“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” Heb. 6:19 NIV
April 2008
From the Pastor’s
Study…
Questions
for the Pastor …
What is the biblical basis of and the Protestant Church’s
position on the concept of Purgatory and the associated
Roman Catholic doctrine that the saints still living can
affect the souls of the dead through prayers, and acts of
penance?
Catholic doctrine, considered to be “infallible,” includes
belief that (1) there is a process of purification that
occurs before a person enters heaven; (2) this process
involves some kind of pain or suffering; (3) this process
of purification can be assisted by the prayers and
devotions of Christian believers who are still living.
“In his widely distributed work on Catholic dogma, Ludwig
Ott defined purgatory as follows: ‘The souls of the just
which, in the moment of death, are burdened with venial
sins or temporal punishment due to sins, enter Purgatory.’
Since purgatory is a preparation for heaven, only believers
go there. Unbelievers go directly to hell. Purgatory, then,
is a period of temporal punishment for sins after death and
before heaven. Many contemporary Catholic theologians
downplay and even deny that purgatory is a place, thinking
of it more as a process of purification which leads to
heaven” (Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: Agreements and
Differences by Norman L. Geisler and Ralph E. MacKenzie).
Where is support for this doctrine? Ludwig Ott has stated
that “Holy Writ teaches the existence of the cleansing fire
indirectly, by admitting the possibility of a purification
in the other world” (Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma).
Scripture references used to support this concept include I
Corinthians 3:15, Matthew 5:26, and especially 2 Maccabees
12:42-46 (from the Apocrypha which Protestants do not
accept as inspired and authoritative). But Catholics
especially lean upon tradition for support, as Ott notes
that “The main proof for the existence of the cleansing
fire lies in the testimony of the (Church) Fathers.”
Protestants do not accept this concept because it is not
found clearly and distinctly in the Word of God. The
references of Scripture that have been mentioned are highly
questionable in support of this Catholic doctrine, aside
from 2 Maccabees which we as Protestants do not accept as
part of the inspired Scriptures.
But even more, as Geisler and MacKenzie point out,
“Purgatory is a denial of the sufficiency of the cross.
Protestants reject the doctrine of purgatory primarily
because it in effect denies the all-sufficiency of Christ’s
atoning death. Scripture teaches that when Christ died on
the cross, he proclaimed, ‘It is finished’ (John 19:30).
Speaking of his work of salvation on earth, Jesus said to
the Father, ‘I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the
work that you gave me to do’ (John 17:4) … To affirm that
we must suffer for our own sins is the ultimate insult to
Christ’s atoning sacrifice! There is a purgatory, but it is
not after our death; it was in Christ’s death.”
Donald Bloesch, a prominent Protestant theologian, once
said about Protestant-Catholic relations, “We are called to
build bridges where bridges can be built and allow the
cleavage to remain where it cannot be overcome.” While we
rejoice in the bridges, for Protestants the concept of
Purgatory is clearly part of “the cleavage … where it
cannot be overcome.”
On
the Journey with You,
Bill
Maxwell