that this passage does not teach purgatory.
Some argue, “Sanctification involves suffering (Rom. 5:3–5), and purgatory is the final stage of sanctification that some of us need to undergo before we enter heaven. Purgatory is the final phase of Christ’s applying to us the purifying redemption that he accomplished for us by his death on the cross.” (Catholic Answers).
This explanation is flawed on many levels. Sanctification is indeed necessary, but it cannot grant us entry into heaven; being justified by grace through faith ensures our place (Eph 2:8–9). To claim that purgatory is necessary implies that Christ’s death on the cross was insufficient. But Hebrews 10:14 declares: “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” If purgatory is needed, Christ’s work was not enough. Yet Scripture assures us: “the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 Jn 1:7)—not the fire of purgatory.
Another problem with this belief is the idea that some sins deserve only temporary punishment. The Bible never teaches this. Since all sin is an offense against an eternal God (Ps 51:4), the penalty must be eternal (Matt 25:46; Jude 1:7; Rev 20:10). The only way sinners escape eternal hell is through eternal life in Christ (Jn 3:16; Rom 6:23).
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If purgatory were real, then Christ lied to the thief on the cross. If the thief still needed to suffer in purgatory, Jesus’ promise would be false. But Christ’s words stand true for him and for every believer who dies in faith: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Lk 23:43). Stay Curious.
Sources and Studies
Hanegraaf, H. (2008). “What About Purgatory?”. ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฆ ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐๐ฏ๐ด๐ธ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฌ.
Howe, T., and Geisler, N. (1992). “1 CORINTHIANS 3:13–15 —Does this passage support the Roman Catholic view of purgatory?”. ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ค๐ด ๐๐ด๐ฌ. Victor Books.“
“๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ช๐ด ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐จ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐บ?”. Catholic Answers. Retrieved from https://www.catholic.com/tract/purgatory
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