It is clear from verses 13 and 14: id=f there is no stubble, there is nothing to burn off. I just posted the relevant catechisms, too.
The issue is not that some have no works (that they built the church with) that burn, but where is it taught that some in purgatory do not need purification by purgation. The relevant catechisms do not teach this, but they teach the contrary:
1022 “Each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death, in a particular judgment that refers his life to Christ: either entrance into the blessedness of heaven-through a purification,” or immediately, -or immediate and everlasting damnation.”
1030 “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.”
1031.. “for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire.”
Thus purgatory is only those who need to undergo purification or certain lesser faults, being imperfectly purified. If one is pure they need no purification.
>wresting of texts <
I don't think I did any "wrestling". In fact you yourself seem to agree that one way or another the 1 Cor 3 describes a cleansing fire that occurs after death and precedes entry into Heaven.
Its "wresting," but as said, the contention was whether 1Cor. 3 is about purgatory purifying the saved by burning off their inferior works in order to gain acceptance into Heaven, with purgatorial suffering being for those who died before their purification in this life was complete. Reducing the text to be about a postmortem cleansing fire which precedes entry into Heaven ignores contention about the nature of the suffering and the loss, and its purpose, and its time of this event period. Making it into being merely declarative of a prior test, and a loss of character defects themselves, and accomplished by suffering commencing at death, is what i referred to as “wresting” (forcing it to conform) — especially the latter.
But may it edify some. Holiness unto the Lord.
*defects* my foot.
Sin is sin.
It’s either forgiven by God, not to be counted against us any more ever, or it’s not.
There is no middle ground.
While it may feel good to the person who is bearing condemnation and guilt to think that they are paying for their sins, it’s NOT Scriptural. All that does is soothe the conscience, doing NOTHING in the meantime to actually remit the sin.
One of Satan’s biggest lies is the guilt he saddles us with over the sin that God has forgiven, keeping us in bondage to ever increasing demands to do more, to suffer more, to whatever else more to try to clear our conscience.
Our response to guilt over sin committed ought to be, *Yeah, I did do that. I sinned but it’s covered by the blood. Take a hike Satan, I’m not listening to you any more.*
If God isn’t going to credit it to our account, we are in no position nor do we have the right to keep beating ourselves up over it.