[boatbums]

As my previous post should have shown, if nothing I posted before, 1 Cor. 3 refers both to a necessity of purification and the fact that is is occuring at the point of death, when the lifelong work of the believer is complete.

Aren't you missing the point Daniel1212 was making that those going through this "cleansing" fire are:

1. Both going to Heaven and both go through this process.

2. The wood, hay and stubble are burned up and the person "loses" rewards BUT still goes to Heaven.

3. What remains, gold, silver, precious gems, after the fire result in rewards IN ADDITION TO Heaven.

If this verse is a proof text for Purgatory, then why is there any mention of gold, silver, precious gems at all that remain and for which the person receives rewards in addition to Heaven? If Purgatory's purpose is cleansing of temporal punishments due for venial sins not properly cleansed beforehand, what do the gold, silver, precious gems represent? They cannot be good works that get them into Heaven since it is by grace we are saved through faith without works. Why are they mentioned at all?

[Judith Anne]

>>>They cannot be good works that get them into Heaven since it is by grace we are saved through faith without works. Why are they mentioned at all?

I don’t know, why don’t you ask the Holy Spirir? Or Jesus Christ, who first preached on them?

[annalex]

1. Both going to Heaven and both go through this process.

Yes, but for those already sanctified there is nothing for them to burn off. There is a test and they pass the test. They do nto go through purification.

2. The wood, hay and stubble are burned up and the person "loses" rewards BUT still goes to Heaven.

Those in purgatory lose the immediate union with Christ and the associated reward for life time sanctity BUT still go to Heaven.

3. What remains, gold, silver, precious gems, after the fire result in rewards IN ADDITION TO Heaven.

Yes. The Church teaches that there are levels of sanctity in Heaven too. These are the rewards among the saved.

what do the gold, silver, precious gems represent?

They are rewards for righteousness, such as virginity, dedication to others, poverty, fortitude, works of mercy and justice, etc.

cannot be good works that get them into Heaven since it is by grace we are saved through faith without works

That is the foundational lie of Protestantism, and the reason Protestant propagandists would lie about this passage from their last bunker. We are saved through grace alone by both faith given us by the Father and works prepared for us by the Lord (Eph. 2:5-10)