discourse on purgatory

8/3/2019 Discourse on Purgatory

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Discourse on Purgatory:

INTRODUCTION:

Does it exist or is it a myth? Let's examine the facts. In doing sowe will first examine the Catholic Doctrine [RCC] on same as follows:

EXERT FROM THE CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA:

"Purgatory (Lat., "purgare", to make clean, to purify) in accordancewith Catholic teaching is a place or condition of temporal punishmentfor those who, departing this life in God's grace, are, not entirelyfree from venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due totheir transgressions. The faith of the Church concerning purgatory isclearly expressed in the Decree of Union drawn up by the Council ofFlorence (Mansi, t. XXXI, col. 1031), and in the decree of the Councilof Trent which (Sess. XXV) defined: "Whereas the Catholic Church,instructed by the Holy Ghost, has from the Sacred Scriptures and theancient tradition of the Fathers taught in Councils and very recentlyin this Ecumenical synod (Sess. VI, cap. XXX; Sess. XXII cap.ii, iii)

that there is a purgatory, and that the souls therein are helped by thesuffrages of the faithful, but principally by the acceptable Sacrificeof the Altar; the Holy Synod enjoins on the Bishops that theydiligently endeavor to have the sound doctrine of the Fathers inCouncils regarding purgatory everywhere taught and preached, held andbelieved by the faithful" (Denzinger, "Enchiridon", 983). Further thanthis the definitions of the Church do not go, but the tradition of theFathers and the Schoolmen must be consulted to explain the teachings ofthe councils, and to make clear the belief and the practices of thefaithful.

Temporal PunishmentThat temporal punishment is due to sin, even after the sin itself hasbeen pardoned by God, is clearly the teaching of Scripture. God indeedbrought man out of his first disobedience and gave him power to governall things (Wis. x, 2), but still condemned him "to eat his bread inthe sweat of his brow" until he returned unto dust. God forgave theincredulity of Moses and Aaron, but in punishment kept them from the"land of promise" (Num., xx, 12). The Lord took away the sin of David,but the life of the child was forfeited because David had made God'senemies blaspheme His Holy Name (II Kings, xii, 13, 14). In the NewTestament as well as in the Old, almsgiving and fasting, and in generalpenitential acts are the real fruits of repentance (Matt., iii, 8;Luke, xvii, 3; iii, 3). The whole penitential system of the Churchtestifies that the voluntary assumption of penitential works has alwaysbeen part of true repentance That temporal punishment is due to sin,even after the sin itself has been pardoned by God, is clearly the

teaching of Scripture. God indeed brought man out of his firstdisobedience and gave him power to govern all things (Wis. x, 2), butstill condemnedVenial SinsAll sins are not equal before God, nor dare anyone assert that thedaily faults of human frailty will be punished with the same severitythat is meted out to serious violation of God's law. On the other handwhosoever comes into God's presence must be perfectly perfectly purefor in the strictest sense His "eyes are too pure, to behold evil"(Hab., i, 13). For unrepented venial faults for the payment of temporal


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punishment due to sin at time of death, the Church has always taughtthe doctrine of purgatory.So deep was this belief ingrained in our common humanity that it wasaccepted by the Jews, and in at least a shadowy way by the pagans, longbefore the coming of Christianity. ("Aeneid," VI, 735 sq.; Sophocles,"Antigone," 450 sq.)." [source = Catholic Encyclopedia]

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS:

Now let's look at what the Bible has to say on the subject.Interestingly at Psalms 145:4, "His spirit shall go forth, and heshall return into his earth: in that day all their thoughts shallperish." (Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible; DRCB); Now if this is the case,how can the souls that are "therein detained be aided by the suffragesof the faithful and principally by the acceptable sacrifice of thealter....It is the common teaching of Catholic theologians that (1)indulgences may be applied to the sourls detained in purgatory; and (2)that indulgences are available for them by way of suffrage." [source ="The Catholic Encyclopedia, NY 1911, Vol XII, pages 575, 578, 579].And how would this concept of purgatory as put forth by the RCC

harmonize with Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death. But thegrace of God, life everlasting in Christ Jesus our Lord." (DRCB)? Orwith Job 3:17, "There the wicked cease from tumult, and there thewearied in strength are at rest." (DRCB)?

Nor would this doctrine harmonize with Ezekiel 14:4, "Behold all soulsare mine: as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son ismine: the soul that sinneth, the same shall die." (DRCB) which clearlyshows only two possible states. Or James 5:20, "He must know that hewho causeth a sinner to be converted from the error of his way shallsave his soul from death and shall cover a multitude of sins." (DRCB)which clearly does not recognize the existence of an 'in-betweenplace;' as neither does Josue 10:32-37, "And the Lord delivered Lachisinto the hands of Israel, and he took it the following day, and put itto the sword, and every soul that was in it, as he had done to Lebna.33 At that time Horam, king of Gazer, came up to succour Lachis: andJosue slew him with all his people so as to leave none alive. 34 And hepassed from Lachis to Eglon, and surrounded it, 35 And took it the sameday: and put to the sword all the souls that were in it, according toall that he had done to Lachis. 36 He went up also with all Israel fromEglon to Hebron, and fought against it: 37 Took it, and destroyed itwith the edge of the sword: the king also thereof, and all the towns ofthat country, and all the souls that dwelt in it: he left not thereinany remains: as he had done to Eglon, so did he also to Hebron, puttingto the sword all that he found in it." (DRCB).

HOW SIN IS CLEANSED:

The Bible clearly shows sin is NOT cleansed through payment ofindulgences to release someone from Purgatory; this is clearly shown at1 John 1:7-9, "But if we walk in the light, as he also is in the light,we have fellowship one with another: And the blood of Jesus Christ hisSon cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, wedeceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins,he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us fromall iniquity (DRCB) which shows that sin is forgiven, not by thepayment of indulgences, but on the basis of the shed blood of Jesus


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(Yeshua) Christ. And this fact is ratified by Revelation 1:5, "Andfrom Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first begotten ofthe dead and the prince of the kings of the earth, who hath loved usand washed us from our sins in his own blood" (DRCB); and by Ephesians1:7, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission ofsins, according to the riches of his, grace," (DRCB); and Revelation7:9 & 14, "After this, I saw a great multitude, which no man couldnumber, of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standingbefore the throne and in sight of the Lamb, clothed with white robes,and palms in their hands." And 14 And I said to him: My Lord, thouknowest. And he said to me: These are they who are come out of greattribulation and have washed their robes and have made them white in theblood of the Lamb." (DRCB).

CHRIST DIED ONCE SO CONTINUOUS SAYING OF MASS BRINGS NO RELIEF:

Hebrews 7:26-27 highlight that Christ died once for us not continuallysetting the pattern, "For it was fitting that we should have such a

high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, andmade higher than the heavens: 27 Who needeth not daily (as the otherpriests) to offer sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for thepeople's: for this he did once, in offering himself." (DRCB); and thisis also affirmed at Hebrews 9:26-28, "For then he ought to havesuffered often from the beginning of the world. But now once, at theend of ages, he hath appeared for the destruction of sin by thesacrifice of himself. 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die,and after this the judgment: 28 So also Christ was offered once toexhaust the sins of many. The second time he shall appear without sinto them that expect him unto salvation." (DRCB). And made very clearat 1 Peter 3:18, "Because Christ also died once for our sins, the justfor the unjust: that he might offer us to God, being put to deathindeed in the flesh, but enlivened in the spirit," (DRCB).

GOD'S (YHWH'S) GIFT OF LIFE IS FREE:

That God's (YHWH's) gift of life is free and not requiring payment ofindulgences is made clear at Acts 8:18-20, "And when Simon saw that,by the imposition of the hands of the apostles, the Holy Ghost wasgiven, he offered them money, 19 Saying: Give me also this power, thaton whomsoever I shall lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. ButPeter said to him: 20 Keep thy money to thyself, to perish with thee:because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased withmoney." (DRCB); and affirmed at Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace you are

saved through faith: and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift ofGod." (DRCB). And Romans 6:23 shows the wages of sin is death, "Forthe wages of sin is death. But the grace of God, life everlasting inChrist Jesus our Lord." (DRCB).

TESTING OF ONE'S WORTHINESS IS DURING LIFE, NOT AFTER DEATH:


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Individuals will be tested with respect worthiness during life and notafter death as shown at 1 Peter 1:7, "That the trial of your faith(much more precious than gold which is tried by the fire) may be foundunto praise and glory and honour at the appearing of Jesus Christ."(DRCB); and further testified to at Malachi 3:1-3, "Behold I send myangel, and he shall prepare the way before my face. And presently theLord, whom you seek, and the angel of the testament, whom you desire,shall come to his temple. Behold, he cometh, saith the Lord of hosts. 2And who shall be able to think of the day of his coming? and who shallstand to see him? for he is like a refining fire, and like the fuller'sherb: 3 And he shall sit refining and cleansing the silver, and heshall purify the sons of Levi, and shall refine them as gold, and assilver, and they shall offer sacrifices to the Lord in justice." (DRCB).

PURGATORY IS NOT EVEN MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE:

Nowhere can you find the word Purgatory in the Bible, not even in theCatholic Douay-Rheims Bible from which all quotes in this discourse

have been taken. The Encyclopedia Britannica says, "It is impossibleto point out in any writing of the first four centuries any passagewhich describes the state of any of the faithful departed as one ofacute suffering...Still less would it be possible to show that theintermediate state was regarded by them as one in which satisfactionwas made for sin." [source = The Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 th. Edition- 1907, Volume XX, page 121 ]. Even the Catholic Encyclopedia says,"There is no clear and explicit scriptural text in favour of prayersfor the dead, except the above test of II Machabees" [Note, this book,II Machabees, is not a part of the legitimate Bible canon, but a partof the Apochrypha][source = The Catholic Encyclopedia, NY 1908, VolumeIV, page 654 ].

NOT FROM THE BIBLE, BUT A TEACHING OF MEN:

Let's face it the doctrine of Purgatory is based on the teachings ofmen and is covered by 2 Corinthians 4:4, "In whom the god of this worldhath blinded the minds of unbelievers, that the light of the gospel ofthe glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not shine untothem." (DRCB). The Catholic Encyclopedia, previously quoted in theExcerts From the Catholic Encyclopedia part of this discourse says,"That temporal punishment is due to sin, even after the sin itself hasbeen pardoned by God, is clearly the teaching of Scripture. God indeedbrought man out of his first disobedience and gave him power to governall things (Wis. x, 2), but still condemned.... That temporal

punishment is due to sin, even after the sin itself has been pardonedby God, is clearly the teaching of Scripture. God indeed brought manout of his first disobedience and gave him power to govern all things(Wis. x, 2), but still condemned" [source = The CatholicEncyclopedia ]. Clearly the words of men as nothing like this isfound in the Bible as previously shown.

TRADITION MAKES VOID THE WORD OF GOD (YHWH):


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Some feel their tradition is more important than the Word of God(YHWH), but the Bible clearly shows otherwise at Matthew 15:1-3 & 6-9,"Then came to him from Jerusalem scribes and Pharisees, saying: 2 Whydo thy disciples transgress the tradition of the ancients? For theywash not their hands when they eat bread. 3 But he answering, said tothem: Why do you also transgress the commandment of God for yourtradition? For God said:" and "And he shall not honour his father orhis mother: and you have made void the commandment of God for yourtradition. 7 Hypocrites, well hath Isaias prophesied of you, saying: 8This people honoureth me with their lips: but their heart is far fromme. 9 And in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines andcommandments of men." (DRCB); and this is warned against at Colossians2:8, "Beware lest any man cheat you by philosophy and vain deceit:according to the tradition of men according to the elements of theworld and not according to Christ." (DRCB).

CONCLUSION:

Clearly the Bible shows the doctrine of Purgatory is a teaching of menand in no way from God (YHWH). In fact, the Bible clearly shows thatthe hope for the dead is through a resurrection and not the paying ofindulgences as made clear at John 5:28-29, "Wonder not at this: for thehour cometh wherein all that are in the graves shall hear the voice ofthe Son of God. 29 And they that have done good things shall come forthunto the resurrection of life: but they that have done evil, unto theresurrection of judgment." (DRCB).

Your Friend in Christ Iris89

discourse on purgatory

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