What Catholics Don’t Want You to Know About Purgatory

What Catholics Don’t Want You to Know About Purgatory

Mark Hart, the Executive Vice President of Life Teen, a Catholic youth outreach program, wrote this statement on his website:

"… Catholics still very much believe in Purgatory (Catholics who follow the Church, that is and not “their own” set of beliefs). Purgatory is a temporary state of purification where imperfect saints have the effects of their sin purged.”   [End quote] (Hart).

Scott P. Richert, a Catholic author and editor, wrote:

“Through penitential practices, prayer, works of charity, and the patient endurance of suffering, we can work through the temporal punishment for our sins in this life. But if any temporal punishment has been left unsatisfied at the end of our life, we must endure that punishment in Purgatory before entering Heaven.” [End quote] (Richert). (Posted on Sept. 6, 2018).

The above quotes are verbatim. Catholics believe in Purgatory, which is said to take place after a Catholic dies. According to Catholic teaching, purgatory is a place of torment and suffering. Augustine of Hippo, one of the founders of Catholicism, said:

"That there should be some fire even after this life is not incredible, and it can be inquired into and either be discovered or left hidden whether some of the faithful may be saved, some more slowly and some more quickly in the greater or lesser degree in which they loved the good things that perish, through a certain purgatorial fire." [End quote]. ("Handbook on Faith, Hope, and Charity" c. 421 A.D.) (The quote was taken from: "Purgatory: What …”).

 According to Catholic “church fathers,” purgatory is a place of suffering which supposedly cleanses deceased Catholics of the “stains” of their sins which they did on earth.

To support their belief in purgatory, Catholic websites refer to extra-Biblical writings, such as the Second Book of Maccabees and the writings of “church fathers.” They also take a few random verses from the Bible, here and there (out of context). But, take a look at what Colossians chapter 2 says.

What the New Testament Says

The Apostle Paul wrote:

[Colossians 2:8-15]

"8. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

10. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11. In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12. Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

13. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14. Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15. And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." [End quote].

In Acts chapter 20, the Apostle Paul wrote:

[Acts 20:29-31]

“29. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.” [End quote].

False teachers would come and speak false things to lead people astray, according to the apostle who wrote a large portion of the New Testament. The Old Testament and the New Testament both speak of how all sins will be blotted out and not remembered. There is no mention of any purgatory anywhere in the Old Testament or the New Testament.

In Isaiah 43:25, God said: "25. I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." [End quote].

What Romans Chapter 4 Says

The Apostle Paul wrote these words in Romans chapter 4 below…

Romans 4:1-13

“1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?   2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.   3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.   4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.   5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.   6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 

7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 

8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. 

9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.   10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.   11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:   12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. 

13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.” [End quote].

Conclusion

I encourage you to read the Bible and call out to God to reveal Himself to you. Call on Jesus to save you from your sins and to give you new life in Him, through His blood, and only by His merit, and not yours. Then, you are saved. You may have been baptized, but if Jesus is not the only one or thing you trust in to save you—if you trust in yourself plus Jesus, you are not trusting only in Jesus. You are not walking by faith: you are walking by works.

Turn to Jesus today, repent from trusting your own works, and call on Jesus to save you, and make Him the Lord of your life. Don’t trust the Catholic Church or any church that tells you that praying a prayer and doing a set of works will save you, for our own works are as filthy rags, as the prophet Isaiah said in Isaiah 64:6.

Read more about salvation here.

Isaiah 64:6

“6. But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” [End quote].

Cited Material

Richert, Scott P. "Does the Catholic Church Still Believe in Purgatory?" thoughtco.com. (Sept. 6, 2018)

Hart, Mark. "Purgatory: Heaven’s Waiting Room." lifeteen.com. Life Teen, Inc.

"Purgatory: What Can I Expect There?" stillcatholic.com.

The Authorized King James Bible. (Read it and see what God’s Word says about being made completely holy through the blood of Jesus Christ, and not at all by any works.)