Is Purgatory Biblical?

Is purgatory biblical, or is it just a Catholic man-made tradition? In this video, Joe presents four different arguments showing the existence of purgatory IS biblical, and responds to four of the most common criticisms of the doctrine of purgatory.

0:00 - Intro
0:09 - Overview
2:10 - What is Purgatory
4:12 - Nothing impure in heaven
8:45 - Praying for the dead
15:57 - Can we trust Maccabees 2
25:51 - Saved through fire
27:47 - Purgatory's first fruits
32:26 - 4 Arguments against purgatory
32:34 - Good Thief
39:29 - Absent from the body
44:21 - Didn't Christ do it all
54:18 - Argument from Silence

[timrichardson]

Oh Joe, this is such good stuff. Before becoming Catholic, I didn't have a strong concept of redemptive suffering. I didn't understand that Jesus calls me not only to glory, but to suffering. And that it's precisely through willingly taking up our suffering for the sake of Christ that leads to eternal life. This is why the apostles and martyrs went to their sufferings and deaths with joy, for the glory they knew would be theirs.

[thejerichoconnection]

Joe, but the real question is, “Why on earth, at the age of 12, were you watching a televangelist instead of playing with the PlayStation?”

[AlmostCatholic]

I'm protestant in transition to converting. Purgatory is new to me Thanks for clear and interesting teaching.

[HowToBeChristian]

Mike Gendron consistently gets so much wrong, and he seems to either have no interest in learning or he is knowingly lying.

[shylalee]

At 48:50, when you talk about taking up our cross...man alive that was SUCH a frustration for me as a non Catholic Christian. To summarize, the message of faith alone, detachment from spiritual practices because they were seen as "works" and of course, "works" were anathema...so, the murky waters of Protestant teachings were a huge struggle, but the struggle I longed for was that of which you speak (and the Bible speaks) and that was condemned!

[TheShard]

This is the best exposition on Purgatory I've found! Also cool to see the Jewish sources, which I've only seen from a Jewish Friend sharing it with Me.

[gc]

Joe.. this might be my favorite talk on the subject, well done presenting the truth! As always!👏🏻

[jennyohanlon]

Fantastic episode Joe! I know the atheist ones are important but there are so many Christians in the world and I think if we all started studying the faith more and actually living it out it would make a huge difference. Most Christians I know (Bible belt Baptists) claim the title Christian but you would have no idea of it looking at their lifestyles (myself included until converting to Catholicism last year). I think the once saved always saved and "it doesn't matter if you sin Jesus has already forgiven you", leads so many Christians astray and is used as a license to sin. If all Christians started acting like Christians I believe that would change the world. Off to listen to the one on beauty now! Keep up the great work Joe! ❤

[davidfabien]

Very enlightening. What a blessing!
1 Corinthians 13:12 At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.

[stooch]

Joe is just tremendous, in every way. God bless him.

[geoffjs]

I gained a better under of Purgatory by reading Luke 12:37-40 relating to when the master returns finding his servants in varying forms of readiness. The first servant, being faithful earns Heaven, the second servant is unfaithful & goes to Hell, whereas the other two servants are punished for their sins ie purgatory

[ToddJambon]

I love the bit about how just because Maccabees isn't in Protestant Bibles, doesn't mean the events in it didn't happen. They clearly did happen. The overwhelming majority of non-fiction is not in the Bible; but that doesn't make it untrue.

[applin]

As a new Catholic these videos are invaluable, thank you 🙏🏻

[zackrome]

Honestly, your work is the most clear, concise, and fruitful in the way of Catholic apologetics

[playdoughmaster]

I was talking with a friend who thinks Catholics aren’t Christians (neither of us are currently Catholic) She claimed that purgatory was used by Catholics to get away with continually sinning, but she also claimed that Catholics rely completely on good works (amongst many other bogus claims which usually were left without evidence) at the time I didn’t agree with purgatory really, but after hearing more about what Catholics actually believe it becomes very reasonable

[jakejordan]

Since there was no punctuation in Scripture, Jesus words could have been as such: "Truly, I say to you today, you will be with me in Paradise." The punctuation changes the time period.

[anthonymarchetta]

Logically speaking, one certainly can pray for the dead if one does not believe in Purgatory. Think of it like this:

1) God is outside of time

2) God can apply the fruits of my prayers to the deceased before his death

3) Therefore we should pray for the soul of the deceased

Also, Maccabees being referenced in the New Testament does not necessarily imply that it is canon. The letter of Jude references the book of Enoch, even referencing a prophecy from the book (this is off-topic but this fact means we can't use the fact that Wisdom contains a true prophecy as proof it is Scripture).

Disclaimer: This is one of the best videos on the subject I have ever seen. I am Catholic and believe in Purgatory and that the deuterocanon is Scripture.

[HumanDignity]

Thank you! I’m going to share this with a man in my Catholic Bible study class who converted from Protestantism and was asking some questions about Purgatory.

[andrewscotteames]

Interesting argument. That a denial of purgatory is a demonic lie because it gives us an empty tomb without a cross. I’m going to ponder this more. Nice video.

[katiehav]

Where and what did Luther say about anathema regarding Purgatory?
I couldn't find it.
Awesome presentation!