Is there a purgatory?

The Bible does not mention the exact word “purgatory,” but instead it makes reference to a place which one could understand to be what Catholics refer to as purgatory.  To claim that just because the word purgatory does not exist in the Bible does not necessarily mean such a place does not exist at all. 

The word “Trinity” is never found in the Bible and some wonder whether this is a Biblical doctrine or not, but the absence of a term used to describe a doctrine does not necessarily mean the term is not Biblical. The issue is does the term accurately reflect what the Scripture teaches? 

Protestant churches teach the doctrine of the Trinity, as well as Catholics.  If other denominations teach the concept of Trinity then why do other denominations immediately reply there is no purgatory simply because the word purgatory is not found in the Bible?  Why do they deem one word valid and the other not based on the word appearing in the Bible?  Purgatory or Trinity both are words not found in the Bible.

The Bible contains references to many other Christian doctrines, but fails to call them out by name. One might as well deny that there is something called the Bible because no such name is found in the Bible.  If we are going to use the basis for validity of a doctrine on the word used to describe that doctrine being found in the Bible then we might as well deny incarnation because the exact word is not found in the Bible. 

The name does not make the place; the place must exist first, then we give it a name.  Catholics call this place “purgatory” because it means “a cleansing place.” Catholics believe that purgatory is the place that souls are purged of small sins, which prevent their immediate entrance into Heaven. 

Catholics will tell you in Matthew 5:26 and Luke 12:59 Christ is condemning sin and speaks of liberation only after expiation (death), “Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.” Now we know that no last penny needs to be paid in Heaven and from Hell there is no liberation at all; therefore, they say the reference must apply to a third place.

Catholics would also say in Matthew 12:32 it states, “And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”   Here Jesus speaks of sin against the Holy Spirit.  The implication is that some sins can be forgiven in the world to come.  We know that in Hell there is no liberation and in Heaven nothing imperfect can enter.  Sin is not forgiven when a soul reaches its final destination because in heaven there is no need for forgiveness of sin and in hell the choice to go there is already made.

Catholics would go on to say in Revelation 21:27 “…but nothing unclean will enter it, or anyone who does abominable things or tells lies.”  The place that is to be entered (the place to which this passage refers) is heaven (read the text around it for context). 

It is hard for me to state beyond a shadow of doubt there is no purgatory when the Bible clearly implies a place for an purification after we die in the many passages which tell that God will reward or punish according to a person’s life.

It was explained to me, “After shouting at the neighbor about their dog, the angry and stress filled man walks into his house, had a heart attack, and died having just committed a small sin in the final moments of his life.  Remember, this man is Christian and justified by the Lord, yet he committed a sin and died before he could repent.  Does he go to heaven or does he go to hell or does he go to purgatory?  Are all sins created equal?  No, all sins are not equal and justified men of the Lord can make mistakes and sin”.  I believe God is just and would not send anyone to hell in a case like this, therefore I do not agree with the premise of purgatory.  

Catholics most likely would say that it is foolish for me to believe that Christ on the cross covered all my sins, past, present and future, but that is exactly what I believe.  If that is not the case then why did Christ go to the cross in the first place?   I do not believe Christ and the cross relieves me of my responsibility to not sin and I think it is foolish for anyone to think that it does.  Christ on the cross gives no one a license to sin.  I simply have a hard time believing purgatory is part of Gods plan for justice. 

I do not believe gifts or services rendered to the church, prayers by the priests, and masses provided by relatives or friends on behalf of the deceased can shorten, alleviate or eliminate any journey of the soul to a place called purgatory.  I take responsibility for my sins and I believe everyone else must do the same.  God’s judgment of me is only about me and no human being can fix my past after I am dead or before I die.  For me to believe any different seems to me to mean I have a misunderstanding of the atonement of Christ and adds insult to the finished work of the cross. 

I believe the suffering of Christ on the cross paid for all believers’ sins and I do not believe we need to make another suffering sacrifice.  On the cross Jesus said, “It is finished,” (John 19:30).  In the Greek, this was an accounting term which meant a debt was paid in full.  If the payment for our sins was paid in full on the cross, then how could purgatory be a reality?  Hebrew 9:27, “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.”

I personally do not believe in purgatory, but I will admit there are hints of such a place in the Bible and there are more than hints in the Bible that there is not.  I do not believe anyone is going to go to hell based on what they believe about purgatory, therefore I doubt if the subject is worth debating.  It is just one of the differences Catholics and Protestants have that we will argue about until the end of time, instead of focusing on the beliefs we have in common.

In closing I will confess I taught the doctrine of purgatory for many years because that was what I was taught and I believed at the time.  Now that I am retired and have far more time to study scripture on my own and have more freedom  I have come to doubt the need for a purgatory.