Back in the 16th century, the abuse of gullible believers by what the Reformers
called "Purgatory Pickpurse" grew to a scandalous extent. The crisis came when
J Tetzel preached in Germany on the Indulgences granted by Leo X as a
fund-raising device to pay for the renovation of St Peter's Rome. His message
was "The moment the coin in the coffer rings, that moment the soul from
Purgat'ry springs" (R Bainton, /Here I stand/). The sale of bogus Reliques also
aroused the ire of the Elector of Saxony, who realised he had been very
expensively ripped off in bulk-buying them for the eternal benefit (he thought)
of his loyal subjects. Luther and the Reformers addressed the twin problem of
Indulgences and Purgatory, and the specious theory behind them.
Why is Purgatory a bogus doctrine?
1. It is based upon Jewish superstition and speculation about the fate of those
who died suddenly without opportunity to confess their sins: e.g. 2 Maccabees
12:38-49 (Apocrypha). This was built upon by Clement of Alexandria in his
speculation concerning deathbed converts, and by Tertullian in his comments on
"In my Father's house are many mansions" (John 14:2). This and other texts
adduced in favour of Purgatory are taken out of their native context and made
to apply to something else. St Peter wrote "No prophecy of the Scripture is of
any private interpretation. For prophecy came not in old time by the will of
man" (2 Peter 1:20-21). We must not lift words out of Scripture and give them a
private interpretation according to the will of man. The context rules OK.
So John 14:1-2 is NOT about anterooms to heaven where those who die unshriven
are punished before being admitted to the beatific vision (Matthew 5:8). It
compares heaven to the Temple at Jerusalem, where there were suites of rooms
for important guests and for the priests and Levites on duty (1 Kings 6:5-6,
10; Ezekiel 41:6). 1 Peter 3:13-20 is NOT about sufferings in Purgatory, but
about sufferings incurred in this world for daring to speak up about Christ.
Don't be surprised: Christ suffered, the just for the unjust, to bring us to
God (verse 18). We shall suffer, if we preach about it. Noah suffered too in
his day; the Spirit of Christ was preaching through him to the souls now dead
who refused to believe the message whilst they were alive before the Flood
(verses 19-20). Yes, Noah was a preacher of the Righteousness which comes
through Faith (2 Peter 2:5). Eight souls were saved through the waters of the
Flood (1 Peter 3:20). This is a figure of Water Baptism, which baptises us into
Christ's death and resurrection, and saves us at the Judgment (verses 21-22).
NOTHING WHATEVER TO DO WITH PURGATORY. Prepare yourselves to face persecution
for the Gospel's sake (1 Peter 4:1-6). Noah suffered ridicule and persecution
when he preached the Gospel of justification by faith to his contemporaries who
are NOW DEAD, but were then still alive BEFORE THE FLOOD (verse 6). The
Protestant Reformers (like the early Church, and like the Church today)
prepared themselves to suffer persecution, and were not disappointed. See
/Foxe's Book of Martyrs/.
Likewise, 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 is lifted out of the context of the rest of
chapter 3. This passage is about building up the church of God, seen as a
Building with many workers working on site. All are building on the same
Foundation (11). But some build with durable precious materials; others with
shoddy or unworthy materials. Remember the film /Towering Inferno/, where the
contractors cut corners and built below the architect's specification? The
fire does not "purify" (in spite of the etymology); it incinerates! If our
work is incinerated, we suffer loss: but we are not burned; we feel no pain or
punishment. We lose our Reward, but not our eternal life! The reward is a
position in Christ's administration (Luke 19:17-19). Eternal life is a Gift,
not a Reward (Romans 6:23). NOTHING WHATEVER TO DO WITH PURGATORY.
2. Purgatory devalues Christ's Atonement and makes it deficient. One cannot add
anything to Christ's Finished Work on the Cross: "It is finished" (John 19:30).
As Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester, preached at St Paul's London in January
1548: "Where the devil is resident, and hath his plough going, there away with
books and up with candles; away with Bibles and up with beads; away with the
light of the Gospel, and up with the light of candles, yea, at noon-day. ...up
with all superstition and idolatry;... Down with Christ's cross, up with
Purgatory pickpurse, up with popish Purgatory, I mean..." (Sermon IV, /On the
Plough/). When Hugh Latimer and Dr Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London, were
later burnt at Oxford, Latimer cried "We shall this day light such a candle by
God's grace in England, as I trust never shall be put out" (Foxe, /Book of
Martyrs/).
No sufferings of ours can possibly be redemptive: not even St Paul's
(Colossians 1:24). The Colossian Epistle majors on the Sole Sufficiency of
Jesus Christ. It is not 'Jesus Christ plus our purgatorial pains' that save us.
There is nothing lacking in Christ's sufficient sacrifice, perfect oblation,
and full satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. "The blood of Jesus
Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7) - ALL sin WITHOUT
REMAINDER. Purgatory makes the Word of God of no effect by Romish tradition
(compare Matt 15:6; Mark 7:13). Blessed Peter said "there is no other name
under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). "He is
able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence
of his glory with exceeding joy" (Jude 24). "As it is appointed unto men once
to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the
sins of many; and to them that look for him he shall appear the second time
without sin to salvation" (Hebrews 9:27-28). *Without sin* - all sin was borne
by Christ; there is no remainder for us to expiate by ourselves. "If any man
sinneth, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and
he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the
sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:1-2).
3. The Biblical doctrine of She'ol/Hades leaves no room for Purgatory.
According to the Old Testament, all the dead "slept with their fathers" in the
shadowy hollow place called She'ol. Later OT books seem to divide She'ol into a
bad end and a good end. In the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha Jewish speculation
separated off "Abraham's Bosom" from "Hell" /Hades/, with a great gulf dividing
them (compare Luke 16:23-26, spoken by Jesus before his crucifixion and
resurrection). Jesus promised the Dying Thief "today you will be with me in
Paradise" (Luke 23:43). Jesus kept that appointment Good Friday night. Then at
some stage after his resurrection he emptied "Abraham's Bosom" of its OT saints
and took them to Paradise (Matthew 27:53; Ephesians 4:8), where they must wait
until the resurrection of the Saints (Hebrews 12:40). According to the Epistles
and Revelation, Paradise is the place of the discarnate blest spirits awaiting
the First Resurrection (2 Corinthians 5:1-10; 12:1-5; Revelation 6:9-11). The
souls under the altar in Revelation 6:9 are Christian martyrs; they are given
white robes like the guests at the wedding feast (Matthew 22:11). This garment
represents the righteousness of Christ, which we "put on" when we are
born-again: i.e. His righteousness is imputed to us by faith (Psalm 32:1-2).
The departed are at rest (Hebrews 4:9-10), not in agony. When a believer dies,
he is immediately with Christ and in His presence (Luke 23:43; Acts 7:59; 2
Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23). There he is in a state of spiritual
blessedness.
Protestants cannot accept Purgatory as anything other than "a fond thing vainly
invented, and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to
the Word of God" (Article XXII, Church of England).