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Posted on 08/18/2010 9:52:35 AM PDT by TheBattman
Does Purgatory Deny the Sufficiency of Christ's Sacrifice?
by: Matt Slick
According to the Handbook for Today's Catholic, page 47,
"If you die in the love of God but possess any stains of sin, such stains are cleansed away in a purifying process called Purgatory. These stains of sin are primarily the temporal punishment due to venial or mortal sins already forgiven but for which sufficient penance was not done during your lifetime."
The Catholic Catechism, paragraph 1030, says that Purgatory is for "All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation, but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven."
Among the many doctrines that Catholicism claims to be derived through Sacred Tradition, Purgatory is one of the most interesting and puzzling, particularly to a Protestant. In light of the Pauline doctrine of justification by grace through faith, how is it possible that an afterlife cleansing through punishment is necessary for a Christian who has trusted in Jesus to cleanse him from all His sins? Wasn't Jesus' punishment for our transgressions sufficient? Didn't He take our place in that He suffered our death? It would seem that the words of Christ, "It is finished," (John 19:30) do not mean that the cleansing of our souls was completed on the cross.
Of course, Roman Catholic doctrine states that eternal life is bestowed upon the one who receives baptism (Catechism, par. 1265 - 1266, 1992). It is the stains of the sins committed after baptism and not removed through penance, good works, prayers, the Mass, etc., that are removed in the fires of Purgatory (Handbook for Today's Catholic, page 47).
In light of the doctrine of justification by faith (Rom. 5:1; Rom. 4:5; Rom. 9:30; Acts 13:39; Gal. 2:16), where Jesus bore all of our sins, Purgatory would seem to have no theologically justifiable right to exist. But the Bible alone is not appealed to by Catholic theologians in support of Purgatory. By far, the main support for Purgatory is found in the Catholic doctrine of Sacred Tradition. Nevertheless, what does the Bible say about justification, punishment, and our sins? What is justification by faith?
To justify means acquit, declare righteous, the opposite of condemn. It means to be not guilty of breaking the Law and to be deemed righteous by the standard of the Law.
God gave the Law, i.e, the Ten Commandments. The Law is a reflection of God's character and it is a perfect standard of righteousness which no one can keep. Since no one is able to keep God's Law, no one can be justified by the Law (Rom. 3:20). There is, therefore, none righteous (Rom. 3:10-12). This is the problem of all people. We have all broken God's Law and are in need of justification, of being declared righteous in God's sight. This can only be done through the Messiah, our sin-bearer.
Jesus is the one who took our place on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24), became sin on our behalf (2 Cor. 5:21), and turned away the wrath of God from us (Rom. 5:9) by being a propitiation (1 John 2:2) that turned away the wrath of God. He was punished in our place. Therefore, Jesus was our substitution. The righteous work of Christ is imputed to the believer by grace (Titus 3:7) and through faith (Rom. 5:1). This justification is a legal action on the part of God reckoning the believer as having satisfied the Law -- all of the Law.
It necessarily follows that to be justified in God's eyes, is to be fully justified. It is not part of the Law that must be satisfied, but all of it. Perfection is the standard. Likewise, it is not part of our sins that were borne by Christ, but all of them. This justification includes all of the sins of the believer (past, present, and future) or else we could not be justified. What does the Catholic Catechism Say?
The Catholic Catechism (paragraphs 1990-1992) says,
"Justification detaches man from sin which contradicts the love of God, and purifies his heart of sin. Justification follows upon God's merciful initiative of offering forgiveness. It reconciles man with God. It frees from the enslavement to sin, and it heals"...."Justification is at the same time the acceptance of God's righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ..." and "...justification is conferred in Baptism, the sacrament of faith. It conforms us to the righteousness of God, who makes us inwardly just by the power of his mercy."
Of particular interest is the reference that "justification is conferred in Baptism, the sacrament of faith." There are many verses in the Bible that deal with baptism and putting on Christ (Gal. 3:27; Rom. 6:1-11). This paper is not intended to discuss the nature of baptism. Nevertheless, I strongly affirm that baptism is a covenant sign for the believer who is already justified by faith and for the children of believers who are under the covenant headship of the family. Baptism is not what justifies a person. Rather,
* Justification is a gift by His grace through Jesus (Rom. 3:24) * Justification is by grace (Titus 3:7) * Justification is by faith (Rom. 3:28; 5:1; Gal. 3:24) * Justification is by Jesus' blood (Rom. 5:9). * Justification is in the name of the Lord Jesus (1 Cor. 6:11). * Justification is not equated with baptism, but with grace, faith, and the blood of Jesus.
Jesus said, "It is finished," (John 19:30)
Jesus bore our sins in His body, paid the penalty for them, and died. He said, "It is finished." In Greek, the phrase, "It is finished" is one word, tetelestai. In ancient Greek papyri texts that were receipts for taxes, when a debt was paid in full, the word tetelestai was written on the document. This meant that the debt had been paid in full. In other words, Jesus had finished the work of atonement. But not only atonement (to make amends, to make right), but also of propitiation (turning away God's wrath). He had fully paid the debt invoked by the sinner. There was nothing more to be done... It was finished.
Yet, the doctrine of Purgatory, in effect, is saying that we must suffer in Purgatory for sins not covered by baptism and not covered by the cross. It is to say that the work of Christ is not finished and that there are things we must do to complete the sacrificial, cleansing work of Christ. This amounts to earning heaven by our good works, albeit a work of suffering. Additionally, the doctrine of Purgatory implies that a person must atone for his own sins. It implies that the person must do more than what the Law of God requires of him. This is called supererogation.
When Jesus said, "It is finished," all that was necessary in the atonement was concluded and all in Christ were justified. We cannot complete or add to Christ's work through our suffering. Purgatory is not only unnecessary, but it contradicts God's Word.
How can one explain, as you ask for, when the Religious thread rules prevent a Catholic from replying on this thread since the OP has made it a NON-Catholic caucus thread?
What about Abraham's bosom? There is no mention of sins being cleansed there but the dead who would be redeemed were there.
Ah.....let me go get my NON-Catholic husband to ask you all the same question that NONE of you can answer.
Both of these passages speak of a process (something that happens and then ends.) In Luke it is portrayed as an imprisonment, in Corinthians as a testing and an ordeal.
I'm curious. What do you believe those passages are about if they are not about the purgation of a man's sins?
Not interested in playing that game.
Tell you what... how about Rome AND Scripture? Let's go to Scripture to find what is the pillar and ground of the truth... is it Scripture or something else?
1 Tim 3:15 (KJV) 15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
I’m sure it’s written somewhere, but how could anyone really know?
How about just being 100% honest, and saying...’I don’t really know’...?
You do believe that Jesus Christ was fully God and fully human, do you not? Please show me where that doctrine/teaching appears in God's Word.
I'll see you that, and raise you one. How is it possible that a cleansing through punishment for sins during this life is necessary or even possible for a Christian who has "trusted in Jesus to cleanse him from all His sins"?
After all, there's nothing special about "afterlife punishment" versus "during life punishment". If one impugns Christ's sacrifice, so does the other.
Scripture is very clear:
For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
“My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”
If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. -- Hebrews 12:3-11
(Incidentally, as I usually do, I'm quoting from a Protestant translation, the NKJV.)
Seems straightforward. Scripture insists that Christians will be chastised for their sins, and in fact says that those who aren't chastised are "not sons, but bastards". (That's what the Greek really says.)
The whole Protestant error regarding purgatory is slapped down by this one passage of Scripture. If no chastisement for sin is possible for Christians, the passage makes no sense. If chastisement in the afterlife impugns the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice, chastisement in this life impugns it as well.
How many times is the word “Catholic” mentioned in this article? This is clearly not caucus material; imho.
Jesus said “Take and eat, This is My Body”...and Protestants say that when they receive communion it’s just a SYMBOL of Jesus’s body, and then they say they are Bible based.
How about just answering anyway? It’s an anonymous forum anyway, what could happen and what would it hurt?
How is it a game? You made a statement that contradicts the recollection of others, and you aren't willing to back it up. That's what liberals do......
You wrote:
“If you could accept the answer that Scripture provides to this question you would immediately abandon the cult of Rome.”
Okay, I’ll bite. What is - in your view - the “the answer that Scripture provides to this question”: “To my Non-Catholic friends......do you go straight to heaven if you die with SINS on your soul?? Heaven is PURE, how can one get there with SINS on their soul??”
It’s laughable. I’m still interested to see if there is a Catholic Caucus thread that challenges Protestant beliefs in such an overt manner.
I guess I should get some popcorn. :)
OK, OK, enough. 931 angels can dance on the head of a pin. Any other questions?
Yes.
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