ArchivedPurgatoryAieno Wrote Not only Catholics believe in this final purification, but the Eastern Orthodox do as well though they often do not use the term "purgatory" for it, as do Orthodox Jews. In fact, to this day, when a Jewish person's loved one dies, he prays a prayer known as the Mourner's Qaddish for eleven months after the death for the loved one's purification. Because the doctrine of purgatory was held by pre-Christian Jews, post-Christian Jews, Catholics, and Eastern Orthodox, nobody thought of denying it until the Protestant Reformation, and thus only Protestants deny it today. 2 Maccabees 12 certainly teaches the doctrine of purgatory, the doctrine is in no way only based on that passage. The doctrine can also be supported from numerous passages in the New Testament, but more fundamentally, it can be derived from the principles of Protestant theology alone. You see, Protestant are very firm about the fact that we continue sinning until we die, because of our corrupt nature. However, they are equally firm about the fact that we will not be sinning in heaven because we will no longer have a corrupt nature. Thus between death and glory there must be a sanctification a purification of our natures. This purification is no barrier to the doctrine of purgatory. The fact remains that between death and glory must come purification, and that is purgatory by definition, the final purification or, to put it in more Protestant way, the final sanctification. Purgatory is in no way an unbiblical doctrine. Rather, it is completely biblical on both implicit and explicit grounds. Implicitly, it can be derived from the biblical principles that we still sin till death but that there will be no sin in glory. Thus between death and glorification must come purification. "Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come." Matthew 12:32 Jesus himself speaks in Matthew 12:32 of a sin which will neither be forgiven in this age nor the age to come, implying that some sins venial ones of which we have not repented before death will be forgiven when we repent the first moment of our afterlife. Also, in Matthew 5:25-26, Jesus tells us: "Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison; truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny." how Intresting, Peace |
🌈Pride🌈 goeth before Destruction
When 🌈Pride🌈 cometh, then cometh Shame