Please explain "PURGATORY" to me?

babyys SG

Please allow me to have a deeper understanding of "Purgatory". Born and bred as a protestant, i have been taught there is no such thing as "in-between" or holdng area.

Its always a 1-way ticket up or down, get judged then adios babe either to the pearly gates of heaven or say hi to Mr. S.A.Tan.

SingaporeMacross SG

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) defines purgatory as a "purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven," which is experienced by those "who die in Gods grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified" (CCC 1030). It notes that "this final purification of the elect . . . is entirely different from the punishment of the damned" (CCC 1031).

It is true that we will be judged at the end of our earthly lives. Those who die in unrepented mortal sin will go to Hell. Those who die sinless will go to heaven. But there are those who have committed venial sins, or have to deal with temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven. These people will not go to Hell, but they have to go to Purgatory before entering the glory of Heaven.

We know that only the completely pure and sinless shall enter Heaven. It says in the bible, "nothing unclean shall enter" (Rev. 21:27). Christ refers to the sinner who "will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come" (Matt. 12:32). This shows that one can be freed after death of the consequences of ones sins. Similarly, Paul tells us that, when we are judged, each mans work will be tried. And what happens if a righteous mans work fails the test? "He will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire" (1 Cor 3:15). Now this loss cant refer to hell, since no one is saved there; and heaven cant be meant, since there is no suffering ("fire") there. All this is biblical evidence for Purgatory.

Purgatory does not contradict Christs redeeming us on the cross and the process by which we are sanctified. Justification and sanctification are two different matters.

Yours in Christ,

SingaporeMacross

Ironside SG

Purgatory?!!!??

1Co 3:11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,

13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.

14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.

15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

I. The context of the passage

The Corinthians were as of this time immature indeed. Like star-struck movie fans they were forming parties around their favorite leaders [Paul, Apollos and etc.]. They were having quarrels and divisions about their favorite leaders. One group in the church would say:

1Co 3:4 "I am of Paul,"

and another, would say:

"I am of Apollos,".just like little kids Right?

Read it for yourself:

1Co 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.

2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;

3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?

4 For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal?

Bear in mind that thats chapter 3 is all about. Paul then in verses 5 to 10 explains that he and Apollos were just ministers [servants] of the king [why divide over servants then?].

They were nothing. They were just instruments of God in building the Church. And each [servants or ministers like Paul and Apollos] will receive it's own rewards based on how they build the Church:

1Co 3:5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?

6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.

7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.

II. The passage

Now after verse 10 we then go to our passage:

1Co 3:11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,

13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.

14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.

15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

First, the foundation of any Church is the Lord Jesus Christ. His person. His work on the cross. That should first be the doctrine that any true preacher [servant or minister of God] should preach or lay. When Paul first preached in Corinth he preached the Lord Jesus Christ and His work on the cross [see 1 Corinthians 2:1-2 and 1 Corinthians 15:1-3].

Second, since Christianity is not all about being declared right with God only [justication], it is also about being made right [sanctification] through His Holy Spirit. Question: How does the Holy Spirit sanctify and edify a saint unto the image of Christ? Well, primarily through the teaching pure doctrines of the faith on top of the gospel, foundation [the doctrine about Christ being Savior and Lord].

Question: Who are the instruments of teaching? His servants or ministers who preached the foundation or the gospel in the first place.

Now at this point verse 10 of chapter three must be borne in mind. Notice how Paul worded his statement. Here it is:

10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds ON it [referring to the foundational doctrine of the gospel about the Lord Jesus] let each one take heed how he builds ON it [foundational doctrine of the gospel].

After the foundation [gospel] is laid, the work is not yet done. God does not want sinners to be just saved and then not grow in Christ. After the sinners are saved by receiving the foundation [gospel], the process of growth must ensue by teaching [building on it] pure and wholesome doctrines to the convert. Thats what gold, silver and precious stones mean [solid, pure biblical doctrines].

However, preachers and teachers of the Word could slacken and fail to heed the command of God in 2 Timothy 2:15 to be diligent and present the Word of God correctly, resulting in teaching to the Church poor and wrong doctrines as figured by wood, hay and straw. A Christian who has been receiving sound and solid biblical teaching from a sound church usually is a Christian who is strong and sturdy spiritually. Why not, he has been given solid materials for his spiritual life: gold, silver and precious stones. He is so unlike the Christian who sat in poor preaching from a lazy minister. His spiritual life is weak. Why? Because he has been given weak materials [doctrines] for his spiritual life: wood, hay and straw.

The quality of each ministers work will one day be revealed in the Judgment seat of Christ:

2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.

THE WORD FIRE HERE DOES NOT REFER TO PURGATORY. IT IS NOT LITERAL FIRE. IT IS A METAPHOR OF TESTING. JUST LIKE GOLD, SILVER, PRECIOUS STONES, WOOD, HAY AND STRAW ARE SYMBOLLIC.

During the Judgment seat of Christ each ministers work will be revealed of what sort it is because each Christian will receive his reward. Ministers receive rewards for their labor in teaching and preaching the Word. But if they have taught wrongly and their disciples live wrongly as a result, the minister will suffer loss of rewards but he will be saved. But if the ministers work [disciples, since Christians are called the field verse 9] endures, if it endures because of a sturdy spiritual life then the minister will receive a reward for his labor of teaching here on earth.

14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.

15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.