Is purgatory a Biblical or extra biblical teaching?

Always in His Presence said:

Well said - not one of those points has to do with purgatory -

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Actually they do since the entire point of Purgatory is to complete our sanctification so we are indeed perfected and ready for heaven.

If Scripture is clear that our sanctifcation is something that is an ongoing process, and nothing in Scripture indicates that we are all completely sanctified at the time of our death, the only conclusion is that there is something that has to happen to us after death that completes that process.

You also have not answered my question regarding 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 that tells us that at the time of our judgment, when all our deeds are disclosed and those not worthy are burned off, and that we will be saved, but only as through fire, what do you think that means?

Always in His Presence said:

The teaching of purgatory - as already linked and shown - did not exist for 1,200 years of Christianity.

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I see above where you said based on a cursory AI search – “ The fully developed concept of purgatory, involving post-mortem fire and satisfaction for venial sins, emerged centuries later (formalized at the Second Council of Lyon in 1274 and the Council of Trent in the 16th century).”

That type of reasoning and scholarship is most problematic. It’s the same methodology used by the Jehovah Witnesses when they say that it is a “fact” that the dogma of the Trinity is based on a late 4th century “invention”. Why? Because the word “Trinity” does not appear in any Christian writings until the 3rd century and because the Catholic Church did not formalize the dogma of the Trinity until the 4th century.

No different is your reasoning here. It fails to recognize three key things:

• Just because we do not have a preserved writing that directly speaks to a teaching prior to a certain point in time, that is not evidence that the belief was not in place prior to that.
• Just because specific language is not used it does not mean that a belief was not conceptually reflected earlier than that.
• The Church quite often does not formalize a dogma until there is a heresy that has gained ground and needs to be addressed. The Arian heresy is what required the dogma of the Trinity to be formalized and made more precise and robust in the 4th century.

The other problem is that a cursory AI search is not true scholarship at all. For reference, if you do not have a copy of “An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine” by John Newman, it would be worth your time to acquire one. Regarding the doctrine of Purgatory, he begins with Clement of Alexandria (150-215AD) and talks about sins being purged by discipline (much likes Hebrews 12) and that “the necessity of this purifying discipline is such, that if it does not take place in this life, it must after death, and is then to be effected by fire, not by a destructive, but a discriminating fire, pervading the soul which passes through it.” Hmm, sounds like Purgatory to me.

For reference, the first complete and accurate listing of the books which comprise the New Testament is from Athanasius in 367, 150 years later. So to say that the conceptual understanding of a purifying fire after death is not a part of the belief of the early church is simply not true.

Newman continues with his citations, St. Cyprian (210-258), The Acts of the Martyrs, the Eucharistic prayer of the faithful in the 4th century, and St. Cyril (376-444). While he doesn’t reference St. Augustine (354-430) and St. John Chrysostom (347-407) both speak of our prayers being able to help the dead. To what avail would that be if they were believed to all be in heaven?

So in the interest of honest scholarship, it simply isn’t accurate to profess that the teaching of Purgatory didn’t exist for the first 1200 years of the Church. No more accurate than the Jehovah Witness claim that the teaching of the Trinity didn’t exist for the first 400 years of the Church. Same flawed scholarship leading to flawed conclusions in both examples.

Always in His Presence said:

It means EXACTLY what it says - our works - the things we do, what we say - are judged. We are saved.

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We are indeed saved but only as through fire
What does being saved only as through fire mean to you?

Always in His Presence said:

Romans 10:8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”​

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What does that mean? Does it mean after we leaving this life we are judged and then might have to spend sometime in jail (purgatory) until we get our act right? or does it mean exactly what it says?

Matt 16:27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.​

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One time - not after a jail sentence - one time.

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It means we are saved. But being saved does not mean that we will not experience God’s discipline. Isn’t the author of Hebrews writing to “saved” people when he says that when God disciplines us he is treating us like sons? Being saved does not mean we will not be disciplined by God to perfect us in holiness. Being completely sanctified is not optional.

If you leave this life and you are not perfected in holiness, not sure I would call it ‘jail’. But if you have not yet become “righteous made perfect” (Hebrews 12:23), God still has some work to do with you.

So say for example, Mr. X has held a grudge against his brother for many years due to a perceived wrong. Mr. X dies still holding that grudge. He hates his brother.

Do you really think Christ is going to say “Mr. X, you’re dead now so regardless of what sin you’re still attached to, heaven is open to you? Keep your grudge, hold on to your hatred because all the saved are welcome no matter what sin you bring with you?”

Or is Christ going to say we still have a little work to do don’t we? About that grudge….”

Always in His Presence said:

Which is the basis for every cult teaching in existence - not calling anyone a cult.

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In fact, not true. Many cult teachings have a basis in Holy Scripture. A perversion of Scripture to be sure, but derived from Scripture nonetheless. And the perversion of something does not mean that it’s not good or true. Often quite the opposite.

So I stand by the statement -- Just because we do not have a preserved writing that directly speaks to a teaching prior to a certain point in time, that is not evidence that the belief was not in place prior to that.

Always in His Presence said:

The basis for a teaching to exists prior to a certain point in time - is the teaching being present.

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And I demonstrated that it quite clearly was present in the early church.

You evidently like AI. What is the answer to “are there early christian references to purgatory”? Its answer:

While the formal doctrine of purgatory wasn't developed until the Middle Ages, early Christians had references to a process of post-mortem purification. Texts from the New Testament like 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 hint at cleansing through fire, and early Church Fathers like Tertullian, Ambrose, and Augustine spoke of purification after death and the benefit of prayers for the departed.

Early Christian beliefs and practices
• Purification after death: The foundational idea that further purification is needed for some souls after death before they can enter heaven was present in the early Church.

Always in His Presence said:

Why have you not answered my question regarding Romans 10 - for a meaningful debate - BOTH sides have to engage in question and answer - please be so kind in answering my query please

Rom 10:10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Go back to Hebrews -

Heb 9:26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.​

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Why is the concept of purgatory not mentioned? It is a simply stated sentence. Men die once and after that judgement - period - end of sentence, but not of thought -

So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.

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I did answer your question. I said “It means we are saved.”

Our disconnect seems to be exactly what that means. You seem to think it means once you die and are judged there is an immediate entry into heaven regardless of whether or not you still have attachment to any sin. I do not.

It’s also important to remember that Scripture speaks of salvation as being a past event, a present ongoing process and a future event.

For example, in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 we seem to both agree this is in reference to our judgment. A person has died and there is judgment, as your Hebrews 9:26 citation references. Okay. We agree on that too.

You will notice however, Paul is still referring to our salvation in the Corinthians text as a future event that occurs after the person has ‘suffered loss’ and gone through fire.

If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire (1 Corinthians 3:15)

So, I’ve answered your question, so now would you please answer mine?

We indeed WILL BE saved but only as through fire
What does being saved only as through fire mean to you?

Always in His Presence said:

I don't deal with hypotheticals -

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Then answer a question – at the moment of every believer’s death do you believe they are perfect, completely sanctified with no attachment to sin?

Always in His Presence said:

The concept of purgatory, at best, is theoretical and I'll explain why.

There is a term in theology - exegesis - it means

Exposition; explanation; especially, a critical explanation of a text or portion of Scripture
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When a teaching or concept is not plainly shown it does not rise to an exegetical level. It requires suppositions, reasoning and possibilities. All of which is demonstrated in your last few posts. (Forgive me, I am not picking on you)

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I am familiar with the terms.

I would contend there are several concepts here I’ve shown that are quite plainly in Scripture. The first is that just become someone is saved, it does not mean they are immediately sanctified. Therefore, God will discipline us as sons in order to bring us to holiness (Hebrews 12:4-14)
We will not see God until we have reached that level of perfected holiness (Hebrews 12:4, 23)

There is nothing in Scripture that indicates that all believers will have reached that state of perfection by the time they die.

There is nothing in Scripture that says that once we’re judged our entry into heaven will immediately follow that judgement regardless of the state Christ finds our soul. In fact, it says quite the opposite. Anything he finds that needs to be burned off before we enter heaven, he will. That is why even when referring to our judgment Paul writes that if any of our work is burned up, we “will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:15). “Will be saved.” In the future. When Christ is finished removing all that does not belong in heaven.