Is Purgatory Biblical? Part 2

In the recent post, "Is Purgatory Biblical? Part 1" I addressed the Catechism of the Catholic Church's (CCC) (1) doctrine of Purgatory. For the sake of context, I am going to begin this post with the same statement by the CCC.

The CCC (2) states, "(1030)All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. (1031)The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. the tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire: As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come. (1032) This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: "Therefore Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin." From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God. The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead:
Let us help and commemorate them. If Job's sons were purified by their father's sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them."


First let us address statement 1030, "All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven."

Difficulty #1. 2 Corinthians 5:21, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (NIV).

This verse states that Jesus had no sin but paid the penalty for sin. Since Jesus was the perfect sacrifice (having never sinned), we who accept Jesus' sacrifice for our sins might become (Greek G1096 means "to become") the righteousness of God. Since Jesus sacrificed Himself for us, God the Father sees those whose faith is in Jesus the same way He sees Jesus, with perfection. Therefore, how is the Christian who is supposedly going to Purgatory "imperfectly purified" if God the Father sees them as perfect?

Difficulty #2. The following is found in 1 Peter 1:1-2, "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

If God the Holy Spirit lives in the Christian (Acts 2:4, Romans 8:5-17), and God the Holy Spirit sanctifies the Christian, then how is the Christian not perfectly purified if God Himself is the one removing sin from the Christian?


Next let us address 1032, "The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead: Let us help and commemorate them. If Job's sons were purified by their father's sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them."

Point #1.
Ephesians 2:8-10, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (NIV).

1 Timothy 2:5-6, "For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time" (NIV).

Although we perform works (Ephesians 2:10), it is not by the good deeds that we are saved, nor is it by other individual's good works we are saved. We are saved by faith in Christ alone (Romans 5:1, Acts 4:12, John 3:36, John 14:6), and therefore we do not achieve holiness. Moreover, since Jesus is the only mediator between the Father and mankind, as in He is the only way bridging us to the Father, our prayers to God for the dead are inefficient at best. Jesus is the one who intercedes for all believers (Romans 8:34).


Not only is Purgatory not Biblical, it is also a dangerous idea given that it could give a false assurance of a "seconds chance". The place where Christians are purified is here on earth, through the process of sanctification by the work of the Holy Spirit. 




Works Cited

(1) Catechism of the Catholic Church - IntraText. (2025). Vatican.va. https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P2N.HTM#

(2) CCC 1030-1032

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