Michael Antonio Manufacturer

Purgatory

often do not understand this doctrine, and the Protestants even reject it. They argue that it is not mentioned in the Bible, except perhaps the Maccabees, which according to them is the inspired Word of God. Even accuse the Church that invented this doctrine, together with the doctrine of indulgences in order to reap financial benefits. We Catholics, we must believe in the existence of purgatory, but whether we can understand this doctrine? And if you can use the Bible alone to demonstrate that purgatory exists? Let's start from the beginning.

Who goes to Purgatory?

To understand the need for the existence of purgatory, we must understand the difference between guilt and punishment, as well as between mild and severe (deadly) sin.

Will God forgive us the guilt still requires us to reparation for the sins?

The second Samuel says:

David said to Nathan: I have sinned against the Lord. Nathan said to David: The Lord forgives you or your sin - not die, but because by this deed dared to spurn the Lord's son, who you are born, die for sure. (2 Samuel 12, 13-14)

God forgave King David sin, wiped his guilt, but still require compensation in the form of pain and suffering of David after the loss of his son. just when we strike a neighbor child window, we can forgive him, but this does not mean that we do not have to pay for the broken glass. Or if a driver is entering us in the fence, it does not necessarily need to immediately call the police, we can forgive him, but we must pay for the repair of the fence.

distinction between light and mortal sin in the Bible.

St. John writes about the sins that lead to death and to those which are not fatal:

If someone sees that brother commits a sin which brings death, let him pray, and give him life, I mean those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin that leads to death. In this case, I would not recommend, to be prayed. All wrongdoing is sin, but sin which is not mortal. (1 Jn 5: 16-17)

the St. James writes:

This issue each own lust and enticed to temptation .. Then the lust, when conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, since, bringeth forth death. (Jas 1, 14-15)

St. James distinguishes between the temptation of sin, the temptation arises, and that the sin of the "mature", which is fatal. You can see that might be a sin that brings death, not yet. That hurts, but not the end deprives us of sanctifying grace.

So what happens when we die? People who do not have anything on his conscience, and which complied with for all their sins, they go straight to heaven. Persons who have committed serious, mortal sin, and not apologized for his God, and do not wyspowiadały żałowały for him, they go straight to hell. But what about those who remain in a state of grace which deal with eternal life, but we still have a debt to pay? Do not deserve eternal damnation, because they are able to Grace, but they are not sufficiently free to see God face to face? 21.27 Revelation tells us that nothing unclean shall not enter into heaven. And so? So the soul must undergo a cleansing process.

God is "thrice holy." The prophet Isaiah teaches us: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts. (Isaiah 6:3) So God is perfection. We do not always. However, the Bible calls us to such perfection, that is by its very nature God

Be ye perfect as your Father is perfect blue. (Matthew 5:48)

Throughout the proceedings, you also become many saints like Saint, who has called you, because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy. (1 Peter 1,15-16)

Without achieving this holiness we can not see God:

Strive for peace with all and for the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14)

Nothing unclean to him (heaven) will not enter (Rev 21.27 a)

So what will happen to these brothers who had died without being heavy on his conscience grzechó w, but are not yet fully cleansed? They are not perfect saints? Biblical, logical and historical answer is: Purgatory.

himself the name "purgatory" of course means place where a groom. And it is important that the word is not in the Bible. First of all, the Bible was not written in Polish. Secondly, there are other tenets of faith that are not named in the Bible, and yet we all believe in them. Both Catholics and Protestants. For example, the dogma of the Trinity. Yet the Bible also does not find the words "Trinity". Besides the fact that the Bible does not mention the name "Purgatory" does not mean that nothing about it says. And it says quite a lot.

Matthew 12.32:

If someone says a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven him neither in this nor in the future.

Certainly the Bible does not mention here about the twenty-first century, but during our life on earth and time, which will take place after our death. If someone sins against the Spirit, so it will not be forgiven neither in this nor in the next life. So the other sins can be forgiven in the age to come. " It sure is not here talking about hell, because man condemned there is no "second chance" and can not be here talking about heaven, because there is no one who would need the forgiveness of sins. There must be some other place where you can still get the forgiveness of our sins.

1 Corinthians 3, 12-15:

And as someone on this foundation (which is Jesus) builds with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay or straw, so happens, the apparent work of each one: they reveal the day / Lord /; If the work in the fire that they try it, it is. This, the work built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward that any man's work is burned up, suffer loss, though he would survive, but only as through fire.

I really like this passage because it's hard even to imagine a more clear description of purgatory. Without the use of the same name, Saint. Paul describes exactly the reality, which is purgatory. He writes about Christians, building on the foundation which is Jesus. So writes the saved. In the Lord's Day, the day of the Court, each of our work, our every act, built on the foundation of the Lord will be tried in the fire. For good deeds get rewarded. Fire gold does not matter. But the "straw" and "Wood" works, husks, which we produce in our lifetime, will bring us harm. The fire has to digest them. We still survive, and thus attain salvation, but "as through fire."

And it is clear that this is not our work alone will pass this "test of fire", but our souls, that we do. Indeed, after our death none of them would not take. Caravans do not have luggage racks on roofs, or hooks to the trailers. Goals came into this world and the goals it will be gone. It is our souls, our hearts will pass this "test fire". It's souls must be purified. And this cleansing is just a definition of purgatory. This is what St. Paul says here is that what the Church teaches.

is not the only text on the subject of purgatory. There are other verses proving its existence. The First Epistle of St.. Peter, 3.18-20a:

Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God, death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit. In it, he went to announce the [salvation] to the spirits in prison, once disobedient ...

First Epistle of St.. Peter 4.6:

Therefore, even the dead was the gospel preached to, although subordinated to the court as the people in the flesh, but live in the Spirit - to God.

Jesus went to preach the gospel to souls "once disobedient" and "in prison." What is this place? Certainly no ordeal, no hell, but this is not heaven, "Abraham", because Peter speaks here about once disobedient souls. Peter does not necessarily speaking of Purgatory, but it speaks of a place that is neither hell nor heaven. That is the reality of what awaits us after our death is much more complex than some might think. There were and there are other places where, or rather "united in our soul." Only at the end of the world remain the only two realities: the place where All souls will be condemned with the angels and the place that we call "heaven", a place of eternal rest in the Lord and the Lord.

2 Mac 12, 42-45:

and then gave himself to prayer and begged that committed the sin has been completely erased. Valiant Judas exhorted the people to guard themselves, and they were without sin before the eyes have it, what happened as a result of the sin of those who perished. Having made the contribution among the people, he sent to Jerusalem about two thousand drachmas of silver to the sacrifice made for sin. Very beautiful and nobly done, he thought because of the resurrection. Indeed, if he was not convinced that those killed will be resurrected, is a prayer for the dead would be something unnecessary and unreasonable, but if he felt that those who devoutly fell asleep, is prepared for the greatest prize - it was a holy and pious thought. That is why we made that an expiation for the dead, that they might be delivered from sin.

Here we have a very clear doctrine of purgatory and the need for prayers for the dead. The only "problem" this part of the Bible lies in the fact that Protestants do not recognize the books of Maccabees as inspired Word of God. But really it's no problem. What's more, it is rather a proof of how strong the evidence in these verses for the existence of purgatory. Book of Maccabees has always been part of the canon of the Bible. From the very beginning. From the decree of Pope Damasus 382nd year From Hippo and Carthage soboróww the late fourth century. Since the approval of the canon of the Bible by Pope Innocent in 405th

Previously, of course, were discussions about the writings, letters, the Gospels are the word of God. Some believed that the Epistle to the Hebrews, Epistle of James. Jude, the Apocalypse, or the second Epistle of James. Peter is not the inspired Word of God. Others believe that the Shepherd of Hermas, the Gospel of Peter and Thomas, Barnabas and Clement lists - they are. However, the formal, official decision of the Church, led the Holy Spirit, those discussions ended at 1100 years. It was not until Martin Luther started a new controversy, throwing seven books of the Bible. He threw mostly because he invented himself that there is no purgatory.

But even if someone does not recognize the books of Maccabees as inspired, no may reject them as historical documents. They give us the truth about what they believed the Jews before the coming of the Lord Jesus to the world and how the faith practiced. And from the above quotation it is clear that believed that we should pray for the dead, because they need our prayers. That is believed that there is some place that is not heaven, nor the place for the damned, but a place where souls can be cleansed of its imperfections.

It is ironic that Martin Luther himself wrote: This "papists" (ie Catholics) owe The Word of God which we received from them. Otherwise we would not know anything about it. " (M. Luther, a commentary on St.. John, ch.16)

St. Augustine wrote:

" I would give anything not of faith Gospels, had the authority of the Church to me this is not addressed, " (Against the Letter of Mani, 5,6, Jurgens vol.3, # 1581)

, truth is that only the Church that we know that books are the Bible. Luther has no authority. He may have an opinion, like all of us, but our reviews mean little. The Holy Spirit led the Church when he takes the final decisions belong to the canon of the Bible. Therefore, the argument that it can not be regarded as inspired books of Maccabees has no weight. The more so that, as previously mentioned, these are also simply the historical books, describing the habits Żydóww time.

known to us today, the text of the liturgy of the early centuries contain a prayer for the dead. The graves of the Christians of the second and third centuries have words containing the requests for prayers for the dead. Tertullian in the year 211 wrote: 'Fold offerings for the dead on their birthday anniversaries " (The Crown, 3.3; Jurgens # 367) Prayers and offerings for the dead were to the time of the Reformation, for fifteen centuries, a common practice among all Christians. It all testifies to the fact that faith purgatory is as old as Christianity, and even older, because it was acquired by us from the Jews.

Purgatory is not greedy so any invention of the clergy, but the science in line with tradition, the Bible and the teachings of the Fathers of the Church. And just because the Bible and other sources teach us about purgatory, because he really exists. And thank goodness. Indeed, if it was not possible to purge, it is knowing that nothing unclean can not enter the kingdom of heaven, we could only go in the second place. " And do not wish worst enemy.

also the solution which came up with a Luther, (that we are like a pile of dung covered with snow-white righteousness of Jesus) does not appeal to me at all. I do not want to spend eternity knowing that I was a stinking pile of dung. And the fact that Bógw a way that it did not notice, seeing only her Son and His righteousness, did not comfort me. I'd know I'm dirty.

God loves us too much, just that we formally announce the pure. He will cleanse us, really. In heaven we will be perfect as the Father is perfect. And since this process can be long and painful? Well. Eternity in hell is still infinitely longer and more painful. Anyway, as long as we live, we can do much to avoid purgatory. We can improve, convert, offer their sufferings for our sins, we can offer to God our posts and prayers. We can also benefit from the wealth of the Church and get carnivals, what he gives us. It's really nothing much (apart from changing your life.) We do not need to have cash.

is extremely simple, but extremely difficult. Why? Because one of the conditions for obtaining a plenary indulgence is to have a heart completely free from all attachment to any sin, even venial. And with that, we all know, is always difficult. Our hearts love our little sins. Laziness, our pride, treatment of other mountains, our papieroski and our vodka, our appetite, our love for material things, greed when it comes to helping the needy. Our ... our ... our ....

Each of us has any favorite sins, which are so hard to say goodbye. But as an American commercial garage, "you can pay me now, or you can pay me later". Pay now or pay later. It's just that prevention is always less expensive than repair after a crash. So better to clean up Now and become saints. They immediately at death, meet God face to face. For the rest, for the saved, but imperfect, fortunately, is purgatory. I thank God for that. It really is not any punishment, but the proof of His great love for us.