Purgatory was a laughing stuff to me, but I chose to take it serious when I discovered the level of havoc it caused to the faith of some new Christian converts. The sponsors of this false teaching used the tools of scriptural misconceptions and after-life testimonies to deceive people that purgatory is real.

Testimony of a Catholic Priest

My heart ached when I read this testimony of a catholic priest:

“On Sunday April 14, 1985, the Feast of the Divine Mercy, I was going to celebrate Mass at a mission church in the north part of Kerala, and I had a fatal accident… My soul came out from my body and I experienced death.

Immediately, I met my guardian angel and he first escorted me to hell.  It was an awful sight!  I saw Satan and the devils, an unquenchable fire of about 2000 degrees Fahrenheit, worms crawling over people screaming and fighting, others being tortured by demons.

The angel told me that all these sufferings were due to unrepented mortal sins. I was surprised when I saw in hell even priests and bishops, some of whom I never expected to see.  Many of them were there because they had misled the people with false teaching and bad example…

After the visit to hell, my guardian angel escorted me to purgatory.  Here too, there are seven degrees of suffering and unquenchable fire.  But it is far less intense than hell and there was neither quarrelling nor fighting.  The main suffering of these souls is their separation from God.  

Some of those who are in purgatory committed numerous mortal sins, but they were reconciled with God before their death.  Even though these souls are suffering, they enjoy peace and the knowledge that one day they will see God face to face… 

Next, my angel escorted me to heaven passing through a big dazzling white tunnel.  I never experienced this much peace and joy in my life.  Then immediately heaven opened up and I heard the most delightful music, which I never heard before.  The angels were singing and praising God…”

How True is this Doctrine?

The testimony of this priest shows that the common attribute of hell and purgatory is fire and suffering. And Bible made it clear that a dead person will either enjoy in heaven or suffer in fire. Thus, purgatory is the same as hell, don’t be deceived!

Purgatory is not a scriptural word, but it was invented by the tradition of men in Catholic. The compendium of the catechism of the Catholic Church, first published in 2005 says: “Purgatory is the state of those who die in God’s friendship; assured of their eternal salvation, but who still have need of purification to enter into the happiness of heaven.”

“The souls being purified in purgatory can be helped. Because of the communion of the saints, the faithful who are still pilgrims on earth can help the souls in purgatory by offering prayers in suffrage for them, especially the Eucharistic sacrifice. They also help them by alms-giving, indulgences and works of penance.”

My findings showed that some denominations that pulled out of Catholic believed in the false teaching, but refused to refer to it as purgatory. They believed the existence of a place or condition of temporary suffering/torment for purification.

The primary motive of the papists towards this false teaching of purgatory is to make more money.

How could a priest/pastor tell you to bring money (for alms-giving and indulgences) so that your dead relative could have mercy for quick transfer to heaven from the purgatory?

Is that related to any teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ?

How could a priest/pastor deceive you so strongly that his relentless prayers could hasten your dead relative’s departure (who died in sin) from a purgatory to heaven?

The wide acceptance of this false teaching made the Catholic Church a wealthy one and the purpose of the early papists was achieved.

Misconception of the Scriptures

Don’t be deceived by the greedy papists who did a misconception of first Corinthians chapter 3 verses 13 to 15 to buttress their false teaching of purgatory. 

“Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building… For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

“Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 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. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” (1Corinthians 3:8-15)

The gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw and fire mentioned in this passage are all figurative expression. It is a metaphor that must not be understood as purgatory.

The passage from verse 12 is talking about doctrines (gold, wood etc.) introduced into the gospel by some ministers. And Paul was teaching that every works of the Ministers shall pass through God’s Holy assessment (fire).

The papists explained this passage as a real fire that punishes people. How could a real fire consume religious rites/doctrines?

Did Jesus talk about Purgatory?

Jesus’ teachings about afterlife were explicit, and He did not mentioned anywhere called purgatory or a place of temporary punishment. According to the book of Matthew chapter 7 verse 13 and 14, Jesus did not mention two ways of getting to heaven.

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

The narration of Jesus Christ as regards poor Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31) showed that a soul can either be in a place of rest or a place of torment. Jesus would have mentioned purgatory in His teachings if a temporary place of punishment is in existence.

Papists Undermines the Salvation of Jesus

It is antichrist to preach purgatory to anyone. The teaching nullifies the power of salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. He shed His blood on the cross as a living sacrifice to clean the sins and punishment of anyone who believes in Him.

John chapter 3 verse 16 says: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

If you confess your sins and believe in the salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ, then you have nothing to do in purgatory.

Prayer for Souls in Purgatory

You are wasting your hard earned money if you pay your priest/pastor to pray for your dead relative. No prayer can ever be answered for the dead because judgment takes its course immediately. Hebrew chapter 9 verse 27 say: “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment…”

Don’t allow the false teaching of purgatory to lure you into a careless lifestyle. There is no repentance in Hades. No Eucharistic sacrifice can save the dead sinners.

Hebrew chapter 10 verses 26 and 27 says: “For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries”.

Purgatory is a bunch of lie. I am privileged to have encounter with God, and He did not say that there is a place for temporary punishment before entering heaven. The LORD emphasized the existence of Fire and Heaven to me. So, you won’t miss heaven if you stay firm in God’s holiness.