Mini-MasterClass
IS PURGATORY REAL?
Does it honor—or diminish—the sufficiency of Christ?
🔔 A claim worth examining:
The Catholic Catechism teaches that Purgatory is for “the final purification of the elect.”
✅ Those who “die in God’s grace and friendship” are “assured of eternal salvation.”
➡️ Yet these (the elect) must “undergo purification” after death to gain “the holiness necessary” to enter heaven (CCC 1030–1032).
⚖️ That raises a serious question:
If believers die in grace, abiding in friendship with God,
➡️ Why must they suffer after death to become “holy enough” for heaven?
💗 Because I respect Catholics and the seriousness of faith, I approach this carefully—not casually, nor mockingly. Love does not avoid hard questions. Love examines them.
What Scripture is explicit about:
✅ Grace is a gift—not something completed by pain or earned by works.
🔦 Ephesians 2:8–9
“8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
✅ Righteousness is a gift, received through faith and expressed through works.
It is not earned through torturous treatment or awakened through painful purging.
🔦 Philippians 3:9
“and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;”
🔦 2 Corinthians 5:21
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
✅ Righteousness and holiness are supernatural impartations that infuse the regenerated
spirits of those who are “born again” (John 3:1-7).
🔦 Ephesians 4:24
“and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
➡️ If righteousness is God’s gift “in Christ,” then what debt remains for the “elect” to pay after death?
➡️ If Jesus was “made to be sin” at the time of His crucifixion, can we (believers) “become the righteousness of God in Him” at the time of our salvation?
➡️ Can anything be added to that to make it more complete or more effective?
🔔 The problem with Purgatory’s illogical conclusions:
➡️ If the “elect” must be purified by suffering after death, then Jesus’ suffering and sacrifice were necessary, but not sufficient.
Scripture says the opposite: Jesus Christ’s work was complete and final.
🔦 Hebrews 10:14
“For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”
✅ “Perfected forever” does not mean “perfected later through pain.”
✅ “By one offering” is not “by one offering plus additional punishment.”
What Jesus promised at death
🗝️ Jesus did not teach a third destination for those who die.
He promised immediate fellowship with Him to those who repent and believe.
🔦 Luke 23:43 The Savior’s statement to the thief who died next to Him:
“Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
➡️ Jesus did not say: “After a season of purification you will be ready for the beatific vision.”
He said: “Today you will be with Me.”
If anyone ever needed “extra purification,” it would be a thief dying on a cross for his crime.
➡️ Yet all that was required was repentance, humility, faith, and prayer.
➡️ And so it is for every true Christian.
🔦 Do works ‘tested by fire’ prove the Catholic point of view?
Catholic apologists often cite the following passage to confirm Purgatory’s existence:
🔦 1 Corinthians 3:11–15
“11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
What the passage actually says:
✅ Those referenced in this passage have already laid Jesus Christ as the “foundation” of their lives (v.11)—so this is not about unsaved persons, but true believers— Catholic, Protestant, or non-denominational.
✅ The fire tests each one’s work—not each one’s soul
➡️ This process is not in anticipation of a second atonement. It is a deeper evaluation.
So, what does the “fire” represent if it is not a description of painful purgatorial flames?
Supernatural fire will accompany the return of Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 reveals that “when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels,” He will come “in flaming fire.”
✅This “fire” represents the consuming, overpowering intensity of the divine Presence breaking forth into this realm and His inescapable, divine discernment as the Judge of all mankind. In a split moment, He will assess:
1. The hearts and minds of all human beings (including Christians).
2. If the religious works of His people were driven by wrong motives.
3. If religious works of His people were based on false doctrines.
4. If religious works of His people were performed in truth, in sincerity, and in the will
of God—as an expression of loving devotion.
✅ If the work endures = reward
✅ If the work burns = loss
➡️ Whichever happens, true followers of Jesus will still be “saved.” (v.15)
🔔 In other words: This fire does not punish forgiven sin: it exposes empty labor.
➡️ It determines what was truly built on Jesus Christ— not what must be paid in addition to Jesus’ sacrifice.
➡️ It measures the value of true religious works = “gold, silver, and precious stones.”
➡️ It measures the vanity of false religious works = “wood, hay, and straw.”
This clearly does not transpire over a lengthy period in some mysterious underworld location. Paul said, “the Day will declare it.” What Day (notice the capital letter)?
🗝️The “Day” of Jesus’ return.
🔔 The most important issue: Is Jesus Christ enough?
If Purgatory is necessary to “achieve holiness”…
➡️ then holiness is not fully secured in Christ. Scripture, however, declares that it is God (alone) who will complete His work in His people.
🔦 Jude 1:24
“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.”
💗 My conclusion is simple:
🗝️ The Gospel is not: Jesus saves you, then suffering finishes you.
It is succinct and singular: Jesus saves completely and forever.
🪞 FINAL REFLECTIONS:
🔔 Purgatory did not become “official Catholic dogma” until 1274 A.D. at the Council of Lyons, over 1,000 years after the birth of Christianity. The original church did not believe in it, nor teach it. So . . .
✖️ This isn’t about disrespecting Catholics.
✖️ This isn’t about mocking tradition or sincerity.
✅ It’s about guarding the sufficiency of the cross.
✅ It’s about refusing to add fear-based conclusions to the Good News.
✅ It’s about letting Scripture—not later doctrine—remain the final authority.
🔔 It’s about returning to pure, original Christianity, therefore…
⚖️ Let us test everything carefully.
🗝️ And let us stand firmly on 1 Corinthians 2:2 and 2 Corinthians 3:5:
“Jesus Christ and Him crucified” / “Our sufficiency is of God.”
(All Scripture references are from the New King James Version unless otherwise noted. For a more thorough presentation on Purgatory, look under “Writings.” )