Posted on 03/13/2019 6:40:19 AM PDT by Antoninus
In part one of this post, I looked at the vision of Perpetuaone of the earliest authentic Christian documents to describe directly a Purgatory-like state and to highlight the efficacy of prayer petitions for the dead.
Others writing during the patristic age also expounded upon this idea in more or less detail, among them St. Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, St. Augustine of Hippo, and St. Caesarius of Arles. One of the most clear references to Purgatory appears in a late 4th century work by Saint Gregory of Nyssa, entitled: On the Soul and the Resurrection. St. Gregory writes:
For [God], the one goal is this: the perfection of the universe through each man individually, the fulfillment of our nature. Some of us are purged of evil in this life, and some are cured of it through fire in the after-life, some have not had the experience of good and evil in life here .The different degrees of virtue or vice in our life will be revealed in our participating more quickly or more slowly in the blessedness we hope for. The extent of the healing with depend on the amount of evil present in each person. The healing of the soul will be purification from evil and this cannot be accomplished without suffering Building upon this notion about 200 years later, another GregoryPope Saint Gregory the Greatwas the first to set forth the notion of Purgatory as Catholics now understand it. As part of his famous Dialogues, he wrote:
It is plain that in such state as a man departs out of this life, in the same he is presented in judgment before God. But yet we must believe that before the day of judgment there is a Purgatory fire for certain small sins: because our Savior says, That he which speaketh blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, that it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come [Matthew 12:32].Here we see Gregory offering a scriptural proof for Purgatory, out of the mouth of Jesus Himself. He elaborates on this point, citing Saint Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 3:
Out of which sentence we learn, that some sins are forgiven in this world, and some other may be pardoned in the next: for that which is denied concerning one sin, is consequently understood to be granted touching some other. But yet this, as I said, we have not to believe but only concerning little and very small sins, as, for example, daily idle talk, immoderate laughter, negligence in the care of our family (which kind of offenses scarce can they avoid, that know in what sort sin is to be shunned), ignorant errors in matters of no great weight: all which sins be punished after death, if men procured not pardon and remission for them in their lifetime: for when St. Paul said, that Christ is the foundation: and by and by added: And if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble: the work of every one, of what kind it is, the fire shall try. If any man's work abide which he built thereupon, he shall receive reward; if any mans work burn, he shall suffer detriment, but himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.Gregory then goes on to explain St. Pauls meaning, drawing a distinction between what we would later call mortal and venial sins:
For although these words may be understood of the fire of tribulation, which men suffer in this world: yet if any will interpret them of the fire of Purgatory, which shall be in the next life: then must he carefully consider, that the Apostle said not that he may be saved by fire, that buildeth upon this foundation iron, brass, or lead, that is, the greater sort of sins, and therefore more hard, and consequently not remissible in that place: but wood, hay, stubble, that is, little and very light sins, which the fire doth easily consume. Yet we have here further to consider, that none can be there purged, no, not for the least sins that be, unless in his lifetime he deserved by virtuous works to find such favor in that place. [Dialogues, Book 4:39]
Its from my work, by the grace of God) so what is the difference btwn me retyping it all (with my stiff arthritic fingers) in response to your prolix propaganda and simply pasting it (with clickable verse lookups)? No like refutation?
Maybe he was. Do you mean he is in the top 1%? How do you know this?
Did he outrank the widow who gave her only mite?
So to revise and extend my remarks, Gregory, while reputedly a nice guy, seemingly did poorly in any classes he took on Biblical Studies, Systematic Theology, Koine Greek, etc., or he would not have made these false claims. Especially in print to mislead others. He was human after all and didn't know everything.
It appears you simply repeated what he wrongly claimed and are making no claims of your own to know the meaning of Scripture.
Thank you for the chance to correct the record. I hope that is sufficient.
Now, will you please post any evidence from before 100 ad that shows Ol' Greg's claims to be Apostolic?
Thanks in advance.
"It is one thing to stand for pardon, another thing to attain to glory: it is one thing, when cast into prison, not to go out thence until one has paid the uttermost farthing; another thing at once to receive the wages of faith and courage. It is one thing, tortured by long suffering for sins, to be cleansed and long purged by fire; another to have purged all sins by suffering. It is one thing, in fine, to be in suspense till the sentence of God at the day of judgment; another to be at once crowned by the Lord."By way of context, Cyprian is making an apology for why he has chosen to allow the "lapsed" -- those who sacrificed to the Roman gods to save their lives during persecution -- back into the Church after they repented. He is maintaining that despite his willingness to welcome them back, the path of martyrdom is still better, because it is better to be purged of all sins via an earthly martyrdom than to have them purged by fire before we stand before God.
So in other words, you’re reading Purgatory back into the text because you really want it to be true.
I’ll take the word of the Apostles themselves instead of a 21st century poster on FR.
You seem to be of the opinion that Rome didn’t change at all from the NT church.
Daniel has shown that it did.
Why shouldn’t we want to change back to what the NT church believed if Rome is shown to be false?
Thank you for posting.
Unfortunately, being baptized in in 245 AD, Cyprian would not have written before 100 AD.
Now, if he'd been born in 258 BC, then you'd have something there!
............ Wiki ................
Saint Cyprian ; c. 200 – September 14, 258 AD)was bishop of Carthage and a notable Early Christian writer of Berber descent,[3] many of whose Latin works are extant. He was born around the beginning of the 3rd century in North Africa, perhaps at Carthage,where he received a classical education.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyprian
If you find some additional writings, or art or anything that is before 100 AD and demonstrates support for your position, I would really like to see it FRiend.
Yep...If I am to believe Protestants, I have to believe that as soon as the last apostles died, those that took over for them immediately went off the rails into heresy...
Never mind he said “The gates of Hell shall not prevail”
and never mind this supposedly heretical Church has persevered for 2000 yrs...BTW did u know that scratched on the wall next to Peters grave is the phrase “Peter pray for us”? Imagine that...proof of the communion of saints from the get go...
Here, try St. Cyprian of Carthage
So just how does someone born 100 years after (200 - September 14, 258 AD) become someone living before 100ad? I know that you must resort to wresting Scripture,m but must you do so with history also?
Probably an honest mistake.
I’m not antagonistic to the poster - he’s probably a very decent FReeper!
I just am asking for evidence to evaluate in a discussion.
And the miracle is that God has always had His people, despite the failures of Israel and Church leaders.
never mind this supposedly heretical Church has persevered for 2000 yrs
As have many false religions... so not surprising in history.
BTW did u know that scratched on the wall next to Peters grave is the phrase “Peter pray for us”?
Are you claiming Peter wrote graffiti on his own grave? Or was this someone later? When?
You mean John Calvin wrote part of the NT? Well, at least you almost have the part right about Catholicism doing it wrong for almost 1.5 millennia, meaning progressively and in part after about 90AD.
But if someones work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as THROUGH FIRE. (I Corinthians 3:15)
Nothing unclean shall enter heaven
(So much for getting in as a snow covered a pile of dung)
Funny how The Jews prayed for the dead....
Do you believe that your work is inspired by God Almighty?
Oh no, for you see, "by grace" means by Divine unmerited favor in this context, as is your next breath, but by His grace what you have is conflative Scripturally substantiated refutation of your uninspired prelates prevarications.
Actually they indeed must read Purgatory back into the text because you really want Scripture to teach it to be true, while if it were not for those pesky "chapter and verse" evangelicals then just the word of Rome would suffice, since that is to be the basis for assurance of RC teaching for the faithful, and not their judgment of what a text says (in which they often go beyond what their church defines as binding belief).
>>And the miracle is that God has always had His people, despite the failures of Israel and Church leaders
But the Church was gone eh? That is contrary to his promise...
>>As have many false religions... so not surprising in history.
Name me one organized institution, secular or religious that lasted 2000 yrs+?
>>Are you claiming Peter wrote graffiti on his own grave? Or was this someone later?
No, pilgrims to his grave did. A place to pray over his grave was built before 100 AD.
But the Church was gone eh? That is contrary to his promise...
No, the church is made only of those believers wh entrust themselvesto Him alone for salvation. There has never been a time with zero believers. Therefore there has always been a church.
Name me one organized institution, secular or religious that lasted 2000 yrs+?
Judaism
Hinduism.
A place to pray over his grave was built before 100 AD.
But the graffiti was added when?
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