Is Purgatory in the Bible? What verses are for or against it?

JPN Reply:

Hi Rosemary,

thanks for the email. I find it interesting that you are asking us that question given we are not a Catholic site, but I'll take it as 'a God thing!' : ) And I'm pleased that you desire to see whether Purgatory is in the Bible. It is very important that we let God's word be the authority. You may remember in the book of Acts it says:

Act 17:10-11  As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.  (11)  Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

So if we want to be 'of noble character' then we have to do what these did and not just take what someone says as the truth but to go back and examine the scriptures to see if it is true. So that is what we will do. 

The Catholic Encyclopedia says that purgatory is “a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who, departing this life in God’s grace, are not entirely free from venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions.” So the important question is, does the Bible teach that? Or is that just the thoughts of man? Now, I'll be completely upfront with you. I 100% agree with your sister on this. Purgatory is NOT taught in the Bible so this answer won't be what you expected. Purgatory is a Catholic belief but not a biblical one. In fact the concept goes right against what the Bible teaches on a number of fronts, undermining the finished work of Christ. So please read on as it is important to understand why.

1. The teaching of Purgatory is not found in scripture

There is no such thing as Purgatory, or even the concept of Purgatory, taught in the Bible. So to justify their belief, the Catholic church uses a verse from 2 Maccabees 12:44–46 but this book is part of the Apocrypha (a collection of books from ancient Jewish writings not forming part of the accepted canon of scripture). It was not part of the Hebrew Bible (the Tanakh) used by the ancient Jews. Nor is it accepted as scripture in Protestant Bibles. 

A passage from the New Testament that the Catholic church does use to try justify their belief in Purgatory is: 

1Co 3:10-15  By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds.  (11)  For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.  (12)  If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,  (13)  his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work.  (14)  If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.  (15)  If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

This passage speaks of the judgment or 'bema' seat of Christ where the works of every believer are tried by fire to see what remains. This occurs after the return of Jesus and is for the purpose of determining our eternal rewards. You will note that it is the works of each man that the fire tests, not the bodies or person themselves. This is not a purification process after death for sins at all. Again, Paul is discussing the quality of a believer’s ministry or labor, not personal sin. It is only looking at a person's works as a believer for the purpose of rewarding them if they have done things worthy of reward. This is a judgment and trying of our works, not a cleansing or purifying of the person by fire. 

This brings us onto more serious reasons why Purgatory should be rejected, which go to the very heart of the Christian gospel itself.  

2. Christ's sacrifice paid for ALL sins

The wonderful news of the Gospel is Jesus took our place and paid the penalty that our sins owed. All of a believer's sins ARE FORGIVEN. A born again believer in Jesus Christ will not be punished for our sins in purgatory (there is no such place) for Jesus has paid the price for all sins. Look at these wonderful promises and truth:

Col 2:13-14  When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,  (14)  having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

That is why, just before Jesus died, He cried 'It is finished' (John 19:30) which can also be translated 'Paid in full'. He paid our debt in full. 

2Co 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.

1Jn 2:1-2  My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.  (2)  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

3. God has forgiven all of the sins of true born again believers

The Bible does not teach that there are 'venial faults' or sins still needing to be purified after death, or that some can be in God's grace but 'have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions.' As seen above, God laid the penalty for our sins upon Christ. These were not laid partially on Jesus and partially upon ourselves. This is a totally foreign concept to what the New Testament teaches. The whole basis of the 'New Covenant' that Jesus brought in is that God would forgive our sins and remember them NO MORE. And no, He doesn't punish believers in a place called Purgatory for sins He has chosen to forget! In fact, the Bible tells believers that they are already 'PERFECT' in Christ, because of His sacrifice for our sins! This is wonderful news. And it says there is no longer any sacrifice for sin (and no Catholic Mass for that matter) because by Jesus' one sacrifice they have been forgiven.

Heb 10:14-18  For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.  (15)  But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,  (16)  "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them," [40]  (17)  then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." [41]  (18)  Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

Did you see that believers have already been made perfect forever by Jesus' one sacrifice? The Bible continually emphasizes that there is only one sacrifice, which is Jesus' death upon the cross - it is once for all, and it does a perfect work, making us holy and acceptable to God already! 

Heb 10:10  And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

God doesn't require further purification of sins in a place called Purgatory. It is the blood of Christ that purifies from sin!

1Jn 1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

4. Because Jesus paid for all sins, there is no condemnation for believers

The Bible is clear that there is no condemnation for those who are born again believers in Christ. Not now or in the future. They have already passed from death to live and from condemnation into acceptance.

Rom 8:1  Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus

Rom 8:31-34  What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?  (32)  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?  (33) Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.  (34)  Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 

Rom 8:38-39  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  (39)  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Joh 5:24  I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

5. The Bible teaches that believers go straight to heaven when they die

As well as NOT teaching anything about a place (outside heaven) that you go to be purified of sins after death, the Bible is clear that believers go straight to be with the Lord in Heaven when they die. 

Php 1:21-24  For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.  (22)  If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!  (23)  I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;  (24)  but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.

2Co 5:6-8  So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.  (7)  For we walk by faith, not by sight.  (8)  We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

Or take the case with the thief on the cross with Jesus. He didn't have to go to 'Purgatory' to pay off his sins after death. Jesus gave him the wonderful promise that that very day they would be together in paradise!

Luk 23:40-43  But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence?  (41)  We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."  (42)  Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. "  (43)  Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Why this matters

Rosemary, the reason this is important is because it goes to the very heart of the gospel. And that is, did Jesus pay the price for our sins? The answer is obviously yes. He paid a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay. That is what He did for us! And through faith in His sacrifice for our sins, and not by any of our works, we are saved and reconciled back to the Father. Not partly saved or partly reconciled while still needing to suffer and pay for some of our sins later after we die in Purgatory! True believers are fully saved and fully reconciled already! Believers in Christ are justified and righteous before the Father.

Eph 2:8-9  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--  (9)  not by works, so that no one can boast.

Rom 4:4-5  Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.  (5)  However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.

Joh 3:16-18  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  (17)  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  (18)  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

And because of all this, scripture is clear that Christ can and will present believers to the Father with fault:

Jud 1:24-25  To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy--  (25)  to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

1Th 5:23-24  May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  (24)  The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

Rosemary, I trust that you are trusting completely in the work of the Lord Jesus and His death upon the cross to pay for your sins. If a person believes in Purgatory, then it does raise the question whether they believe that Jesus paid the full price for all our sins. As the scriptures above state, we can't be saved by our own works and nor do we pay off our sins by spending some unknown time in an unknown fiery place called Purgatory after death. We are with the Lord in Paradise. Jesus has already paid the price for those sins. I pray and hope you understand and believe this. Reading your initial email again, I realize this is not the answer you were expecting. But I trust you will see that it is Biblical. I encourage you to look up all the scriptures I have given. Please read the surrounding context and test them all, like the Bereans did, to see if these things are so!

God Bless you.

Iain.