Respect for American soldiers!


Dr. Gleason - Religion & Faith

Warning! You are entering the personal web site of Dr. Chris Gleason!

Education & Background / Family / Hobbies / Religion


Purgatory 
I think most Christians would agree that we don’t know exactly where heaven will be or what the spatial limitations or definitions of heaven will be. As well, I know of few or no Catholics that would claim that Purgatory will be a specific location with specific dimensions. Ancient astrologers & theologians seemed to have a much easier task. Their view of the world (earth, heaven, & underworld) can often be seen illustrated in some Bibles. In modern times the Vatican joins many scientific institutions in the cutting edge of astrology by adding a second, more advanced observatory for use in study of the universe. See http://clavius.as.arizona.edu/vo/R1024/VO.html  This concept of respect and value for the study of the Creation dates back to the early Christian era and before.

Even so, what is more important than the physical location of Purgatory is the theological perspective of Catholics which states that souls entering heaven must be pure. The soul need not be pure to attain salvation, but it must be purified before entering heaven. My understanding is that Orthodox Christians maintain a similar belief. It should be clear that all souls will end up in either heaven or hell. Period. Some, if not most, must be purified, “as with fire” before entering the gates of heaven. 

 

What does the Bible say?
To more clearly outline scriptures on this topic, 5 concepts are introduced.

Concept 1 – Punishment does/may follow a sin, even after forgiveness is granted by God.
2 Samuel 12: 13-16
Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Nathan answered David: "The LORD on his part has forgiven your sin: you shall not die. 
But since you have utterly spurned the LORD by this deed, the child born to you must surely die." Then Nathan returned to his house. The LORD struck the child that the wife of Uriah had borne to David, and it became desperately ill. 
David besought God for the child. He kept a fast, retiring for the night to lie on the ground clothed in sackcloth. 


Concept 2 – Nothing enters heaven that is not clean.

Revelation 21: 27
The treasure and wealth of the nations will be brought there, 
but nothing unclean will enter it, nor any (one) who does abominable things or tells lies. Only those will enter whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. 

Matthew 5:48
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect. 

 

Concept 3 – There is a process by which souls not perfectly clean are prepared to enter heaven.
Hebrews 12: 22-23
No, you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering, 
and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made perfect, 


1 Corinthians 3:10-16
According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. 

If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, the work of each will come to light, for the Day will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire (itself) will test the quality of each one's work. If the work stands that someone built upon the foundation, that person will receive a wage. But if someone's work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire. One must ask the logical question: By what scenario can a person die, be judged to have inferior works, receive salvation, but only as through fire? Answer: Classic description of Purgation or Purgatory.  See Malachi 3 below.

 

Concept 4 – There is a place for souls to go until they are made perfect.
Matthew 12:32
And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. 

Matthew 18: 32-35
His master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. 
Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?' 
Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. 
So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart." 

 

Concept 5 – Certain Bible verses do not make sense without the concept of Purgatory or purgation.
James 5:20
he should know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. 

1 Peter 4:8
Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins. 

The Old Testament of Jesus

The following scripture comes from the Septuagint version of the Old Testament, which is not used by or recognized by most Protestants. However, for the first 1500 yrs. of Christianity, the Septuagint (compiled approx. 3rd century B.C.) was the only version of the Old Testament used by Christians and continues today to be used by Catholic and Orthodox Christians. The Septuagint is the version of the Old Testament studied, learned, and quoted by Jesus and the Apostles. 

II Macabees

Judas Maccabees offered prayers and sacrifices for the Jewish soldiers who had died wearing pagan amulets, which were forbidden by the Law; II Maccabees reads, "Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out" (12:43) and "Thus, [Judas Maccabees] made atonement for the deed mat they might be freed from sin" (12:46). 

Some critics of the Septuagint suggest that it is preferable to use the Hebrew collection of the Old Testament, as claimed by the Jews circa 100 A.D.  Those that hold this position typically maintain that the "Deuterocanonical" books of the Septuagint, which include Macabees, never existed in the original language of Hebrew.  However, the discoveries in the Dead Sea Scrolls indicate otherwise.  At least two of the Deuterocanonical books of the Septuagint are present in the original language of Hebrew amongst the documents of the Dead Sea Scrolls. 

 

Malachi 3: 2-4

 But who will endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? For he is like the refiner's fire, or like the fuller's lye.
He will sit refining and purifying (silver), and he will purify the sons of Levi, Refining them like gold or like silver that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD.  Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem will please the LORD, as in days of old, as in years gone by.
 

 

History

Note: Not all history is "inspired revelation".  Yet, true history is truth, and Truth always leads to Jesus - the way, the Truth, and the light. 

 

Dr. Martin Luther 

Most all Protestants and Catholic Christians consider Martin Luther and the posting of his "95 Theses" to be the initial movement of the Protestant Reformation.  As the American colonial Declaration of Independence of 1776 entailed the fundamental objections of the revolutionists to the British rule, it is also reasonable to presume that in his 95 Theses Martin Luther would have addressed his most profound objections to the Catholic Church of the time.  A thorough reading of those 95 Theses makes it clear that to Martin Luther, the existence of Purgatory was not in question.  Purgatory is mentioned in numerous of his 95 Theses in the affirmative.  

Church Fathers 

It is well known that authentic writings of the students of the Apostles and of other Christian leaders of the first centuries after Christ still exist today.  Additionally, the writings of many of the Church leaders involved in selecting the books to be included in the Bible remain available today.  Who would be more suitable to interpret the Book of Revelation? Tim LaHaye or the very men that were students of John the Apostle? Hal Lindsey or the Church Fathers that selected to include the Book of Revelation in the Bible? These answers should be obvious.