What does the bible say about purgatory?

The Bible says nothing about purgatory.

Nothing purgatory was made up by the catholic church to make money by letting people buy friends and relatives out of purgatory so that they can go to heaven. Christians don't believe in purgatory.

Not punishment actually, but "purgation", which means "cleansing". It is a period of final purification before entering Heaven for, as the Bible says, nothing unclean can come into God's presence. Luther came up with the novel idea that our sin is "covered over" and we enter Heaven "like dung hills covered with snow" (his words, not mine). But the original and true Christian Church has always taught that we are actually cleansed and purified before we come before the throne of God, not "smuggled" in while still unclean. No-one thought otherwise for the first 1,500 years of Christianity.

it simply means that your soul is purified and cleansed from all stains left from sin . it is not a punishment as such , once cleansed your souls is free to be with the Lord .rev.21:27

There are Catholic tracts found on the website Catholic Answers, ETWN, and www.catholic.com that will correct you as to what purgatory is and what scripture hints at, but does not positively declare the state of purgation prior to entering heaven.

You should also investigate the catholic teaching on sin, forgiveness of sin, grace, temporal effects (punishments) for sin.

Look for the "your baseball breaking the neighbor's window" example of temporal punishment for sin.

John Paul 11 on purgaotry:
In following the Gospel exhortation to be perfect like the heavenly Father (cf. Mt 5: 48) during our earthly life, we are called to grow in love, to be sound and flawless before God the Father "at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints" (1 Thes 3: 12f.). Moreover, we are invited to "cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit" (2 Cor 7: 1; cf. 1 Jn 3: 3), because the encounter with God requires absolute purity.

1) What does the bible say about purgatory?

Nothing **specifically**. There are some passages (in both Roman Catholic and Protestant Bibles) that support the concept of something similar to Roman Catholic Purgatory - but (again) nothing *specific*, nothing that *indisputably* refers to Purgatory or a state identical to Purgatory.


2) What does Christianity or Catholicism say about purgatory?

Basically, Purgatory is a Roman Catholic doctrine. The doctrine teaches that humans must be "purged" of their sinfulness before entering sinless Heaven, and this "purging" occurs in a place called "Purgatory". Note that the "processes" believed to occur in Purgatory include both forgiveness of certain types of sin (not all types) and a more general purging of a sinful nature. Here is the official Roman Catholic teaching (it's not very long, starts at 1030):
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p123a12.htm#1029


3) I'm a good person but has done alot of "sin".

Then you - like all of us - are not a "good person". You are a sinner in need of forgiveness - like all of us.


4) Now correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't purgatory the punishments you receive before being sent to heaven?

The Roman Catholic concept of Purgatory is an unpleasant "place", one where the time spent by a person roughly corresponds to their sinfulness. However: I don't think that it is typically viewed as **punishment**. You see from the official description that people there experience a (symbolically) "cleansing fire" - not a "punishing fire". Obviously "fire" sounds quite unpleasant/painful - but (again) it does not seem intended as any sort of **punishment**. The wicked are punished for their sin, the saved are NOT punished for their sin because they are *forgiven* of their sin, but the Roman Catholic Purgatory purging process seems painful despite **not** being punishment.

Nothing. It is a non-Biblical concept.

Depends on what you consider canonical. Protestants reject the books that support the doctrine of purgatory.

The Teaching of Christ—A Catholic Catechism for Adults states: “The word ‘purgatory’ is not in the Bible, nor is the doctrine of purgatory explicitly taught there. . . . The works of the Fathers have many references not only to the existence of purgatory, but also the fact that the faithful departed can be helped by the prayers of the living, especially by the Sacrifice of the Mass.”—Pp. 347, 348.

Regarding the condition of the dead, the Holy Scriptures say: “The living know at least that they will die, the dead know nothing.” (Eccl. 9:5, JB) “The soul [“soul,” Kx; “man,” JB] that sinneth, the same shall die.” (Ezek. 18:4, Dy) (See also pages 100-102, under the heading “Death.”)

the purgatory is false doctrine of catholicism

Whilst purgatory as a term and the fuller details as a concept are specifically Catholic the irony is that the idea came from Judaism

Jews often believed that there was a place between death and heaven that was where we went prior to entering heaven. They called it paradise... and you can see it referred to in the bible...when Jesus was on the cross He said "Today you will be with me in paradise"

Note we actually know nothing more about the place and everything else is made up by Catholics.

Purgatory is an almost exclusively catholic idea. most Protestant church don't accept the idea.

The Bible says nothing about purgatory. Purgatory, and the idea of an eternal burning hell, was created by the Roman Catholic church to scare people into religion and thus store up great wealth for the church. The Bible is consistent on the fact that anyone who trusts in Jesus Christ and repents of sin will overcome sin and have eternal life, but those who reject Christ and/or live in sin, are destroyed in the lake of fire, the second death (Revelation 20:7-15).

There is no torment for eternity, nor a purging of sin to get you into Heaven. God is loving and just and gives everyone a chance to repent and turn to Him for strength to overcome sin in their life on earth. Trust in Jesus today for cleansing from sin and come out of Spiritual Babylon, a.k.a. The Catholic church. God bless.

http://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/book/e/53/t/the-beast--the-dragon-and-the-woman

What does the bible say about purgatory?

- Nothing, the church made it up after Dante wrote the Inferno.

Nothing. It's a catholic invention with pagan roots I believe. Like the cross and holidays and the Trinity. It's just a lie.

Jesus paid for my sins. The poor Catholics have to pay for their own (only they can't).
The closest thing in Scripture is Abraham's bosom, a place next to hell (air conditioned) where the saints of old waited for Jesus to be resurrected. Jesus emptied this place before he rose into heaven and it hasn't been used since. No one there needed to "do penance" for their sins; just wait for Jesus. Now we go straight to heaven (or not).