In the following 5-minute video, Pastor Nelson explained just how it is that purgatory is NOT a biblical concept; since it is not from the Bible, it is not acceptable to God.
His revelation to His children is found only in the Bible, despite what various sects of Christianity like to believe. One read through the Bible would make that clear to a professed believer.
Below the video transcript, there is an example from the Bible that interprets a 400 year of the history of Israel. The example compares the religion established by God and that established my men, specifically, Jeroboam, son of Nebat.
As a student of the Bible, I believe the example applies very well to Roman Catholic man-made dogmas as well as the Pentecostal movement and the SBC movement to incorporate CRT and LGBTQ ideology with scripture. Additionally, it would certainly apply to the JW’s and the Latter Day Saints and more sects of Christianity.
Transcript of video on purgatory:
QUESTION: What does the Bible say about Purgatory?
ANSWER
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Purgatory is “a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who, departing this life in God’s grace, are not entirely free from venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions.” To summarize, in Catholic theology Purgatory is a place that a Christian’s soul goes to after death to be cleansed of the sins that had not been fully satisfied during life. Is this doctrine of Purgatory in agreement with the Bible? Absolutely not!
Jesus died to pay the penalty for all of our sins (Romans 5:8). Isaiah 53:5 declares, “But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” Jesus suffered for our sins so that we could be delivered from suffering. To say that we must also suffer for our sins is to say that Jesus’ suffering was insufficient. To say that we must atone for our sins by cleansing in Purgatory is to deny the sufficiency of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus (1 John 2:2). The idea that those who are saved by grace through faith have to suffer for their sins after death is contrary to everything the Bible says about salvation.
The primary Scriptural passage Catholics point to for evidence of Purgatory is 1 Corinthians 3:15, which says, “If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” The passage (1 Corinthians 3:12-15) is using an illustration of things going through fire as a description of believers’ works being judged. If our works are of good quality “gold, silver, costly stones,” they will pass through the fire unharmed, and we will be rewarded for them. If our works are of poor quality “wood, hay, and straw,” they will be consumed by the fire, and there will be no reward. The passage does not say that believers pass through the fire, but rather that a believer’s works pass through the fire. 1 Corinthians 3:15 refers to the believer “escaping through the flames,” not “being cleansed by the flames.”
Purgatory, like many other Catholic dogmas, is based on a misunderstanding of the nature of Christ’s sacrifice. Catholics view the Mass / Eucharist as a re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice because they fail to understand that Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice was absolutely and perfectly sufficient (Hebrews 7:27). Catholics view meritorious works as contributing to salvation due to a failure to recognize that Jesus’ sacrificial payment has no need of additional “contribution” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Similarly, Purgatory is understood by Catholics as a place of cleansing in preparation for heaven because they do not recognize that because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are already cleansed, declared righteous, forgiven, redeemed, reconciled, and sanctified.
The very idea of Purgatory and the doctrines that are often attached to it (prayer for the dead, indulgences, meritorious works on behalf of the dead, etc.) fail to recognize that Jesus’ death was sufficient to pay the penalty for ALL of our sins. Jesus, who was God incarnate (John 1:1, 14), paid an infinite price for our sin. Jesus died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3). Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 2:2). To limit Jesus’ sacrifice to atoning for original sin or sins committed before salvation is an attack on the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. If we must, in order to be saved, pay for, atone for, or suffer because of our sins, then Jesus’ death was not a perfect, complete, and sufficient sacrifice.
For believers, after death is to be “away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). Notice that this does not say “away from the body, in Purgatory with the cleansing fire.” No, because of the perfection, completion, and sufficiency of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are immediately in the Lord’s presence after death, fully cleansed, free from sin, glorified, perfected, and ultimately sanctified.
End of Got Questions article:
Purgatory is a doctrine of men.
Jesus said the following words about “doctrines of men.”
Matthew 15:7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: 8 “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 9 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
That is, if you follow the doctrines of men, then your worship is fruitless, meaningless, sinful….
A biblical example of this very thing occurred when the 12 tribes split. The ten northern tribes established two worship locations wherein they placed golden calves to be worshiped. They had 19 kings before the northern tribe went into exile, and all of them were bad, not acceptable to God. And all the worship that occurred via those two worship sites was unacceptable to God.
Examples of the above from the book of Kings:
God cursed Jeroboam for causing the 10 tribes to turn away from God and His word to false gods; furthermore, He cursed all who follow in the ways of Jeroboam; that was all of the 19 kings of the 10 northern tribes.
That is, they followed the doctrines of men; religion prescribed by men; idols set up by men… like the Roman Catholic Church.
1 Kings 14:7 Go, tell Jeroboam, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: “Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over my people Israel
1Ki 14:8 and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, and yet you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me with all his heart, doing only that which was right in my eyes,
1Ki 14:9 but you have done evil above all who were before you and have gone and made for yourself other gods and metal images, provoking me to anger, and have cast me behind your back,
1Ki 14:10 therefore behold, I will bring harm upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam every male, both bond and free in Israel, and will burn up the house of Jeroboam, as a man burns up dung until it is all gone.
1Ki 14:11 Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat, for the LORD has spoken it.”’
All subsequent kings of the 10 tribes were cursed as in the following words:
1 Kings 16:3 behold, I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
In the following statements from Jesus, it is clear that He, the God-Man, viewed scripture as foundational spiritual knowledge for all of His followers:
Mat 4:4 But Jesus told Him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.‘”
Mat 9:13 Then He added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
Mat 12:7 But you would not have condemned My innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’
Mat 22:29 Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.
Mar 2:25 Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
Mar 12:10 Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures? ‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.
Luk 10:26 Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”
The aforementioned verses indicate that Jesus considered the scriptures to be the foundation of truth and authority; and chided those seeking to live godly lives for not knowing the contents of scripture.
Since Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever, He would say the same to Roman Catholics; to postmodern Christians; to professed Christians who do not read their Bibles and make up their own ways to worship….
FOR FURTHER STUDY [from Got Questions article / video]:
Heaven and the Afterlife: The Truth About Tomorrow and What It Means for Today by Erwin Lutzer
More insights from your Bible study – Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free!
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***Link to Got Questions article / website: https://www.gotquestions.org/purgatory.html
The following narrative and links are to the Got Questions video at YouTube:
***Got Questions video-page link: https://www.youtube.com/@gotquestions/videos
What does the Bible say about Purgatory? Is Catholic Purgatory true? Is it true that there is a temporal consequence for sin? Is the doctrine of purgatory anywhere in the Bible? In this video, Pastor Nelson with Bible Munch, answers the question, “What does the Bible say about Purgatory?”.
*** Check out, Bible Munch! / biblemunch
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