My (Imminent) Reception into the Roman Catholic Church

The foundation upon which the metaphorical building is built is indeed Christ alone, but the passage refers to a personal growth and not to the Church as a whole: “you are God’s building... let every man take heed how he buildeth ... every man’s work shall be manifest” (1 Cor 3).

The point remains that according to this, there is a purification by fire after death, which allows the man to be saved “so as by fire”. That is the essential teaching of purgatory.

(got a second wind.....)

You have to always read Scripture passages in context:

Here is the context of the whole psssage in which you quote one verse that is you seem to be using to justify the concept of “purgatory” (at least the main one in the agreed upon NT canon of scripture).

It appears that the Christians at Corinth were arguing about which segment of their church was the “authentic church” - sound familiar? Paul was saying - who are these “leaders” but SERVANTS, workers - co laborers with God. Neither of these servants are ANYTHING....God is EVERYTHING - He makes the seeds *planted by Paul through God’s grace...and watered by Apollos - by God’s grace - as they were carrying out the tasks God assigned each of them to do.

Paul calls the Corinthian Christians - God’s building, and further down - each one the Temple of God in which the HOly Spirit DWELLS NOW (not just in the future after some purging of sin happens in some place called purgatory)....

IT looks that Paul is specifically talking about others who, like Paul and Apollos, are called to BUILD these believers - these “buildings” of God. They are the buildings being built.....by those who would come after Paul and Apollos.

The ones doing the Building - are future servants of God-—who must be careful to BUILD these Temples of God’s Spirit with great CARE that they are building with the TRUE materials God provides and not with hay and wood, hay, or straw...which will not survive the fires of God’s judgement on THE DAY of Jesus Christ.

He says real builders of God will survive - but as if by fire (not AS BY FIRE - but AS IF by fire....something like fire).....because it will be DEVASTATING for those who build the temples of God’s Holy Spirit with material that will not stand the test of His judgement.....yet they will be saved for all eternity.

But read further - God says anybody who destroys the temples of His Spirit - He will destroy. And then he says, again, “You are God’s temple”. God’s Word declares we are God’s Temple and, as such, are HOLY - ARE HOLY - not SHALL BE HOLY. Present tense. That contradicts Purgatory or any works that must be done to purify ourselves to be worthy of God’s heaven.

The final passage in 1 Corinthians 3 really sums up some remarkable points in this part of God’s Holy Word, does it not?

That last section of I Cor 3 says:
Do not be deceived!!!! The wisdom of this world is foolishness to God! (Amen!)

Then he goes on to say this -— The HOly Spirit inspired scripture says this -

Enough of this discussion of which servant you are to follow. It does not matter about these servants of God -— not about Paul, not about Apollos, and not about Cephas (Peter!!!!).....we are not obliged to these servants - not to ANY OF THEM.....why?

Because we are NOW Christ’s! And EVERYTHING IS OURS (not will be- but is!) Including life and death, the world, the present and the future -— because we are of Christ and Christ is of God! WE ARE OF GOD!!!! We are HIS! NOW!

Hallelujah - by His mercy and grace - WE ARE HIS NOW!

21 So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.

5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? 17If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.

18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a “fool” so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”; 20 and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” 21 So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.

We agree that men are a God’s temple since conception, but unless you are prepared to argue that the purification by fire occurs before conception, the fact that we are a God’s temple at all times should not invalidate the need for purity in order to enter heaven. It is, of course, not the only passage where people are exhorted to good works, — it is just the only one where the metaphore of fire (no it is not physical fire) is used.