[presidio9]

Can you post those references?

If you are questioning weather those referrences exist, you'd be better off looking for them yourself. You seem to be in need of a better acquaintance with the Bible.

[kailbo]

I don't recall any New Testament references of praying for the departed either.

Not a Bible scholar by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm certainly familiar with and have read through the New Testament on a number of occasions.

[hopespringseternal]

If you are questioning weather those referrences exist, you'd be better off looking for them yourself. You seem to be in need of a better acquaintance with the Bible.

I asked a simple question. I did not question whether those references existed.

But I would like to thank you for your loving, patient Christian attitude and care in instructing your fellow brother in Christ. /sarcasm

[OLD REGGIE]

If you are questioning weather those referrences exist, you'd be better off looking for them yourself. You seem to be in need of a better acquaintance with the Bible.

And you refuse to help. How unChristian of you.

[Jorge]

If you are questioning weather those referrences exist, you'd be better off looking for them yourself. You seem to be in need of a better acquaintance with the Bible

Like the previous poster I don't believe the Bible teaches anywhere to pray for the dead.
So if you can support your claim by all means post the scriptures.
Telling others to research the Bible to find scriptures to support YOUR claim, makes it sound like you are unable to do so yourself.

[mdmathis6]

Well the question of hell and purgatory seems a bit muddled.

There is the Lazarus the begger and the rich man parable in which he died and "in hell he lifted up his eyes" and he saw Abraham comforting Lazarus "in his bosom". The rich man begged for a drop of water to cool his thirsty tongue from Lazurus and Abraham reminded him of the kindness he did not bestow on Lazarus. In that parable Christ himself speaks of there being consciousness after death and the ability to recognize others in spirit. People have argued that we were witnessing a kind of Purgatory state especially Lazarus being comforted in Abraham's bosom while the rich man certainly was in hell!

Of course the reason of the parable was to point out the uselessness of signs to bolster the truth, as Abraham pointed out"They have Moses and the prophets, if they will not believe them...neither will they believe somebody who was raised from the dead!"