"while the orphan's Kaddish within the eleven months helps the soul to pass from Gehinnom to Gan 'Eden, the Jahrzeit Kaddish elevates the soul every year to a higher sphere in paradise"The Kaddish makes clear the practise of praying for the dead exists outside of Catholicism. The example of this, and its practise through out history makes it abundantly clear, that prayers for the dead were not a Catholic innovation. Rather, through later innovations by the Reformers, it was abandoned. The reason for this was the false claim that the Catholic practise of praying for the dead was based solely on Maccabees. This clearly ignores the practise of the Jewish people of the era when the claim was made, the history of the Jewish people and the fact that The Kaddish is still practised to this day. Also found on Jewish Encyclopedia.com...
"as in the teaching of the Shammaites: "In the last judgment day there shall be three classes of souls: the righteous shall at once be written down for the life everlasting; the wicked, for Gehenna; but those whose virtues and sins counterbalance one another shall go down to Gehenna and float up and down until they rise purified; for of them it is said: 'I will bring the third part into the fire and refine them as silver is refined, and try them as gold is tried' [Zech. xiii. 9.]; also, 'He [the Lord] bringeth down to Sheol and bringeth up again'" (I Sam. ii. 6)."Found in Rosh HaShanah, in The Talmud (A link to The Jewish Virtual Library)
We have learned in a Boraitha: The school of Shammai said: There are three divisions of mankind at the Resurrection: the wholly righteous, the utterly wicked, and the average class. The wholly righteous are at once inscribed, and life is decreed for them; the utterly wicked are at once inscribed, and destined for Gehenna, as we read [Dan. xii. 2]: "And many of them that sleep in the dust shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." The third class, the men between the former two, descend to Gehenna, but they weep and come up again, in accordance with the passage [Zech. xiii. 9]: "And I will bring the third part through the fire, and I will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried; and he shall call on My name, and I will answer him." Concerning this last class of men Hannah says [I Sam. ii. 6]: "The Lord causeth to die and maketh alive, He bringeth down to the grave and bringeth up again." The school of Hillel says: The Merciful One inclines (the scale of justice) to the side of mercy, and of this third class of men David says [Psalms, cxvi. 1]: "It is lovely to me that the Lord heareth my voice"; in fact, David applies to them the Psalm mentioned down to the words, "Thou hast delivered my soul from death" [ibid. 8].Rabbi Shammai was one of the two main teachers of early rabbinical Judaism, and lived from 50 BC until 30 AD. This means his teachings pre-date Christianity. These two examples show with out a doubt two things. The first, as stated, is that the idea of purgation (though not called Purgatory) is irrefutably a pre-Christian, Jewish idea, thus can not be a Catholic invention. The second is that, contrary to the belief and claims of the opponents of Purgatory, the doctrine is not based on a passage from Maccabees. Thus, the claim that the doctrine was based on a questionable passage, becomes moot and fallacious. An interesting parallel is the use of candles. This has been called a Catholic practice but there is for The Jewish people the use of the Jahrzeit candle, which is kept burning for twenty-four hours. A quote from Jewish Encyclopedia.com says "Some authorities pronounce this light to be of Christian origin (Güdemann, "Gesch." iii. 132). Aaron Berechiah of Modena explains that the burning wick in the candle is like the soul in the body, and "man's soul is the candle of God" (comp. Prov. xx. 27)" This perspective of the afterlife states that a soul descends to Gehinnom for a period of 12 months. After this the soul is either cleansed and ready to enter Heaven, or continues to be damned. There are different schools in what happens to the truly wicked and damned afterwards however. One says that they sink lower into hell and remain. The other says that the souls of the truly wicked are utterly destroyed and "turned to ash." This is supported by Ezechiel 28:18.
18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thy iniquities, and by the iniquity of thy traffic: therefore I will bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, to devour thee, and I will make thee as ashes upon the earth in the sight of all that see thee.This idea of annihilationism makes clear that (in some circles anyway) the idea of Purgatory (in what ever language or perception there of) is not a new idea. Rather the idea of Hell and eternal damnation there is. There two schools of thought, while differing on their views on the ultimate fate of the truly wicked, they do have a parallel. Both of these schools of thought state that the soul is cleansed after death. One says that the wicked are utterly destroyed so there is only cleansing and not eternal punishment. What happens to the truly wicked after death aside, this makes it clear to see the idea of cleansing is an old idea. Other sources mentioned the concept of people being either being damned or redeemed/punished/purified along a path in the afterlife. One's own sins would be the measures. Demons would test the soul. These facts say that neither the concept of praying for the dead, nor the concept of purification/punishment/redemption after death are relatively new ideas. From a Christian perspective we should consider Christ's words in Matthew 5:17 "Do not think that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill." Now, it is easy to have a hind sight point of view and say this now. However, scriptural evidence can be presented.
19 All that shall see thee among the nations, shall be astonished at thee: thou art brought to nothing, and thou shalt never be any more.
This differs from the previous nine in that it is part of the deuterocanonical books. For the most part this book is accepted only by The Catholic and Orthodox churches. It is however largely accepted as a history book in The Jewish community. Also to a lesser degree it is accepted by various Protestant denominations. So there we have ten readings. Nine of them exist in the scriptures shared by Jews, Catholics, Eastern Orthodox and Protestants. This establishes clear evidence that the idea of purgation and prayers for the dead are pre-Christian. The fact that these practices existed, and still exist show clearly that it is not a Catholic invention. Rather, the idea and practice predates Christianity entirely. From these facts, we can see Purgatory is not new or a "Catholic idea" but also that to deny this would also take away from many time honoured Jewish traditions and beliefs. As already established, Christianity was based in Judaism, so the history and beliefs of Judaism must be considered.
However, while Maccabees is not part of what some denominations call Biblical canon, there is a perceived similarity between 2 Maccabees 12:44 and 1 Corinthians 15:29;29 Otherwise what shall they do that are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not again at all? why are they then baptized for them?To consider this a similarity, we must consider the context. Baptism stems from the ancient Jewish ritual of Mikvah, which restored purity. John the Baptist for example was baptising people in the Nazarite tradition. It we re-examine the passage St.Paul wrote while taking this into consideration, we may understand it as (re-interpreted) "Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are ritually purified for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people ritually purified for them?" We can see that people were acting on behalf of the dead in the New Testament, and "thinking well and religiously concerning the resurrection." It should also be noted that the fact that Maccabees is not part of "common cannon" is often cited by the opponents as reason why the doctrine is false. However, this passage makes no mention of Purgatory at all. It is a Biblical example of prayer for the dead. One of several. The idea of prayer for the dead strongly alludes to the idea that death is not a permanent barrier and ultimate conclusion, since as Maccabees states, it would be futile to pray for whom there was no hope. This passage doesn't mention the afterlife besides the mention of the resurrection. Citing this as an example against Purgatory really only serves to divert attention from the passages that do speak of purgation. Such as Micah 7:9 which states we will both bare wrath for our sin, and be brought into the light. Such as Zechariah 13:9 which plainly states that nature in which we are refined. Let us also think as we consider the Old Testament, the passage Genesis 1:26, and how it is relevant to the purgatorial fire. In this passage, we are told how God made us in His image. We can look to the end of the first chapter of Genesis and see "And God saw all the things that He had made, and they were very good." God loves us all, and He loves us too much to leave us as we are, and currently we are flawed and sinful. Why are there such frequent mentions of fire in The Bible? To anyone to knows even a little about metal working (and to borrow a line) ;
He knows the process is complete when He can see His own Image reflected in the silver.
God said "Let Us make mankind in Our Own Image and Likeness."
Why No Protests? Whenever a date is set for the "invention" of Purgatory, you can point to historical evidence to show the doctrine was in existence before that date. Besides, if at some point the doctrine was pulled out of a clerical hat, why does ecclesiastical history record no protest against it? A study of the history of doctrines indicates that Christians in the first centuries were up in arms (sometimes quite literally) if anyone suggested the least change in beliefs. They were extremely conservative people who tested a doctrine’s truth by asking, Was this believed by our ancestors? Was it handed on from the apostles? Surely belief in Purgatory would be considered a great change, if it had not been believed from the first—so where are the records of protests? They don’t exist. There is no hint at all, in the oldest writings available to us (or in later ones, for that matter), that "true believers" in the immediate post-apostolic years spoke of Purgatory as a novel doctrine. They must have understood that the oral teaching of the apostles, what Catholics call tradition, and the Bible not only failed to contradict the doctrine, but, in fact, confirmed it.So quite to the contrary, we have early Christians such as St. Augustine, Cyprian of Carthage, Clement of Alexandria, Lactantius, Cyril of Jerusalem, St. John Chrysostom (who is listed as a Church Father), and Gregory of Nyssa (to name a few) making mention of it. Why else could these people have written about it unless they believed? How else could they have (consistently) spoken of Purgatory unless they all had been taught about it by previous generations of Christians? The very fact that we have the example of early Christians who still prayed for the dead proves with out a doubt, their belief in Purgatory. Why would you pray for a person lost to Hell, or already in the paradise that is Heaven? Would it not be redundant and futile? The inscriptions on tombs in the catacombs show how commonly early Christians asked for prayers for the dead. St.Monica asked her son (St.Augustine) while on her death bed, to pray for her when ever he went to Mass. However, these people lived after the time of Christ's ministry on Earth. Again we will have to look to scripture.
"After this many of his disciples went back; and walked no more with him."Now this issue was not over Purgatory, but it establishes Jesus had no fear of speaking a message that others may not want to hear. Neither did people have a problem in ceasing to follow Christ should they hear such a message. Which is another curiosity since in Matthew 5 (Matthew 5:26 is also listed as a possible reference to purgation) Jesus challenged several previously held beliefs including divorce. If ever there was a time to challenge an "incorrect idea" and say it was wrong, as some believe Purgatory to be, that was the time. That time would come again in Matthew 23. At this time Christ admonished the people to follow the good doctrine, not the bad example of the scribes and Pharisees. Again, a daring move since this was established authority. Also another curiosity. We come across the name Zechariah again.
34 Therefore behold I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them you will put to death and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city:Christ referred to Zechariah as a prophet. A prophet He sent. In this passage He warned against hypocrisy and false teaching. Again, if there was a time to rebuke the false teachings (if any) of a prophet (particularly one Jesus mentioned by name, one who spoke of purging fire) this was it. To the contrary, Jesus said (in Matthew 5:17, The Expounding Of The Law) that He was not there to destroy the prophets or the law but to fullfill. That is not as to say, Jesus did not display a difference of opinion with teaching of the past. He did however make it clear that He was there to fullfill. Jesus also referred to Zechariah as a prophet. Other opportunities had been presented to discuss and refute an alleged false teaching as the spiritual forge. However, this was not done. Of note also are 1 Corinthians 3:13, 1 John 5:16 and 1 Peter 3:18 in which there are concepts of the soul after death. Praying for or preaching to a soul after death. Let us review 1 Peter 3:18. Are people imprisoned in Heaven? Now look at Luke 12. Are people beaten and whipped in Heaven? The answer to both of these questions, of coarse, is no. Let us review 1 Peter 3 again. Are people released from Hell? No. Hell is an equal punishment for all in it, so how (as described in Luke 12) can there be differing "punishments?" Since no one is afflicted or imprisoned in Heaven, or released from Hell, 1 Peter 3 must refer to something other than the two. Since Hell is simply (for lack of a "better" word to describe is uniformity) Hell, how can those who sinned out of ignorance be given a different punishment? There must be something else for them.
35 That upon you may come all the just blood that hath been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just, even unto the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachias, whom you killed between the temple and the altar.
Matthew 22:31 "And concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken by God, saying to you:1 Corinthians 12:13 and Romans 8:38-39 has made it clear that we are baptised into one body and nothing, not even death, can separate us from that. Why then, if God is the God of only the living, and we are all in one body that we can not be separated from, even in death, should we not pray for the dead? Or more appropriately, those who have been called from this life.
32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living."
Luke 12:2 "For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed: nor hidden, that shall not be known.Wouldn't this create a greater need for Purgatory? Again, should we believe that these impurities be taken into Heaven as well? No. It has already been stated that nothing defiled will enter Heaven. If we were to believe that we were unable to be cleansed after death, than no one could enter heaven, for we are all sinners. If we sinned, right until the moment of death, we would be unclean. There must be some manner of purification. Another interesting point about the mention of Jesus being The Lamb of God, who would take away the sin of the world, is it was spoken by John The Baptist in the Gospel of John chapter one, The Baptism of Christ. If you look to Luke 3 we see another account of Jesus' baptism. In Luke 3, John says;
3 For whatsoever things you have spoken in darkness, shall be published in the light: and that which you have spoken in the ear in the chambers, shall be preached on the housetops."
Luke 3:16 "I indeed baptize you with water; but there shall come one mightier that I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to loose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:It may be difficult to understand the signifigance of this passage with out understanding the regenerative nature of baptism. To understand, we can look to Matthew 3 and Luke 3 in which it is mentioned the baptism for the remission of sins, people confessing their sins as they were baptised. Baptism is the return to purity and the offering up to God. The chaff of wheat is the husk or shell that is thrown away. Much like our sin and iniquity is taken away. Here we have a mention of being baptised with fire, and "the chaff" being burned. A common argument against Purgatory is that of the penitent thief, who was crucified beside Jesus. Jesus said to him "Amen I say to thee, this day thou shalt be with me in paradise." Also remember however, this man died in a state of paying for his Earthly sins. He said in Luke 23:40;
17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his barn; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
40 But the other answering, rebuked him, saying: Neither dost thou fear God, seeing thou art condemned under the same condemnation?The penitent thief not only acknowledged his sin, but acknowledged he was on his cross as a repayment of his sin. Many Protestant denominations believe in a concept of Glorification, which has been described (in contrast to Purgatory) as "While purgatory deals with the means by which the elect become perfect, glorification deals with the elect becoming perfect." For those denominations, glorification is the completion of sanctification. An Evangelical definition of the Glorification can be found at Crosswalk.com. Here they mention; - it will be wrought in us through our affliction and suffering (Romans 8:17; 2 Corinthians 4:17; 2 Timothy 2:10-11)
41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this man hath done no evil.
42 And he said to Jesus: Lord, remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdom.
Sinless at Glorification—Perfection in the fullest sense of the word "sinless" comes for the first time at the appearing of Jesus, when we will receive immortality and will no longer be subject to the passions of the sinful nature and Satan's deceptive temptations of Satan.Another description of The Glorification (from 1 way 2 God.net) is;
The Bible is clear that at the coming of Christ all believers (those who are alive at the time and those who had died previously) will receive immortal "resurrection bodies". These bodies will be imperishable, glorified, powerful and spiritual (this "spiritual" means Spirit-led, not non-physical). Glorification then is simply a return to the way God had created us: perfect.C.S.Lewis also believed in and spoke of The Glorification and the forms people would take once glorified. Which is interesting for he also said openly that he believed in Purgatory. Wouldn't this be considered a contradiction? Perhaps not. The idea of Purgatory in its etymology does not refer to destruction or pain, but cleansing. Remember in Zechariah 13:9 in which "the third part" was brought into fire and refined "as silver is refined, and will test them like gold is tested." Note, not tormented or destroyed. Refined. Note also the use of the terms likening the end result to precious metals, for the soul is precious. And in the end they would call upon God. "They will call on my name, and I will hear them. I will say, 'It is my people;' and they will say, 'Yahweh is my God.'" In a way the two ideas compliment each other more than contradict. One, as stated, deals with becoming perfect but the other deals with the means in which this is achieved. The idea of Purgatory (in Catholicism) is that only the saved would go through this process. There is no change in the "saved status" of the soul. They must be saved to even achieve Purgatory. And they desired it so that they may be made perfect, and ready to be with God. Also referred to as The Final Theosis. They would be in the friendship of God and have their impurities purged away. There is clear evidence in Zechariah that this notion was achieved by fire. Perhaps this notion seemed more like a punishment or damnation and has created the disparity. Also remember that Catholicism teaches that Jesus' death on the cross is what made this possible. That Purgatory is not in addition to the Crucifixion but "powered by" The Blood of Christ. In 1 Peter 3:18-20 we see the mention of Christ dying for the sins of man but also preaching to those in prison. The death and resurrection was for all men, for all time. Christ's death on the cross was the price that made the grace available to all. In 1 Peter 3:19 we read "In which also coming He preached to those spirits that were in prison:" This is when the doors of Heaven were opened for those who died before such time, the way made available to them by Jesus. The Apostles Creed speaks of how Jesus descended to the dead. Article three of the 39 Articles says that Jesus descended into Hell, but more likely this is reference to Sheol. If the doors of Heaven were opened to those who were merely held until raised up from Sheol, why did the prophet Zechariah speak of a purging fire? One that would test and refine the soul? Unless perhaps they were still due to pass through such a cleansing fire. A completion in the progression to Heaven. Or should we believe that this was a meaningless passage or a contradiction? The idea of Purgatory or The Final Theosis is not that the work of Jesus was not sufficient, but that this is the completion of being made ready. So there is no contradiction. These were things made possible by the fact that Jesus died for us. Not in addition because of insufficiency. That it was for all men of all time. Not just those who lived after His ministry on Earth, or that the purging fire was only for those who lived before Christ preached on Earth. A Protestant perspective is "the traditional (Protestant) view, all the dead are damned or saved. If they are damned, prayer for them is useless. If they are saved, it is equally useless." When is it then that a soul is judged? Immediately after death or at the end of time? What of those who died before the arrival of Christ? If Jesus goes before us, and prepares a place for us in Heaven, what of those who were born and died before Him? They were already dead. Should they be denied salvation? Was any action taken on their behalf futile? What of those born after The Ascension? Is not the action of Christ to act on their behalf as well? Can we not then determine that this one action was to transcend the boundaries of time? Wasn't Jesus Christ here to defeat death itself? Doesn't this make the (mortal) human perception of time and death relative? The Jewish perception has always been "life after life." What of the Christian perception? The fate of the faithful, before or after The Life, Death and Resurrection of Christ. So, again, for those denominations who believe in it, the completion of sanctification is called the Glorification. The Eastern Orthodox Church calls it The Final Theosis. For Catholics, it is called Purgatory.
16 The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus: because he hath often refreshed me, and hath not been ashamed of my chain:The context of this passage seems to indicate that Onesiphorus was dead, as it was written is past tense. Also because St.Paul blesses Onesiphorus' house, rather than Onesiphorus himself. Also of note in this chapter is the passage "But is now made manifest by the illumination of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath destroyed death, and hath brought to light life and incorruption by the gospel." The Judeo-Christian practice of showing religious concern for the dead seems universal. While some groups will fervently deny it, all faiths show concern for the dead, as all faiths have religious funeral rites. The perception of the dead, and death for many seems to remain limited to that of a human who sees it as a boundary. One that once crossed, can not be transcended again. Again, this perception of the dead should also be considered. In Matthew 22:31 we can read;
17 But when he was come to Rome, he carefully sought me, and found me.
18 The Lord grant unto him to find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou very well knowest.
Matthew 22:31 "And concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken by God, saying to you:1 Corinthians 12:13 and Romans 8:38-39 has made it clear that we are baptised into one body and nothing, not even death, can separate us from that. Why then, if God is the God of only the living, and we are all in one body that we can not be separated from, even in death, should we not pray for the dead? Or more appropriately, those who have been called from this life. Opponents to the doctrine of The Final Purification has cited Luke 16:26 as evidence of the inefficaciousness of prayer/sacrifice for the dead, and the intermediary state;
32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living."
26 And besides all this, between us and you, there is fixed a great chaos: so that they who would pass from hence to you, cannot, nor from thence come hither.This gap however refers not to that gap between life and death, but Heaven and Hell. Or in this case, between Abraham's Bosom and Hell. This serves to argue in favour of an intermediary state and Purgatory two fold. It shows that there is such a thing (as anyone with faith, or merely backed by the belief of Biblical inerrancy can agree). Also that while being an intermediary state, it is not a "middle state," but a path to Heaven. Should death be a barrier that there is no way around, why do we have so many examples of people being raised from the dead? Jesus rose Lazarus after having said plainly "Lazarus is dead." This happened in John 11. Jesus prayed, and Lazarus was risen. Granted, this may seem like special circumstances for Jesus had done this, however we have other examples. St.Peter prayed next to a girl named Tabitha who had died, and she was raised from the dead (Acts 9). She was dead. St.Peter prayed for her and she was raised. This is an example of prayer for the dead, even though she was raised. She was dead at the time he prayed for her. There are other such examples of people being raised from the dead. We should also remember the passage in Hebrews 11:35;
35 Women received their dead raised to life again. But others were racked, not accepting deliverance, that they might find a better resurrection.Perhaps we should also pray for our dead, that they may receive a greater resurrection. That is, the one in the world to come. The Bible is full of examples of resurrection and the dead returning. Such as at The Transfiguration when Moses and Elijah were seen with Christ on the mountain. Perhaps we should rethink our perception of death as an ultimate end and barrier.
- God made us in His Image (Genesis 1:26) and we are to be perfect for He is perfect (Matthew 5:48)
- The Presence of God and His actions, also those of His angels, are like fire (Zechariah 13:9, Isaiah 4:4; 6:5-7, Nahum 1:6, Luke 3:16, Acts 2:3-4)
- purification will come in the form of fire (Isaiah 4:4, Isaiah 6:5-7, Daniel 12:10, Zechariah 13:9, Luke 3:16, 1 Corinthians 3:13-15, Hebrews 12:29)
- nothing impure will enter Heaven (Matthew 22:11-13, Revelations 21:27)
- our suffering and tribulations are part of Christian life and progression towards Heaven (Romans 8:17; 2 Corinthians 4:17; 2 Timothy 2:10-11)
- sin will not simply be covered (Luke 12:2-3) but must be removed (John 1:29)
- there are varying degrees of sin (Leviticus 4:2, 1 John 5:16)
- forgiveness is free gift to us as a result of Christ's passion, death and resurrection, but repentance, penance and discipline are the onus of the faithful, not automatic. God loves us and forgives us, but disciplines us as a Good Father (Hebrews 12:5-11). Such discipline can be applied even after being forgiven (Numbers 20:12, Numbers 27:12-14, 2 Samuel 12:7-14)
- there is a "place" in the after life that is neither Heaven or Hell called Sheol/Abraham's Bosom (Genesis 37:35 , 1 Samuel 2:6, Luke 16:22) and it is a path to and before Heaven, not a "middle state" (Luke 16:26). Thus, to be dead does not always mean to go straight to judgement, and then Heaven or Hell.
- some people go straight to Heaven (Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9) and others may be held in Sheol (Genesis 37:35, Luke 16:22)
- the doctrine of Purgatory existed before Christianity
- the doctrine of praying for the dead existed before Christianity
- neither the doctrines of Purgatory or prayer for the dead belong only Catholicism, and have even found themselves (to varying degrees) in Protestantism
- neither praying for the dead of Purgatory (contrary to the insistence of the Reformers) were based solely on Maccabees, but consistent Biblical evidence in both the Old and New Testaments
"An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain defined conditions through the Church's help when, as a minister of Redemption, she dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions won by Christ and the saints."The idea could simply be confusing to some when there is a mention of time. The mention of time was commonly (and incorrectly) believed by some to be a reference to the amount of time out of Purgatory. The reference to time is in fact a reference the amount of time someone might "work off" their penance here on Earth for a temporal sin. For example, if a person steals $5 off of their friend, he would be required to confess but also to return the $5. If he can't, he should work it off, for a length of time it took the person to earn $5. Indulgences are similar in that they are a temporal punishment to make amends for sin on Earth. There are many examples of a sin carrying both an "eternal punishment" and a "temporal punishment." While Jesus died for our sin, and God has forgiven us, a temporal punishment may remain. See Hebrews 12:5-11. As early as Genesis 3, we see the temporal punishment of Adam and Eve, that would be inherited by all men and women. Also when Moses was forbidden from entering the Holy Land because he killed one of his own people. Or in 2 Samuel 12:7-14 (2 Kings 12:7-14), God forgave David but David still had to suffer the loss of his son, among other temporal punishments. These are just a few examples, but see: Numbers 14:13-23; 20:12 for others. Also important to remember is that by decree of Pope Pius V, following the Council of Trent, it is forbidden to attach the receipt of an indulgence to any financial act, including the giving of alms. That means The Catholic Church not only frowns upon the receipt or donation of money for an indulgence, but forbids it as well. This is contrary to what was read in Maccabees (which is cited as the "biggest" evidence to Catholics of Purgatory, though other passages can be read, not that indulgences and the living had anything to do with the afterlife), in which silver was offered up to Jerusalem, and prayers were said for the dead. The Catholic Church has, to the contrary, stated that this will not be done for money, or even charity, to prevent the illusion that one can buy their way into heaven or just out of hell. We can see that not only is an indulgence not a financial transaction, the concept has very little, if not nothing at all, to do with Purgatory. While discussing the idea of time and how people confused the time mentioned when talking about indulgences with Purgatory, we should remember one thing. The Catholic Church has not openly said exactly how long a "stay in" Purgatory lasts. Even to the point in which it hasn't ruled out the possibility that it is instantaneous. While there have been many varied opinions by many theologians, no official declaration about the amount of time has been made. While there is a consistency between Old and New beliefs in purgation, there are differences as well. Jewish websites used to research this have often mentioned and compared their idea of purgation in Gehinnom to the "Christian idea of Purgatory." A marked difference to consider is this. Many Jewish beliefs state that Gehinnom is like hell, and one can be purged or damned in it. The Catholic idea of Purgatory states that it is not a so much place, as a state of being. A process or state of cleansing and preparation for those Heaven bound (and only Heaven bound) to be made ready. Common belief (between non-believers of Purgatory or those not educated on the subject) is that it is a place, and a "midway between heaven and hell." Such an idea could easily confuse the casual observer. Also, Catholicism does not consider Purgatory to be in Hell as Judaism does. Some descriptions even consider it to be more of a place in Heaven. Other misconceptions are that it is a place of fire and pain. Jewish beliefs state that part of the stay is in ice, the other in fire. Some references speak of it being like walking through warm milk. Both St. Clement of Alexandria and his pupil, Origen, said the fire was neither a material thing nor a metaphor, but a "spiritual fire". God, His presence and His actions through out the Bible have been described as being like fire. Such as the burning bush. Or the tongues of fire that descended upon the Apostles (Acts 2:3). A good analogy to help envision the Jewish ideas of Gehinnom and the Christian idea of Purgatory, and the difference between them and Hell would be the difference between swimming across and cleaning off in river, as opposed to drowning in it. Going across the river because it was in the way, but cleaning off in the process. Then sitting next to a fire to dry off, as opposed to burning in the flame. Another analogy would be this. If you are driving from your house to the store a good distance away, would the car be a place or the means by which you get to the store? Is the car the reason you are going to the store? No. You were already going to the store. The car is in motion along a path thus couldn't be a place. It is a means by which you go to the store. Purgatory has been described as "the cloakroom of heaven, the place you go to get spiffed up before being ushered into the Throne Room." This description could possibly be inspired by Matthew 22, The Parable of the Wedding Feast. It was about many people being inviting to a wedding for the king's son.
11 And the king went in to see the guests: and he saw there a man who had not on a wedding garment.Note Matthew 22:12. It is important to consider the context of this reading, since in that era it was common for people to come to an event, and attire would be provided for them. For The Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, it is considered a thing of beauty that just as wedding garments were provided, a place to be made clean and ready to appear before God is provided. A typical misconception is that Purgatory is just for people who have committed venial sins. We must also remember they must die in the friendship of God. Not in a state of rejecting or blaspheming against God. Turning against, and sinning against God is a sin no matter what its nature is. Thus it is not a matter of the offence simply being minor, but being the acceptance of, and asking of forgiveness from God. It has also been said that The Catholic Church "added to The Bible" by inventing new forms of sin, and a new realm of the afterlife. It has been established already that it is continuing something that is rooted in Judaism, so to the contrary Purgatory (while the perception of it is different) is not new and continuing belief in it is far from an addition. Also is the concept of mortal and venial sins, which has been called another invention and addition. Jewish tradition (according to Jewish Encyclopedia.com and Wikipedia.org) states that there are three kinds of sin. They are;
12 And he saith to him: Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? But he was silent.
13 Then the king said to the waiters: Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the exterior darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Pesha or Mered - An intentional sin; an action committed in deliberate defiance of God;So seen there, The Catholic Church has less categories for sin as was taught in Judaism. Orthodox Churches perception of sin has been likened to that of Judaism. Several Protestant denominations actually have more categories. Such as mortal, venial and eternal. We can also see in 1 John 5:16 the mention of sins that are or are not unto death. Another misconception about Purgatory is that it is strictly a place of pain. Purgatory has often been described as a state of joy, since the soul is in closer union with God than it is here on earth, one experiences correspondingly greater joys. We should rejoice in Purgatory. It is said that the biggest "pain" in Purgatory is the delay in beatification. The Church teaches that there is a desire by the soul to be purged since it is not quite ready to enter Heaven, but knows always that it is Heaven they are heading towards.
Avon - This is a sin of lust or uncontrollable emotion. It is a sin done knowingly, but not done to defy God;
Cheit - This is an unintentional sin, crime or fault.