I have read your answer to the question "What does the Bible say About Purgatory" and I wanted to make a comment; I saw no provision
for "Comments". The Catholic
Encyclopedia work on Purgatory
which you referred to has provision for "Comments".
You wrote: 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 we have to suffer for our sins after death is contrary to everything the Bible says about salvation.
Does it mean, then, that since Jesus died to pay for all our sins, no one will ever go to hell no matter how grave his sins are? If no, then does it mean that Jesus’ suffering was not enough? Yet he “died to pay the penalty for all of our sins” – ALL of them! And he “suffered for our sins so that we could be delivered from suffering”. Is it sufficient only for sins that lead to Purgatory? You agree there is hell, I suppose. Or is there no hell since Jesus died for all mankind (2Cor. 5:15) and saved all from suffering? Your argument here has already been defeated by another argument of yours in answer to the question:” Is the atonement of Christ unlimited?”. An unnecessarily complex argument because this matter is very simple since every christian knows that Jesus died for us all and that his sacrifice presented the opportunity for salvation which was not there before, and that everyone has a duty to appropriate the merits of his sacrifice, working out our salvation - even “in fear and trembling” (Phil. 2: 12-13) - diligently, that is. See also, your own answer to “Why is faith without works dead?”
You wrote: 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 we have to suffer for our sins after death is contrary to everything the Bible says about salvation.
Does it mean, then, that since Jesus died to pay for all our sins, no one will ever go to hell no matter how grave his sins are? If no, then does it mean that Jesus’ suffering was not enough? Yet he “died to pay the penalty for all of our sins” – ALL of them! And he “suffered for our sins so that we could be delivered from suffering”. Is it sufficient only for sins that lead to Purgatory? You agree there is hell, I suppose. Or is there no hell since Jesus died for all mankind (2Cor. 5:15) and saved all from suffering? Your argument here has already been defeated by another argument of yours in answer to the question:” Is the atonement of Christ unlimited?”. An unnecessarily complex argument because this matter is very simple since every christian knows that Jesus died for us all and that his sacrifice presented the opportunity for salvation which was not there before, and that everyone has a duty to appropriate the merits of his sacrifice, working out our salvation - even “in fear and trembling” (Phil. 2: 12-13) - diligently, that is. See also, your own answer to “Why is faith without works dead?”
Consider the following words of Christ in the light of
his finished work:
1."Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able”.(Luke 13:24)
2.”Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Matt. 7: 13-14)
3. "For many are called, but few are chosen."(Matt.22: 14).
1Cor, 3:12-15 is not “the primary Scriptural passage Catholics point to for evidence of Purgatory” and you definitely cannot say it is the only one if you actually read that Catholic Encyclopedia work on Purgatory which you referred to. Here are more, from part of my presentation in another place, talking about The State of Purgatory: “Talking about heaven, the scripture says: 'but nothing unclean will enter it' (Rev. 21:27). Who on earth qualifies on merit 'since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God'? (Rom. 3:23). The implication is that if anyone dies after committing any wrongdoing of whatever type or magnitude he must go to hell…The bible informs that 'all wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not mortal' (1Jn 5:17), having earlier instructed thus: 'If you see your brother or sister committing what is not a mortal sin, you will ask, and God will give life to such a one--- to those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin that is mortal; I do not say that you should pray about that' (1Jn 5:16). No need to pray for those who die in mortal sin because there is no more hope of salvation for them; people of the first category can be saved”.
1."Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able”.(Luke 13:24)
2.”Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Matt. 7: 13-14)
3. "For many are called, but few are chosen."(Matt.22: 14).
1Cor, 3:12-15 is not “the primary Scriptural passage Catholics point to for evidence of Purgatory” and you definitely cannot say it is the only one if you actually read that Catholic Encyclopedia work on Purgatory which you referred to. Here are more, from part of my presentation in another place, talking about The State of Purgatory: “Talking about heaven, the scripture says: 'but nothing unclean will enter it' (Rev. 21:27). Who on earth qualifies on merit 'since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God'? (Rom. 3:23). The implication is that if anyone dies after committing any wrongdoing of whatever type or magnitude he must go to hell…The bible informs that 'all wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not mortal' (1Jn 5:17), having earlier instructed thus: 'If you see your brother or sister committing what is not a mortal sin, you will ask, and God will give life to such a one--- to those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin that is mortal; I do not say that you should pray about that' (1Jn 5:16). No need to pray for those who die in mortal sin because there is no more hope of salvation for them; people of the first category can be saved”.
On 1Cor. 3:
12-15, who would not understand that “…he will suffer loss, though he himself
will be saved, but
only as through fire” means that
he will fall short of the requirement to be rewarded like those others (suffer
the loss of that reward, which he was supposed to get by being among those that
worked ) but he will still be saved in spite of losing this reward because of
the poor merits of his work, but it will be by going through suffering, and not
like those who were rewarded for building so well (with gold, silver etc)?
Non-Catholics
find it difficult to understand many important teachings because of their
fundamentalist disposition into which they are formed. They prefer to always go
for baby milk afraid to take adult food as exhorted by St Paul: “For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But
solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised
to discern both good and evil. Therefore, leaving the discussion of the
elementary principles of Christ,
let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from
dead works and of faith toward God” (Hebrews 5:13-14, 6:1). They choose to
perpetually dwell on this foundation, on the fundamentals. The fundamentalists’
creed dogma and doctrine start and end in “repent, be born again, accept Christ
as your personal Lord and Saviour, you are saved”. Entirely true! But these are
still the foundation, the fundamentals, without which you are not even a Christian
in the first place, and upon which we must build (cf. Eph. 4:1; 1Cor. 3: 11-15),
hopefully with gold, silver and precious stones, not with wood, hay, straw…whether or not you believe in Purgatory.
No
sane person should even aspire for Purgatory but your believing or not
believing in it does not change the reality, the truth, declared long
ago (before the advent of non-catholic christianity) by the church which
is the pillar and bulwark of truth (1Tim 3:15) and through which the
manifold wisdom of God is made known (Eph. 3: 10).
Catholics, on the other hand, seek and present facts of this nature "in spirit and in truth", (cf. Jn 4: 24) and discuss them dispassionately, always making sure no one is led astray by their submissions. Check out this very informative article, The Burning Truth About Purgatory which is like many other Catholic works.
C. C. Nweze
Enugu, Nigeria
Catholics, on the other hand, seek and present facts of this nature "in spirit and in truth", (cf. Jn 4: 24) and discuss them dispassionately, always making sure no one is led astray by their submissions. Check out this very informative article, The Burning Truth About Purgatory which is like many other Catholic works.
C. C. Nweze
Enugu, Nigeria
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