DOES 1 CORINTHIANS 3:12-15, SPEAK ABOUR PURGATORY?
The Catechism of
the Roman Catholic Church, says the following about Purgatory:
1030 All
who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are
indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo
purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of
heaven.
1031 The
Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which
is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated
her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and
Trent. the tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture,
speaks of a cleansing fire:
As for
certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there
is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against
the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come.
From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this
age, but certain others in the age to come.
CCC, 1030-1031.
WHAT IT
MEANS
What it says in
a few words, is that those who are not perfectly free of sin at the moment of
death, pass through a ‘purifying fire’ that will consolidate their salvation,
making them pure before entering God’s presence. This imperfection is
understood as being the accumulation of ‘venial sins’ and other minor faults
that will be ‘forgiven’ after death.
Section 1031 speaks
of ‘certain texts of Scripture’, and one of them is 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 that
it is used to support this doctrine.
The first letter
to the Corinthians, says this:
“Now if
anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay,
straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it,
because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work
each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation
survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will
suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.”
1Corinthians
3:12-15
ANALYZING
From the
beginning of the letter, we see that Paul is speaking about divisions in the
Church of Corinth.
By the third
chapter, after explaining that himself was the one who planted the seed of the
gospel (Paul was the first to preach there), and Apollos watered, meaning he
continued the work through discipleship, but that they should give thanks to
God who gave the growth of the faith in them (1Cor 3:4-9); Paul delivers a
speech about the responsibility every Christian has to build with their own
actions, over the foundation, Christ Himself, during their lives, because all
work will be tested on ‘the Day’, meaning at the Day of the Last Judgement
(1Cor 3:11-12)
1 - It is
important to notice that this event is said to be for every Christian, as part
of their judgement, including Paul, the Apostles and St Mary, and not only for
the ‘not so holy’ or with ‘venial’ sins (1Cor 3:13).
2 – The event is
a testing as part of the Last Judgement, not before it (on ‘the Day’ -1Cor 3:13).
3 – The event
tests all work, meaning all our actions, good and bad, according to their worth
before God, not sins (1Cor 3:12-13). See also Jesus speaking on the subject
(Luke 8:17).
4 – This ‘fire’
is a symbolic expression of God’s Judgment, and not literal (‘as trough fire’ –
1Cor 3:15).
5 – The event is
a testing, not a punishment or ‘purification’ (1Cor 3:13).
CONCLUSION
The passage of
1Corinthians 3:12-15, lacks all the elements Purgatory claims to be.
Purgatory claims
to be a purifying fire that applies to the non-perfect before entering Heaven.
It implies suffering, that is why their advocates elevate prayers for the souls
in purgatory.
The event that
Paul speaks about, it is a test, applied at the Day of Judgement to every
Christian, regardless of their level of purity or holiness, and does not imply pain
or suffering or purification of any kind.
Omar Flores.
Comments
Post a Comment