Many ask me where is Purgatory in the Bible?
It is a demand of reason and even of God’s charity for us. The word “Purgatory” does not exist in the Bible, it was created by the Church, but the reality, the “doctrinal concept” of this state of purification exists widely in Holy Scripture, as we will see. The Church has no doubt about this reality, which is why, since the first century, it has prayed for the suffrage of the souls in Purgatory.
1 – Saint Gregory the Great (†604), Pope and Doctor of the Church, explained Purgatory based on a word from Jesus: “As regards certain minor faults, one must believe that there is a purifying fire before judgment, according to which He who is the Truth affirms, saying that if anyone has uttered a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven either in the present age or in the age to come (Mt 12:31).
From this statement we can deduce that certain faults can be forgiven in the present century, while others in the future century” (Dial. 41,3). The sin against the Holy Spirit, that is, the person who refuses the ways of salvation in every way, will not be forgiven either in this world or in the future world. The Lord Jesus then shows, in this passage, implicitly, that there are sins that will be forgiven in the future world, after death.
two – The teaching about Purgatory already has roots in the beliefs of the Jews themselves in the Old Testament; around 200 years before Christ, when the episode of Judas Maccabees occurred. It is narrated that some Jewish soldiers were found dead on a battlefield, having under their clothes some objects consecrated to idols, which was prohibited by the Law of Moses. Then Judas Maccabees ordered a collection to be made so that a sacrifice could be offered in Jerusalem for the sins of these soldiers. “Then they found under the tunic of each of the dead men objects consecrated to the idols of Jamnia, things prohibited by the Law of the Jews. It became clear to everyone that they had fallen for that reason… they put me in prayer, begging that the sin committed would find complete forgiveness… Then he collected, in an individual collection, around two thousand silver drachmas, which he sent to Jerusalem to be offered a propitiatory sacrifice. With such a beautiful and noble action he took the resurrection into consideration, because if he did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, it would have been superfluous and go pray for the dead. Furthermore, he considered the magnificent reward that is in store for those who fall asleep with feelings of piety. Holy and pious thought! Therefore, he ordered the atoning sacrifice to be offered, so that the dead could be absolved from sin” (2 Mc 12,39-45).
The sacred author, inspired by the Holy Spirit, praises Judas’ action: “If he did not expect that the dead who had fallen would rise again, it would be superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he considered that a beautiful reward was reserved for those who fell asleep piously, then his way of thinking was holy and pious. This is why he ordered this atoning sacrifice to be offered for those who had died, so that they would be absolved of their sin.” (2 Mac 12.44s) .In this case, we see people who died in the friendship of God, but with an inconsistency, which was not the denial of faith, since they were fighting in the army of God’s people against the enemies of faith. They committed a foul that wasn’t fatal.
It is clear from the text of Maccabees that the Jews prayed for their dead and offered sacrifices for them, and that the Hebrew priests already at that time accepted and offered sacrifices in atonement for the sins of the deceased and that this practice was supported by the belief in the resurrection of the dead. . And as the book of Maccabees belongs to the canon of inspired books, here too is a biblical basis for belief in Purgatory and for prayer on behalf of the dead.
3 – Based on the teachings of Saint Paul, the Church also understood the reality of Purgatory. In 1Cor 3:10, he talks about people who built on the foundation of Jesus Christ, using some precious material, resistant to fire (gold, silver, precious stones) and others, materials that do not resist fire (straw, wood). They are all faithful to Christ, but some with great zeal and fervor, and others with lukewarmness and reluctance. And St. Paul presents the judgment of God under the image of fire testing each person’s works. If the work survives, its author “you will receive a reward”; but, if he does not resist, its author “will suffer detriment”, that is, a penalty; which will not be condemnation; because the text explicitly says that the worker “will be saved, but as if through fire”, that is, through suffering.
4 – In the passage from Mc 3:29, there is also a clear image of Purgatory: “But if the administrator imagines to himself: ‘My lord will be late in coming’. And he begins to beat the servants and the maidservants, to eat, drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on the day he does not expect him (…) and will send him to the fate of the infidels. The servant who, despite knowing his master’s will, prepared nothing and disobeyed him will be flogged with numerous blows. But whoever, ignoring the will of his master, does reprehensible things will be flogged with few blows.” (Luke 12:45-48). It is a clear reference to what the Church calls Purgatory. After death, therefore, there is a “state” where the “few faithful” will be purified.
5 – Another biblical passage that gives rise to thinking about Purgatory is (Luke 12:58-59): “Now, when you go with your adversary to the magistrate, do your best to come to an agreement with him along the way, so that lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the executioner, and the executioner put you in prison. I tell you: you will not leave until you pay the last penny.”
The Lord Jesus teaches that we must always come into “agreement” with others, otherwise, at the end of our lives we will be handed over to the judge (God), who will put us in “prison” (Purgatory); We will not leave until we have paid all our debt to divine justice, “to the last penny”. But one day we will have to leave. Condemnation in this case is not eternal. The same parable is in Mt 5, 22-26: “Assume a reconciling attitude toward your adversary while you are on your way, lest the adversary hand you over to the judge and the judge to the bailiff, and thus be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not leave until you pay the last penny.” The key to this teaching is found in the conclusion of this speech by Jesus: “you will be thrown into prison”, and you will not be released “until you pay the last penny”.
6 – The Passage of Saint Peter 1Pe 3,18-19; 4:6, also indicates to us the reality of Purgatory: “For Christ also died once for our sins (…) he suffered death in his flesh, but was made alive in spirit. It is in this same spirit that he went to preach to the spirits who were detained in prison, those who once, in the days of Noah, had been rebellious (…).” In this “prison” or “limbo” of the ancestors, where the spirits of the ancients were imprisoned, and where Jesus Christ went to preach during Holy Saturday, the Church saw a picture of Purgatory. The text indicates that Christ went to preach “to those who formerly, in the days of Noah, had been rebellious”. We therefore have a “state” where the souls of the ancestors awaited salvation. It is not a place of eternal torment, but it is also not a place of eternal joy in the presence of God, it is not heaven. It is a “place” where the spirits awaited the salvation and purification communicated by Christ himself.
Prof. Felipe Aquino
Professor Felipe Aquino is a widower, father of five children. On TV , he presents the program “Escola da Fé” and “Pergunte e Responderemos”, on Radio he presents the program “No Coração da Igreja”. On weekends he holds in-depth meetings throughout Brazil and abroad. He wrote 73 Catholic education books for publishers Cléofas, Loyola and . Teacher page: Twitter: @pfelipeaquino