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A Purgatory For Protestants
George L. Faull
The Catholic Church teaches
when one dies in the state of grace, united to Jesus Christ, he goes to a place
called “purgatory”. This is not true of
the lost but only those who are saved Catholics. All the saved must spend some time in the fires of purgatory to
be “purged” from their imperfections that they had not worked through in this
life. It is a “refinement” that makes
them worthy to enter Heaven after some time in the fires of “Purgatory”.
It is a temporary place of
suffering punishment for Christians not yet perfect, not the unredeemed. The doctrine has brought in millions to the
coffers of Rome from Catholics in hopes of expediting their loved ones who died
through this temporary punishment.
Hillary says, “Mary must have
gone through it.”
Ambrose says the apostle John must have gone through the
fire.
Jerome was supposed to have
taught it. Likewise, Origen taught
Peter and Paul would endure it.
Augustine of course taught the error, “It is the ‘burning away of
sins’”.
One is now seeing this same
doctrine now advocated by many Protestants.
This is the teaching of J. D.
Faust in his book, “The Rod. Will God Spare It?” He says, “Yet Christians are warned about
the dangers of being temporarily hurt by the Lake of Fire.” He refers to Revelation 2:11, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith
unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.”
He adds, “after being slain
by the Lord’s fiery breath at the judgment seat, unfaithful Christians will
then be banished to the underworld for one thousand years!”
Advocates of the doctrine
also quote Church fathers like Lactantius and Ambrose. Ambrose said, “all shall be subjected by
fire.” For all who want to return to
heaven must be tried by fire. Then they
pervert to such Scriptures as:
I Corinthians 3:10-15, “10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me,
as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth
thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other
foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if
any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay,
stubble; 13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare
it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try
every man's work of what sort it is.
14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a
reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he
himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”
To make the fire literal is
asinine as making the wood, hay, stubble, gold, silver, precious stone,
literal.
Fear not believers we will
not need to burn in hell for a while before entering Heaven! One’s works may be burned by fire (testing
of Fiery Temptations) but the Christian will not suffer literal fire. Our works may prove to be burned by fiery
trials, but we ourselves will be saved if we ourselves abide those fiery trials
ourselves.
Some have even used the
verses speaking of the terror of God and the severity of God as referring to
this temporary torment. Such verses are
also abused as in:
II Corinthians 5:9–11, “9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent,
we may be accepted of him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat
of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body,
according to that he hath done, whether it
be good or bad. 11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I
trust also are made manifest in your consciences.”
And
Romans 11:22,
“22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness,
if thou continue in his goodness:
otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.”
These speak of apostates and
non-believers. The chastening of
believers in this life is to perfect us in this life. This chastening helps us yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness
in this life, not chastisement in the future.
Some also twist Philippians
3:11-14, “11 If by any means I might
attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I
follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of
Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth
unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of
the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
They made this to say that
the first resurrection must be attained and that Paul wanted to attain it. They claim those who do not attain it must
suffer 1,000 years in torment. They
believe some will attain it but other unfaithful Christians who do not make it
will not be lost but suffer for the 1,000 years as castaways as in:
I Corinthians 9:24-27, “24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all,
but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that
striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but
we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not
as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest
that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a
castaway.”
The parable of Luke
12:45-48 is abused, “45 But and if
that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to
beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 46
The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not
aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him
his portion with the unbelievers.
47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his
will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be
beaten with few stripes. For unto
whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have
committed much, of him they will ask the more.”
One wonders just how worldly
a Christian must be to suffer this fate.
Isn’t it ironic that these who teach this anti-Christian doctrine are
the same persons who deny works has any part in salvation, yet if our works
fail, we must suffer 1,000 years of fire!!!
One cannot help to wonder if
Charles Stanley buys into this. In his
“Eternal Security, Can You Be Sure?”
referring to:
Matthew 13:49-50, “49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come
forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 50 And
shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing
of teeth.;
Matthew 8:11-12, “11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the
east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the
kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children of the kingdom shall
be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Luke 13:27-28,
“27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me,
all ye workers of iniquity. 28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets,
in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves
thrust out.”
“…’gnashing of teeth’…does not symbolize pain as many have
thought…They were extremely frustrated with themselves…And so it will be for
many believers. Just as those who are found
faithful will rejoice, so those who suffer loss will weep. As some are celebrated for their
faithfulness, others will gnash their teeth in frustration over their own
shortsightedness and greed. We do not
know how long this time of rejoicing and sorrow will last. Those whose works are burned will not weep
and gnash their teeth for eternity.” [Eternal Security, Can You Be Sure? p. 127]
What would ever allow someone
to believe such absurdities?
1.
A determined effort to defend
Calvinism and the doctrine of Election.
2.
A determined effort to handle
the Scriptures that refute the doctrine of Eternal Security.
3.
A belief in Premillennialism,
it allows time for the unfaithful to suffer the fires of redemption before all
saints enter into Heaven eternally.
4.
An unappreciative view of the
power of the blood of Jesus Christ in that they believe fires of torment could
do what the blood of Christ could not.