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D. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (12) Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; (13) Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. (14) If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. (15) If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (12) Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; (13) Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. (14) If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. (15) If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

2 Maccabees 12:42-46 42 7 Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out. The noble Judas warned the soldiers to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had happened because of the sin of those who had fallen. 43 He then took up a collection among all his soldiers, amounting to two thousand silver drachmas, which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sacrifice. In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view; 44 for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death. 45 But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. 46 Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin.

***(13) Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. (14) If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. (15) If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."****

Yes, the judgement seat. There will be many tears as people see that their livesa were wasted. Everything they built for God (but not at His command or by His direction) will vanish like straw in a flame. BUT THEY WILL BE SAVED - yet like someone saved from a burning building.

This is no description of "Purgatory" but of Judgement Day.

***2 Maccabees 12:42-46 42***

This is really the passage upon which the whole edifice rests. It is a shakey and slim foundation for such a potentially cosmologically important doctrine - that of the supposed existence of a sort of interium "hell" where one may go to finish unfinished business with God.

Thoughts:

1. These men were guilty of idolatry - to Catholics a mortal sin that puts one in HELL not Purgatory. You can't pay someone's way out of hell.

2. This passage is not even clear that his idea worked! It simply says that "Thus he made atonement for the dead that they MIGHT be freed from this sin." Were they or not? The (admittedly imperfect [see: 2 Maccabees 15:38,39]) book doesn't state.