Yes, the argument on 1 Cor. 3 is a good example. A fire that cleanses inferior works at the time of judgement in order to prepare man to be saved — is it Purgatory or should we just skip this passage because it sounds too Catholic?
Or, should we ignore the Greek usage of “adelphos” as any kin and instead consider Mary the mother of James and Joseph despite their mother explicitely identified in the scripture as another woman?
Or do we have a reason to think that St. Stephen who prayed for his murderers while alive, who was sanctified by the Holy Ghost onto perfection in his life time, would stop praying for us in heaven?
Read the Scripture. Don’t explain it away; read it. It has a lot to say.
“Or do we have a reason to think that St. Stephen who prayed for his murderers while alive, who was sanctified by the Holy Ghost onto perfection in his life time, would stop praying for us in heaven?”
This is a good example of how you are approaching Scripture
in this thread. You reference something in Scripture and
then draw a conclusion not taught by the passage itself.
In this case, two things. And then you claim to be staying
close to the text. I don’t think you see what you are doing.
best,
ampu
“A fire that cleanses inferior works at the time of judgement in order to prepare man to be saved — is it Purgatory or should we just skip this passage because it sounds too Catholic?”
Actually, a fire that puts the man’s ministry to the TEST: “and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work” - NIV. “the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.” - ESV “the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.” - NASB
Nor does it cleanse inferior work - it burns up poor work. “If any man’s work is burned up...”
It has nothing to do with a man’s soul being refined, nor with a man paying the temporal penalty of his sin. It just says a man’s work will be revealed on that Day. The Greek word is used to describe finding out if a coin is counterfeit or not.
As for ‘adelphos’, it is used in Greek like we use brother in English. Context determines if it refers to spiritual brothers, or not. So if it says, “3”Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” - the context makes the brothers and sisters like to his mother Mary - NOT spiritual brothers, or kin (which word is used elsewhere).
And when Paul writes ‘I met with James the Lord’s brother’, but no one EVER uses that term for Peter or John...then the TEXT drives it to mean brother.
I’m not explaining Scripture away. I’m quoting it. YOU are explaining it away to match your theology.