what is the reasoning behind purgatory?

[Josiah]

The usual explanation is that Limbo--although taught as God's own truth for half a millennium--was never made an official doctrine but always was a theological opinion. Purgatory, however, was the creation of a church council, so that couldn't be done if Purgatory is finally ditched as well. That appears to be why the church continues to say that there is a Purgatory while, at the same time, completely altering the definition.

Correct.

Catholicism has a wide range of "truths" (well, technically "binding status"). Although both Limbo and Purgatory are late speculations of the singular, individual RC Denomination, they have very different statuses. Both were universally taught in that singular, individual denomination for centuries (beginning well before Luther's time), but Limbo never OFFICIALLY got very high on the status ladder, and very recently has actually been pretty much abandoned. The Roman Catholic's distinctive, unique speculation of Purgatory however made it all the way to the top, as De Fide Dogma - a teaching of highest certainty, relevance and importance possible. It CANNOT be questioned and to deny such is to threaten hell.

The East holds to a much, much more simple view.... and the East really only has opinion and dogma, and this is only opinion. The East holds that SOMETHING (left entirely as mystery).... SOMETHING happens, perhaps it less than a microsecond (time really not applying) as we enter heaven so that we enter sinless. It's not a place, there's no process, there's no theories or philosphies, there's no time involved, there's no indulgences - and it's not official teaching or formal teaching or binding teaching or doctrine or dogma or de fide dogma - just opinion. And it's based on one verse, that nothing unclean can enter heaven. The opinion is: God SOMEHOW immediately takes care of that as He welcomes us into heaven. A very different view than the unique, highly developed, DE FIDE DOGMA that currently exists in the singular RC Denomination.



- Josiah

 

[atpollard]

John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

From this comes the question: What about sins that are not confessed?
Purgatory is where we pay for sins that were unforgiven at the moment of our death.

(I don't happen to believe in Pergatory, but I understand where they get the concept and it fits in with the rest of the RCC view of salvation.)

 

[Albion]

John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

From this comes the question: What about sins that are not confessed?
Purgatory is where we pay for sins that were unforgiven at the moment of our death.

(I don't happen to believe in Pergatory, but I understand where they get the concept and it fits in with the rest of the RCC view of salvation.)

That would apply to venial sins only, which do not prevent anyone from entering heaven. But of course the concept is based upon the idea that a believer’s sins are NOT forgiven through believing in and trusting Christ as one’s Lord and Savior. If a Christian does not believe in salvation by Faith, all sorts of gimmicks are required in order to explain how mortals are to earn their own way to God.

 

[Andrew]

It depends on what the meaning of the word 'confess' is...

Sent from my LGLS755 using Tapatalk

 

[NewCreation435]

I think this scripture is the source of the reasoning behind purgatory is it not?...

Romans 14:12
So then each one of us will give an account concerning himself to God.
Romans 12:3
For I say, through the grace given to me, to every one who is among you, not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think, but to think so as to be sober-minded, as God has apportioned to each a measure of faith.
Romans 12:6
And having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
1 Corinthians 3:13
The work of each will become manifest; for the day will declare it, because it is revealed by fire, and the fire itself will prove each one's work, of what sort it is.​

purgatory preys on people's fears and feeling that if they are good enough they can earn their way to heaven. The Catholic church used this to try and make money. They had people give money to the church for their loved ones as a way to help their loved one earn their way to heaven. Whether you want to call it alms or whatever. Basically it became a money making scheme endorsed by and promoted by the Catholic church. Sorry but that's the truth.

 

[Josiah]

John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

From this comes the question: What about sins that are not confessed?
Purgatory is where we pay for sins that were unforgiven at the moment of our death.

(I don't happen to believe in Pergatory, but I understand where they get the concept and it fits in with the rest of the RCC view of salvation.)

ORIGINALLY, the origin of all this was the verse that says nothing unclean can enter heaven. For the Eastern Orthodox, all this speculation never advanced beyond that: SOMEHOW, as God takes our hand and brings us to Heaven, GOD mysteriously accomplishes this - so that SOMEHOW we are clean. No place. No time. No indulgences. No synergism. No philosophies. And it's not dogma (not even official teaching).


But in the individual RC Denomination, this got all intertwined with an increasingly synergistic, progressive, Pelagian view of justification.... and the awareness that folks generally don't become God's equal in morality, holiness, glory and love before they die.... so..... like Hinduism..... realized we need more time to finish the job. But whereas Hinduism invented Reincarnation to provide for the extra time, Catholicism invented Purgatory.


I can live with the Orthodox view (as opinion, not dogma). But not with the De Fide DOGMA of Purgatory.



- Josiah