Does the Bible really teach about purgatory? It's time to unlearn the lies.
Hey, welcome to Unlearn. My name is Lex,
and I'd like to invite you to join us here each week,
as we unlearn the lies and dig deeper into the truth of God's word.
Now let's get started.
The Latin word "purgatory" means to purge or make clean,
and the Catholic Church teaches that people go to purgatory to be purified or purged from sin.
This is what the Catholic Encyclopedia has to say about the purpose of purgatory:
"Purgatory in accordance with Catholic teaching is a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who,
departing this life in God's grace, are, not entirely free from venial faults,
or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions."
Purgatory is a place of punishment and purification for sins that have not been completely paid for.
This means our Messiah was not able to completely atone for our sins,
and we need to serve time in purgatory to pay off the debt we still owe.
This unbiblical doctrine renders the sacrifice of Yeshua of meaningless,
since we must work out our own debt in the underworld!
The Bible says, "For the living know that they will die;
but the dead know nothing." (Ecclesiastes 9:5)
If the dead know nothing,
how are they able to pay off their sin and debt in purgatory?
The word "purgatory" is never even mentioned in the Bible.
Nor is there any mention of a place of purification in death.
The Scriptures give absolutely no indication that we will have any opportunity to pay off our debt after we die.
Paul explained very clearly that Messiah will judge both the living and the dead when He returns,
which means no one has been judged yet.
"I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom." (2 Timothy 4:1)
However, the Catholic Church teaches that people are judged immediately at death,
and their eternal destiny is decided among three possible outcomes.
The righteous go to heaven, the unrighteous go to hell, and those who are not righteous enough end up in purgatory to burn off their sins.
According to the Catholic Catechism, the topic of purgatory is addressed in the following dialogue:
"What is purgatory? Purgatory is the state of those who die in God's friendship, assured of their eternal salvation,
but who still have need of the purification to enter into the happiness of heaven."
So according to the Catholic Church,
purgatory is a place where those who die in God's friendship...
...go, because they still have need of purification.
The idea that we can be partially righteous is not biblical.
We are either righteous or we're sinners. It's black or white. There is no gray area.
There is no such thing as being "partially righteous."
"When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live,
but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity,
none of his righteous work shall be remembered, but because of the iniquity that he has committed,
he shall die." (Ezekiel 33:13)
None of his righteous works will be remembered, because...
"Whoever shall keep the whole law, yet stumble at one point, is guilty of all." (James 2:10)
This means we cannot be partially righteous.
We're either righteous, or we are sinners.
Also sins cannot be erased by punishing the sinner.
There's nothing we can do to expiate our own sins.
It's only through the blood of Yeshua that we are able to find atonement for our sins.
The Bible says the blood of Messiah cleanses us from all sin:
"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light,
we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son
cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:7)
If we still need for purification, that means the blood of Messiah is not enough.
By teaching purgatory, they are saying that Yeshua is not able to cleanse us from all sin.
However, the Bible says he came to completely save us:
"Therefore He is able to save to the uttermost
those who come to God through Him, since he always lives to make intercession for them." (Hebrews 7:25)
The doctrine of purgatory diminishes the work of Yeshua
by establishing another means of salvation.
It also teaches that the fate of the dead can be affected by the actions of the living.
This has led to the practice of prayer for the dead and giving of indulgences.
In fact, the Catholic Catechism talks about how the living help the dead.
"How can we help the souls being purified in purgatory?
Because of the communion of saints, the faithful who are still pilgrims on the earth
are able to help the souls in purgatory
by offering prayers and suffrage for them, especially the Eucharistic sacrifice.
They also help them by almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance."
The Catholic doctrine of purgatory stands in opposition to the biblical teachings about salvation,
forgiveness, death, and resurrection.
And it was one of the main things that Protestant reformers sought to eradicate from the church.
There was absolutely no scriptural support for the doctrine purgatory
and Protestants are right to oppose this unbiblical heresy.
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Thank you so much, and remember: the truth will set you free.
We'll see you next time.