Does the New Testament teach Purgatory?

 

                                                                

                                                                   I. Introduction

There has been written about the concept of an intermediate state by Roman Catholics, Protestants, and Eastern Orthodox. This is certainly no easy theological topic to address as much as Scripture says so little about it (which has led many to reject it altogether), much of it is speculation, and much of it has been defined so differently from one theologian to the next throughout church history. 

The current understanding of Purgatory known in the Catholic Church, began to develop from the twelfth century onwards. There were theologians long before this, who believed in some sort of intermediate state, but it was not the equivalent idea of Purgatorty, popularized in Western Europe during the High and Late Middle Ages. 

In recent years, Pope Benedict XVI proposed a very different understanding of Purgatory than did Roman Catholics for centuries. To him, the medieval idea of a place called ''purgatory'' is not the correct understanding of purification. Benedict has proposed instead, that we are purified upon arriving at Heaven. 

As N. T. Wright notes in Suprised by Hope, ''More remarkable still is the view of Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI. Building on 1 Corinthians 3, he argued that the Lord himself is the fire of judgment, which transforms us as he conforms us to his glorious, resurrected Body. This happens not during a long, drawn-out process but in the moment of final judgment itself. By thus linking purgatory to Jesus Christ himself as the eschatological fire, Ratzinger detached the doctrine of purgatory from the concept of an intermediate state and broke the link that in the Middle Ages gave rise to the idea of indulgences and so provided a soft target for Protestant polemic. Whatever we think of that, that two of the most central, important, and conservative Roman theologians of the last generation offered a radical climb-down from Aquinas, Dante, Newman, and all that went in between (167).''

In this sense, Benedict XVI has come closer to a Protestant understanding of purification than were many Roman Catholics before the pope. 

                                        II. The Old Testament and the Intermediate State

In the Old Testament, Sheol, was where many of the Hebrews went to after birth (Ecclesiastes 9: 10, Luke 16: 19-31, Psalm 83: 6, Psalm 16: 10, etc.). 

Many Roman Catholics have seen Purgatory as the Old Testament Sheol. They argue that it purifies us, as did Sheol. Others, though, see the two as very distinct and the latter, as lacking Scriptural support. Evangelical Christian Tim Layahe, for instance, believed that Sheol was intended only for the Old Testament. 

1 Peter 3: 18-22 seems to imply that Sheol is over. In this passage, Peter the Apostle, speaks of Christ going to the imprisoned spirits and setting them free. By mentioning Noah in verse 20, the context of the chapter seems to solidify that Sheol no longer exists. 

On the other hand, 2 Maccabees 12: 46 records the Jews praying for the dead. Whether or not one accepts this book as Scripture, it, like the writings of Philo and Josephus, is an important glimpse into Jewish thought. Still, even though this passage records praying for the dead, it says nothing about the doctrine of Purgatory. 

But if the Old Testament can't give us explicit support of Purgaotry, should the New Testament can? 

                                        III. Purgatory in the New Testament

Many Evangelicals see 2 Corinthians 5: 8 as evidence against Purgatory. It has been misquoted as saying, ''To be absent from the Body, is to be with the Lord.'' Only, the verse never said this. Read again. In fact, Paul simply affirms that they would rather be away from the body and be with the Lord. 

Now, some have used Matthew 12: 32 as evidence of Purgatory in that Christ speaks of sinning against the Holy Ghost as being an unpardonable sin. However one interprets sinning against the Holy Spirit, however, this passage says nothing about Purgatory itself. 

Purgatory has been a controversial topic among Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestants for centuries. All sides have their arguments, which the reader should consider in light of the teachings of Scripture. 

Christian Apologetics Research Ministry has provided four objections against the doctrine of Purgatory*1:

1. It is not explicitly found in the Bible.

2. It implies that the righteousness of Christ does not cleanse all from sin. 

3. It implies that justification is not by faith alone. 

4. It implies that there is something we must do in order to be cleansed of sin. 

With respect to Matt Slick, the author of this article, I find at least three main problems with his proposition. 

1. Believing in Purgatory does not mean that Christ's death is not enough for us. Paul admits that Christ is purifying us (1 Corinthians 3) and whether or not you believe that is referring to Purgatory or to our purgation here, either way, we are not totally purged of our sin the moment that we have faith in Christ. Even if we are predestined to salvation (Ephesians 1), we still sin and will continue to fall short of God's glory. Thus, Purgatory does not take away belief in Christ's sacrifice for our sins. 

2. Believing in Purgatory or denial of Purgatory doesn't get rid of the fact that we are imperfect due to sin's entrance into the world. Thus, even though Christ has saved us, we are still imperfect due to our sins, regardless of whether or not we believe that justification can be lost. 

3. It cannot be easily affirmed that a belief in Purgatory is a denial of justification by faith alone. Believing that God will continue to purify us after this life does not necessarily mean that it is not faith that justifies us before God. While it can be argued that the Roman Catholic belief about indulgences implies a denial of justification by faith alone, belief in Purgatory does not necessarily mean denying justification by faith alone. As an example, Jerry Walls, an Arminian theologian who has written an entire book on Purgatory supports belief in it, as do several recent Calvinists*2(including Calvinist Baptists). Walls believes that many Protestants have simply dismissed belief in Purgatory because of abuses that were associated with it during the Reformation and that is why it has not been considered since. 

Now, that said, Slick's first argument is that Purgatory is not explicitly in Scripture. I don't know if any serious theologian denies this. Whether or not Purgatory is Biblical, however, there are many theological positions of many evangelicals which are based on implicit, rather than explicit ideas in Scripture. Take Common grace, for example. The Bible nowhere implies that God gives the non-elect a special grace of favor to enjoy life without calling them to repentance, yet this is endorsed by many Calvinists. 

I'm not saying that Purgatory is Biblical. I'm simply pointing out hypocrisies. If we are to believe in many doctrines not explicit in Scripture, but then deny Purgatory by simply affirming that it is not explicit in Scripture, then we make ourselves out to be hypocrites. 

1 Corinthians 3: 11-15 is often used for belief in Purgatory. After all, Paul said that believers will be saved, but only through fire. 

There are major problems with this passage supporting Purgatory, though. Paul never says that only believers guilty of certain sins will go to Purgatory. He makes no distinction between believers guilty of what Roman Catholics call ''Venial Sins'' and Christians who are entering Heaven, free of such sins. 

Secondly, in 1 Peter 1: 6-7, Peter does not understand the phrase ''through fire'' as referring to Purgatory, but to the tests of our faith in this life. Based on the contexts of each text, I see no reason to believe that Paul is referring to Purgatory in 1 Corinthians 3: 11-15, but only to believers suffering in the life in 1 Peter 1: 6-7. If anything, the latter passage proves that the former has nothing to do with Purgatory. 

Nevertheless, there is one more main Biblical passage to use in support of Christians receiving purification before entering Heaven: Revelation 21: 7. In this passage, John, the author of the book, says that none unclean will enter Heaven. 

John contrasts the saints with unbelievers in the same chapter, however. Is he saying simply that non-believers will not enter Heaven? Or is saying that some, if not all Christians, must receive some sort of purification before entering Heaven. 

I'm not sure. If there is a purgatory, however, scripture comes closer to a purgation for us on entering Heaven than in an actual purgatory, as in a place. 

Whether or not we believe that some sins are mortal and if others are venial (a topic for another time), even if we concede that some sins are worse than others, and if we conclude that some sins lead us out of salvation (again, not the topic of this post), it would still be an assumption to say that all of this leads us to belief in Purgatory. 

Either way, Scripture, whether Old or New, gives no clear reason for belief in Purgatory. On this point, I agree with Matt Slick. 

                                                   IV: Purgatory in the Ancient Church

There was never any consensus among the fathers about purification after death. Thus, Purgatory was not an essential doctrine of the ancient church. 

The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity is often used to support Purgatory. In the work, the early Christian and soon-to-be-martyr, Perpetua, has a vision of her deceased brother suffering before being with His Lord. In general, the work is full of many spiritual visions. 

However, it is hard to justify Purgaroy by this Early Christian account. Perpetua, also has a vision, for instance of her climbing a ladder over a great serpent. Do we take all these visions literally?

While Augustine of Hippo, Gregory the Great, and Gregory of Nyssa speak of purification, they don't idealize Purgatory as a place near hell as did the later Thomas Aquinas. It has also debated what Augustine believed about the idea of purgation after death. 

Nevertheless, in The City of God, Augustine did speak of some facing suffering after this life, and he finished from eternal suffering. His words are not specific, but if he is referring to purification, then that is not the same as Purgatory. Finally, some have claimed that his words concerning Purgatory were a later addition to his writings, which he never wrote*3. 

If anything, in The Enchiridion, he seems to deny belief in post-punishments for Christians after death*4. Secondly, even if Augustine's words about Purgatory were not a forgery in The City of God, his later writings demonstrate that he was largely neutral on the topic. 

While Tertullian spoke of praying for the dead, he never referred to Purgatory specifically. In general, there is especially little to back the concept of Purgatory in the church of the first three hundred years. And when ''purgatory'' is known, it is more of a state of purification, than an actual place. Even after this, though, belief in Purgatory gradually developed, especially during the Medieval era. 

While Eastern Orthodox theologians vary on the meaning of purification after death, some of them see no clear reason from the fathers to believe that they saw Purgatory as a distinct place. 

                                                    V: Purgatory in the Medieval Church

Belief in Purgatory was important for many of the medievals. Especially by the eleventh-fifteenth century, the Roman Catholic Church taught the masses that payment for indulgences and the observation of relics would aid the faithful and help their family members suffering in Purgatory. Many Medieval Christians, including Aquinas, believed that paying for the dead would help the dead. The Christians on earth wished to help those suffering in Purgatory through prayers, money, etc.

As Eastern and Western Christianity slowly split apart on theological and cultural differences, the doctrine of Purgatory was one of many differences. Purgatory did not become a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church until the Second Lyons Council in 1274. During this council which attempted to reunite both churches, the eastern church rejected the idea that Purgatory is a literal fire. 

Mark of Ephesus (considered a saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church) was the only Eastern bishop to not sign the documents of the Council of Florence (1438-1439). He was a strong opponent of belief in the Roman Catholic understanding of Purgatory. 

With the continual abuse of indulgances and their connection to Purgatory, all fo this led to major divisions within the Western Church, leading to the Protestant Reformation. 

                                               VI: Purgatory in the Reformation Church

Purgatory was fiercely attacked by the Protestant Reformation. Throughout his life, however, Martin Luther struggled back and forth about belief in this doctrine. 

John Calvin believed that Purgatory was a deadly fiction of Satan*5. For many Protestants, belief in Purgatory had justified the Catholic Church's abuse of money and power. 

While some Anglicans did believe in Purgatory near the beginning of the English Reformation, belief in it began to die out over time among Protestant Churches. Gradually, most Protestants abandoned praying for the dead as well, as they felt that this implied belief in Purgatory. 

                                               VIII: Purgatory in the Modern Church

Several centuries after the Protestant Reformation, the Oxford movement of the late nineteenth century sought to return the Church of England to many medieval ideas about religion. In time, their ideas influenced many both in and outside the Anglican Church including John Henry Newman, who famously converted from Anglicanism to Catholicism. 

C. S. Lewis wrote a novel about Heaven and Hell in his famous work, The Great Divorce. He also spoke explicitly of his belief in Purgatory in Letters to Malcolm. Lewis aligned more with Newman and Dante, as he saw them as chiefly emphasizing Purgatory as a place of purgation over the sixteenth-century general Roman Catholic understanding of Purgatory in which people suffer in a middle place. 

As a scholar of Medieval literature, Lewis knew that belief in Purgatory was known among many in the High and Late Middle Ages. 

                                                                  IX: Concluding Thoughts

Could there be a Purgatory? If there is, Scripture seems to indicate it as our purification in entering Heaven, which is quite different than the concept of a middle place where we suffer and others pay indulgences for our freedom. 

Since most (if not all of us), still need to be cleansed by our Lord from sin within us, belief in a purification after death (Revelation 21: 27) seems likely. Even if 2 Corinthians 5:8 did mean that we are automatically with Christ when we die, that does not mean that we will not gain some sort of purification on our entrance into Heaven. This also does not mean, nevertheless, the acceptance of the Roman Catholic dogmatic teachings concerning Purgatory. 

Good theology requires consistency. If we deny Purgatory because of it not being explicit in Scripture, so should many other doctrines that Evangelicals endorse. 

Two wrongs don't make one right, however. Purgatory is lacking in Scriptural teaching. The case of praying for the dead in 2 Maccabees does not necessarily lead to belief in Purgatory. Whether or not one believes in praying for the dead, even an acceptance of this practice, does not justify belief in Purgatory. Many Christians past and present have prayed for the deceased who denied the existence of Purgatory. 

In short, writing this post has given me more reasons to doubt the existence of Purgatory. While I have not personally experienced life after death, I see no reason from the New Testament to believe that it is a real place. 

Technically, Second Lyons never dogmatically taught that Purgatory is an actual place. Therefore, one can embrace the idea that we are purged of our sins upon our entrance into Heaven (Revelation 21:27), without contradicting any dogma of Roman Catholic teaching. Benedict XVI's proposition that we receive purification after judgment, is far more Biblical than the general late Medieval belief in Purgatory as a middle place in between both Heaven and Hell. 

Finally, we must ask ourselves, where do we go when we die, if not to a place called Purgatory? Do we go immediately to Heaven?

In the following post, I will be discussing the fates of both unbelievers and believers after death, as well as the fate of believers after death. I also wish to the topic of ''Saint'' in the next post, as our understanding of who the ''Saints'' are (whether this be all Christians or no), affects our understanding of Purgottory, Heaven, etc. 

Notes:

*1-https://carm.org/roman-catholicism/purgatory-and-catholicism/

*2-https://sojo.net/articles/protestant-theologians-reconsider-purgatory

*3-https://beggarsallreformation.blogspot.com/2006/09/did-augustine-really-affirm-purgatory.html

*4-https://carm.org/ecf-quotes-by-topic/early-church-fathers-quotes-on-purgatory/

https://www.monergism.com/reformation-theology/blog/purgatory-deadly-fiction