For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.
Note: If you are not familiar with the early Christian doctrine of the intermediate state of the dead, please listen to the podcast "What Happens After We Die?" This podcast assumes some familiarity with the biblical teaching that the dead proceed to Hades, a sort of waiting place before the second coming, the general resurrection, and the Judgment Day.
The Evolution of Purgatory
- Doctrine of purgatory gradually evolved from the third century to the fifth. Although the idea was current among some Jews even in the time of Christ, it was slow to gain acceptance.
- By the 3rd century the church was already on the way to a doctrine of purgatory. Clement of Alexandria (c.150-215) and Origen (185-254) elaborated further. In the late 4th century, Gregory of Nyssa even spoke of universal salvation through purgatory: in the end all creatures will suffer temporarily, not (infinitely) forever -- until all things return to God (Life of Moses II, 82-84). By the 5th century -- as far as I can tell -- purgatory was a widespread belief in the Roman Catholic Church.
- As the centuries dragged on, the church began to slip into worldliness. By the 4th century, when church membership was standard in the Roman Empire, the majority were not living holy lives. How would their sin be dealt with? The necessary purging must take place in the afterlife, or so it was thought.
- Officially affirmed in the Second Council of Lyon (1274), the Council of Florence (1438–1445), and the Counter-Reformation Council of Trent (1545–63).
- In medieval church, it was thought baptism and penance pardon sins in this life; purgatory deals with sins in the next life -- a distinction seeming to find justification in Matthew 12:31.
- Dante Alighieri, who wrote more about purgatory than any other medieval writer, portrayed it as not only a state of suffering, but also as a state of joyous anticipation. Though painful, this "antechamber of heaven" enabled us to be transformed, to reach a state of holiness so that we would be prepared for the presence of God.
- From the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (2005):
- What is purgatory? Purgatory is the state of those who die in God’s friendship, assured of their eternal salvation, but who still have need of purification to enter into the happiness of heaven.
- How can we help the souls being purified in purgatory? Because of the communion of saints, the faithful who are still pilgrims on earth are able to help the souls in purgatory by offering prayers in suffrage for them, especially the Eucharistic sacrifice. They also help them by almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance. Note: indulgences were the flash point for Protestant Reformation (1500s).
Is there any biblical justification?
- Adam still had to pay for his sin – sweat of his brow. Moses forgiven but excluded from promised land. David was forgiven but still paid severe penalties for the incident with Uriah and Bathsheba. But of course all of these were consequences of sin in this life…
- In fact, if anything, the Bible teaches purgatory is now, not after we die, for it is in this life that we face fiery trials (1 Peter 4:12).
- Moreover, motives will come to light and be judged only after judgment day begins (1 Corinthians 4:5)--not before!
- There is one verse in the O.T. Apocrypha that seems to justify prayers for the dead.
- This implies that they may be suffering in purgatory -- and that is 2 Maccabees 12:42-46.
- Yet according to Catholic theology, mortal sins, like the idolatry in which these persons had engaged, cannot be forgiven through third-party prayer. (Only with confession and penance.) Thus this proof-text backfires.
- The verse commonly cited in support of purgatory is 1 Corinthians 3:13-15.
- Yet the context of 1 Corinthians 3:5-15 (the entire passage) is church building (church planting and ministry).
- The Catholic Encyclopedia admits "this passage presents considerable difficulty...", and several authors I've read who support purgatory admit that there is little if any biblical justification. The grounds for purgatory are thus more philosophical than biblical.
- There is nothing in this passage about the afterlife, and certainly no hint of a purgatory.
- What is burning is not the not-yet-holy sinner, but his sub-standard church building!
Conclusion
- Purgatory is a man-made doctrine.
- It has a certain rationale -- that is, those who believe in it aren't necessarily selfish or stupid! -- yet there is no scriptural support.
- Jesus’ death was enough to completely forgive our sins. We do not need to pay or them in the afterlife!
- This life is the time to strive for holiness, not the next!