Purgatory

Creation date: 30-Nov-2024
 

Last updated: 17-Jul-2026
A A A  help

Sections

1 Gods Glory and Not a Human's Accomplishments
2 Scriptures are the Only Authority
3 Common Understanding of the Scriptures Refutes Purgatory
4 Purgatory According to the Roman Catholic Church
5 Roman Catholic Main Points of Purgatory
6 What is Roman Catholic Tradition on Purgatory?
7 Scriptures do NOT Collaborate the Roman Catholic Tradition

God's Glory and Not a Human's Accomplishments

Anything and anyone that takes God's Glory from Him is committing blasphemy.  Blasphemy can be done intentionally or unintentionally.  Regarding the Christian, ungratefulness is showing contempt, disrespect, lack of reverence, or ignorance of God's instructions for our lives that are 100% given in the scriptures for learning and application.

In our Christian responsibilities we all can unintentionally do things that are sinful and can offend God.  When we do anything in worship, ambassadorship, and leadership requirements then we must depend on God to assist us through the Holy Spirit in our life and His Scriptures.  Ignoring the scriptural directions and informational truths absolutely has consequences to ourselves and even greater accountability when misrepresenting God to others. This is the purpose of the Third Commandment and building rewards in Heaven.

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

In the Roman Catholic church there are wonderful men and women that love God, but unfortunately there are some men and women that are incorrectly presumptuous in traditions, reliance with nonscriptural sources, and ignoring deliberate changes done to the scriptural Word Of God to condone a traditional and belief where they:

Acts 17:11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

A Christian Leader, which we are all expected to be ambassadors for Jesus Christ, will be humble and does not exalts oneself.  

Mark 12:38-44 38 In His teaching Jesus also said, Watch out for the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, to receive greetings in the marketplaces, 39 and to have the chief seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They defraud widows of their houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.

41 As Jesus was sitting opposite the treasury, He watched the crowd putting money into it. And many rich people put in large amounts. 42 Then one poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amounted to a small fraction of a denarius.

43 Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more than all the others into the treasury. 44 For they all contributed out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.

Scriptures are the Only Authority

The scriptures are amazing, prophetic, inspiring, and most importantly required for our learning of about God and having a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ only, that has nothing to do with traditions and following rituals. 

  1. There are 66 books written by over 40 authors spanning centuries where there is expositional consistency in the conveying and teaching the same principles.
  2. There are equal distant letters messages with messages in them that relate to the plain text.
  3. There are countless types of Encryptions throughout the scriptures that are being discovered, which were only partially known before the advent of computers.
  4. There are patterns of God's handling of Old and New Testament people that repeat themselves with new people that God has chosen to be a representative for Him, which is the Third Commandment's mandate.
  5. There are many other types of authentication the authorship such as commonly known as Micro and Macro codes that proves there has to be an Entity that is outside of all of the Time Domains to be the true author of the scriptures which is God.
  6. There are undeniable prophecies such as the exact day that the Messiah would be presented unto His death, and others that recorded history before it happened.
These points, with hundreds more, are a proof that God safeguarded His Word in the original manuscripts and caudexes.  Even with the translational issues, that are continuously corrected, there has been the amazing discovery through computer algorithms, that removing even a single letter in the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek would cause the encryptions to fail.  This means that scriptures purity was maintained, even when some people in history and even currently are introducing forgeries along with changing of specific scriptural verses to match their views. 

With the knowledge of the previous statements, all of us should recognize that we cannot take the place of God in presenting substitute information that contradicts the Word of God which is the scriptures.  Any additional beliefs and laws that contradict the scriptures should not be followed.  Yes, there can be beliefs and practices that are not contradicting which can be done that are meant to honor God and help others.

The Apocrypha is NOT canonical or inspired scripture from the Holy Spirit:

The Roman Catholic church will state that the Apocrypha proves their traditions along with many outlandish erroneous conclusions.  The Apocrypha books are NOT scriptural authority.  This is a partial excerpt of the Books of the Bible topic which goes into greater detail that the Roman Catholic church's reasons for Purgatory are blasphemy and are easily proven false.

The Apocrypha are fictional historical writings venerated by Roman Catholics:
(a) To somehow and unsuccessfully prove their is a place that the Roman Catholic calls Purgatory.
(b) To contradict the Old Testament and New Testament with prayers for the dead will be honored by God which they will not as read in Hebrews 9:27.
(c) To allowing the Roman Catholic Clergy to be able to sell Indulgences to forgive sins for someone alive or dead that negates payment on the Cross by Jesus Christ. 
(d) Are clearly gross exaggerations and contain contradictions in the Apocrypha.
(e) Directly contradicts the completed work of Jesus Christ on the Cross for the restitution payment for sins of a person who accepts through God's Grace only.  God initiates the Salvation Process, and our works in life (not death) have the benefits in our Earthly life and then permanent rewards in Heaven.

Notes on the blasphemy Indulgence selling by the Roman Catholic Clergy
(1) Were sold with the promise that even if a person is in lower Sheol (Hell), awaiting the Great White Thrown of Judgment, that the purchase of an Indulgence will free them from Hell and allow them to go Purgatory and then eventually go to Heaven.
(2) Were sold with the promise that the person alive or dead would receive more rewards in Heaven.
(3) Several websites from Roman Catholic sources will state indulgences are no longer sold, was a myth (deception), or were replaced by penance. Restitution is applicable for fixing sinful actions, but never penance.

It is this author's opinion to not even own a copy, as the Apocrypha violates Deuteronomy 4:2 and Revelation 22:18-19.

Deuteronomy 4:2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish from it, that ye may keep the commandments of Jehovah your God which I command you.
Hebrews 9:25-28 25 Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise, Christ would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.
Revelation 22:18-19 18 I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book: 19 and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book.

Common Understanding of the Scriptures Refutes Purgatory

Common understanding of the Scriptures in the Old and New Testament absolutely do NOT state there is a place that is after death, called Purgatory for a person to:

  1. Purge additional sinful natures,
  2. Pay for sins by spending time in this place, and
  3. Wait for a specific threshold of accountability being fulfilled.

If there was such a place, then this Purgatory would actually be called two analogous words in the scripture:

  1. A temporary Prison, or
  2. A Rehabilitation Center.

If Purgatory exists for rehabilitating people that were not eligible yet to go to Heaven:

  1. Then ALL OF US would have to go Purgatory as no one is righteous.
  2. Everyone after their death would choose to go Purgatory rather than go to the Lake of Fire for Eternity.
  3. The scriptures would state what sins will allow a person to be eligible to go to Purgatory instead of Jesus Christ's payment and restitution on the Cross.
Mark 10:18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good save one, even God.

The Roman Catholic church over the centuries have wrongly:

  1. Added laws and beliefs that are not found in the scriptures,.
  2. Have appointed mere men as a replacement for the authority of God's Word with men such as a Pope with great ostentatiousness to receive power, wealth, and even conduct secret evils that are thoroughly documented in many of the centuries with exception of the last few Popes.  One great source is the book: "A Woman Rides the Beast", which has great historical documentation, but this author disagrees with Dave Hunt's conclusion that the Roman Catholic Church is the beast.  See the topic on Babylon's Fate for clarity.  As an example is the period when there was two Popes that excommunicated one another in the Western Schism (1378-1417), but not that there was others similar events.
  3. Have affectively overruled God's authority with claiming authority to remove someone's Salvation by excommunication.  See the wiki link of a list of notable people.  Excommunication is removal from Roman Catholic rituals, communion, and fellowship while simultaneously the Roman Catholic person is told that Salvation is a works process to keep Salvation with required communion, so if a person cannot have fellowship and communion then the person would incorrectly believed that they have lost their Salvation.  Salvation is impossible to lose otherwise all of us would lose Salvation!
  4. Has spoken that traditions override and replace the truth of the scriptures.
  5. Claimed many, many times that the Roman Catholic church is the only correct pleasing faith to God, and no other Christian denomination can lead people to Salvation.
  6. Recently stated that Muslims can enter eternity without an acceptance of Jesus Christ as a person's only Savior.
    (Note: this author understands that Muslim's consider Jesus Christ as a Prophet, but that does not mean a Muslim has accepted Jesus Christ as the only Savior.)
  7. Stated often that a person can be prayed out of separation from God in Purgatory and even Hell.  (Note that Hell is a temporary holding prison for those destined to receive a judgment by Jesus Christ as the Judgment Seat of Christ before going into the Lake of Fire.
This is an excerpt from the topic "Is a Pope Scripturally Correct?":

The Roman Catholic Church has had these and so many problems consisting and not limited to murdering and complete distortion of the scriptures:

  • Many executions of pagans and Christians, often by burning at the stake, of people who opposed the incorrect teachings of the Roman Catholic Church,
  • Open hypocrisy with the accumulation of wealth, power and open sexual immorality.
  • Crusades that ended up being anything but a Jesus Christ centric mission that resulted in the slaughtering of men, woman and children in the areas invaded by the Crusaders.
  • For many centuries, the scriptures were only taught in Latin even when most people could not speak or understand Latin.
  • Teaching many unscriptural things such as eating meat on Friday would condemn someone to Hell.  Note that this has been recently renounced by a recent Pope.  The original edict was based on a belief that Jesus Christ was crucified on Good Friday, which can be proven logically by the scriptures to be incorrect.
  • Teaching that Jesus Christ is not necessarily the only way to enter Heaven (if the person rejects Jesus Christ in life), as entrance can be deferred with acceptance later of Jesus Christ.  This is against many, many scriptural references and there is more on this later in this topic.
    (The only exception is the scriptures concerning the Age of Accountability.)
  • Teaches that Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, can be prayed to instead of praying directly to God in the name of Jesus Christ as the scriptures instruct.  Also embraces Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, in an almost Godly type of deity role.
  • Instructs people to pray to Apostles instead of directly to God in Jesus Christ's name, which is also clearly against the scriptures.
  • Set a requirement that Priests, Bishops, Cardinals and the Pope not be able to marry and have sexual intimacy.  This is not scriptural and can also be a cause of the historic and modern-day problems of many Priests, and higher-ranking leaders to being caught in sexual scandals.
  • Openly wrote edicts and sent out men and even armies to kill Jewish people who were labeled the "Christ Killers".
  • Declared that the promises made by God to Israel were all forfeited, and the Roman Catholic Church is now the heir to them.  This is scripturally incorrect as God made many unconditional promises to the Nation of Israel and men like King David, which are prophesied to still occur.  More examples are Jesus Christ will sit on King David's thrown, the Tribulation Purpose, and there is the 144,000 Jewish virgin men who will evangelize the world during the Great Tribulation.
  • Many Biblical Scholars and this author state the Roman Catholic Church is the Church of Thyatira, and the Protestant Churches are the Sardis Church in the Seven Churches in the Book of Revelation.

There is of course many, many scandals and all types of evil things done in the other Christian Denominations! 

Every Christian Denomination has had numerous scandals by many prominent, well-known and considered Godly Leaders and Pastors concerning:
(a) Wrongful use of Tithes and Gifts for the enrichment of themselves.
(b) Sexual scandals, often involving adultery, that also often involved very deviant sexual practices.
(c) Openly seen pretentiousness, ostentatious acts and a non-approachable attitude towards others.
(d) Contentious views against other Christian Denominations.

There are several Christian Denominations, besides the Roman Catholic Denomination, that have an administrative group that controls all the church locations.  This structure is often brought up as a defense against rogue and problems when anyone acts in a position of authority in the Christian Denomination against the Word of God.  Unfortunately, this has proven in Christian Denominations that it is not completely effective and does not always accomplish the elimination of problems, just as it doesn't work completely in human government.

There is no perfect Christian Denomination as the problem is:

  1. Lucifer and the Satanic Realm will always try to infiltrate into all groups of Christians to thwart the power of the Gospel.  Note the related topic on why is Lucifer still active.
  2. Whenever there is money, power and glory to be obtained, then there will be those who will be there for the wrong reason.
  3. There is a new movement today in Christianity that is called a home church which appears to be more effective and highly rewarding as an alternative to meeting at a building. 
Acts 20:29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;
(Spoken by the Apostle Paul)

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-mar-13-mn-8338-story.html   If link is missing, click here.


Screen capture from Los Angeles Times Article on "Pope Apologizes for Catholic Sins Past and Present"

We are not to change the word in the scriptures:

Proverbs 30:6 Do not add to His Words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.
Deuteronomy 4:2 You shall not add to the Word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.
Matthew 24:24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

Purgatory According to the Roman Catholic Church

Purgatory is often described by the Roman Catholic church with the scriptural summary list shown and referenced.

This is an excerpt from https://www.Catholic.com/tract/Purgatory with the highlights in yellow for focus on their deception phrases that are taking scripture out of context or completely NOT understanding the scriptural reference:

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines purgatory as a purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven, which is experienced by those who die in God s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified (CCC 1030). It notes that this final purification of the elect . . . is entirely different from the punishment of the damned (CCC 1031).

The purification is necessary because, as Scripture teaches, nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in heaven (Rev. 21:27) and, while we may die with our mortal sins forgiven, there can still be many impurities in us, specifically venial sins and the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven.

Notice in this summary statement there is many blasphemies against God, complete ignorance of the totality of many scriptures, and ignorance of the point of the two judgments identified in the scriptures as:

  1. Great White Thrown of Judgment
  2. Judgment Seat of Christ

A novice Christian with an introductory knowledge of the scriptures can very easily refute the false doctrine of the Roman Catholics' church on Purgatory. If Purgatory actual exists, which it does NOT, then these five areas of premises must be provable by the scriptures:

  Requirement in the Scriptures for Purgatory to Exist Exists in the Scriptures?
1 Explicitly naming a place between Earthly life that is required after death to make the person suffer to make restitution of sins committed in life to enable going into God's presence for Eternity? NOT in the scriptures
2 Explicitly names sins that Jesus Christ's restitution payment on the Cross did not allow a person to become a new creature, born-again, to enter God's presence after death? NOT in the scriptures
3 Explicitly describes how long this place for suffering after death is required to make restitution payment for sins exists before the universe and the current Heavens are destroyed for the future Heavens of Eternity Future? NOT in the scriptures
4 Describes how suffering for sins during life will have the person love Jesus Christ more? NOT in the scriptures
5 Describes if the people in Purgatory will have communication with God during their suffering? NOT in the scriptures

The following scriptural list provided by the National Catholic Register are alleged proofs of Purgatory by the Roman Catholic church.  This author has summarized the list from the article: 11 Descriptive and Clear Bible Passages About Purgatory| National Catholic Register (if link is missing click here) with notes refuting the illogical proofs provided.

Scriptural Reference Scriptures Notes
Psalm 66:12 Thou didst cause men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place. The chapter 66 passage is about a prayer of deliverance by the mighty deeds of God and no reference to a place called Purgatory.
Isaiah 4:4 when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by the spirit of justice, and by the spirit of burning. The passage is about cleansing of Jerusalem.  The spirit of burning is justice and not about putting a human in a placed called Purgatory.  Spirit of burning is used throughout the Old Testament as a sin offering to cleanse and not burning of people!
Micha 7:9 I will bear the indignation of Jehovah, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness. The full chapter has a double meaning for the Prophet Micha who is living in perilous times for Israel.  It is also a double reference pointer to the Rapture when in the history of the Earth is the only time there is not one righteous person alive with the exception of the Age of Accountability category.
Malachi 3:1-4 1 Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom ye desire, behold, he cometh, saith Jehovah of hosts. 2 But who can abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner s fire, and like fullers soap: 3 and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer unto Jehovah offerings in righteousness. 4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto Jehovah, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years. The "refiner's fire" is dealing with appearance of the second of the two Second Comings of Jesus Christ when Israel that is hiding in Petra during the Tribulation Period.

It is dealing additionally with the future Messiah, Jesus Christ, and the two Second Comings events purposes: 

1 The Sanhedrin were asking John the Baptist if he was Elijah the Prophet dealing with the prophecy of Malachi.
2. Elijah the Prophet is most likely one of the Two Witnesses during the Tribulation Period.
2 Maccabees
12:44-46

Not a Book
of the Bible		 44 (For if he had not hoped that they that were slain should rise again, it would have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead,) 45 And because he considered that they who had fallen asleep with godliness, had great grace laid up for them. 46 It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins. This is NOT a canonical book.  It is not in the least an inspired book of scriptures.  See the topic on Not a Book of the Bible.  The very highlighted line is contradictory to many, many, many New and Old Testament scriptures.
Matthew 5:22 but I say unto you, that every one who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of the hell (Gehenna place) of fire. 1. Raca means "empty headed" or thinking without knowledge or being a fool.  The verse is dealing with a person's evil thoughts before offering anything to God along with living correctly.
2. "hell" is not translated correctly and should be "Gehenna" which is the garbage dump outside of Jerusalem for burning trash.
3. The "judgment" is about suffering consequences in life, not in death.  God is patient with us all.  See the topic on "Seventy times Seven".
Matthew 5:26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou have paid the last farthing. Read Matthew 5:21 through Matthew 5:26 where the context is about being angry and committing murder.  Has nothing to do with paying a debt in a prison after death!  The warning is to settle correctly all debts and angers before coming to present a gift to God so that the heart is clean of animosity.
Matthew 12:32 And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come. This is dealing with Blasphemy.  See the topic on Blasphemy where the topic gives examples from the scriptures of people who committed blasphemy and did not lose Salvation, but lost rewards in life and future rewards in Heaven.
1 Corinthians 3:11-15 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 But if any man buildeth on the foundation gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 each man s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself shall prove each man s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man s work shall abide which he built thereon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as through fire. This is dealing with the rewards in Heaven.  Roman Catholic teaching is everyone heaven inherits the same rewards with only a few people getting special rewards.  This is also very incorrect!
Hebrews 12:14 Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord: This an admonition unto righteous attempts of living for God that lead to rewards in Heaven and attending the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.
Revelation 21:27 and there shall in no wise enter into it anything unclean, or he that maketh an abomination and a lie: but only they that are written in the Lamb s book of life. This is dealing with ALL people that God initiated the Salvation Process where these people that accepted will be with God in Eternity.

What to read next?

What is Salvation?  Is it is possible to lose Salvation?  We have eternal life.  Evolution is not real.  When a Christian suffers is there benefits from it.  Rewards in heaven.  Do we Tithe?  What does the 3rd Commandment tell us?  What is Grace and Mercy?  Is there an Age of Accountability?  Is there a place of unending punishment and exile form God?