Posted on 11/05/2018 1:55:29 PM PST by boatbums
You’re citing Paul for evidence of Purgatory in the Bible. Having participated in this religion forum here for going on fourteen years, I find that amusing since some of your fellow RC’s believe Paul was a nut. Where does Peter, your first Pope unbeknown to him, reference Purgatory?
For Luther’s sake, he had better hoped for a Purgatory upon his death.
It's not THAT much of a mystery! Scripture teaches that the dead in Christ are "present with the Lord" (II Cor. 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). The Roman Catholic doctrine of Purgatory presumes that most Christians must still pay a temporal penalty for the sins they commit in this life and suffer for them before they can be cleansed "from all worldly attachments" and go to heaven with God. Scripture teaches that all our sins are cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ and we are found "in Him, not having my own righteousness which is of the Law, but that which is through faith from Christ, the righteousness of God on the basis of faith." (Philippians 3:9). We are justified and made righteous through faith and not our works.
For the sake of many of your Popes, they'd better hope there's no Hell.
These are the ones who buck their salvation on earth and suffer what would otherwise be unnecessary loss of reward in the judgment as a result. As Charles Swindoll put it, the saddest words we know are “it might have been.” Don’t fail to redeem the time. We’ll be reminded one day that we aren’t our own, if we get sloppy and start thinking, along with the flesh, that we are.
“Luther Thought Purgatory was an Open Question?”
Purgatory may exist but there is no hard proof of it spelled out in the Bible. Just speculation.
Where do you think Jesus descended to upon His death? Where do you think he opened the gates to allow the Church Fathers' entrance into Heaven?
Do you believe in Hell?
Because Catholicism asserts it is the "one, true church established by Jesus Christ" and they alone have "the fullness of the Christian faith". I disagree (the Eastern Orthodox do, as well) and this is one of the areas that gets a lot of attention this time of year with "All Saints/Souls Day". The doctrine of Purgatory was not an Apostolic teaching but was the product of development over the centuries which led to numerous abuses and heresies.
Why do you seem to believe He closed those gates after freeing the righteous dead, and that people are still going there rather that directly to the presence of God as the Bible itself teaches?
An excellent discussion and examination on the topic with extensive OT and NT references is the book — “The Fire That Consumes” by Edward William Fudge. It is considered the reference book on this topic of “Hell”.
There’s one in Colorado, too!
I do. Can you say all your historical, obviously unrepentant Popes did? Does your current Pope Francis?
Because there were two gates; one to Hell [which are still closed and will never be breached) and one to the Limbo of the Fathers. which is now Purgatory.
You didn’t answer the question: Do you believe in a Hell were souls are eternally damned?
The Bible says pray for the dead.
Why?
Hell is open to all humans, including popes. Satan can’t get enough of them.
Rather, Luther is right now beholding the face of Jesus and has been for 500 years! Better get used to the idea of having him as a neighbor. ;o)
Do you believe that all the original Biblical terms Sheol, Gehenna and variants actually have meanings that can be reconciled with there being only one eternal hell?
Besides that, the Apostle’s Creed says that Jesus descended into Hell, not descended into Purgatory anyways.
In 2 Timothy 1:18, St. Paul prays for Onesiphorus, who has died.
In 2 Maccabees 12:38-46, Judas Maccabee orders that sacrifices be offered in the Temple in Jerusalem for slain Jewish soldiers who had worn pagan amulets
Why you ask?
All sin, unfortunately, has a life of its own and may have bad effects even after the sinner repents. Sincere repentance includes a desire to repair the damage done by one’s sins. That may or may not be complete before the person dies.
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