Common Objections

Catholic Outlook

Catholic Outlook

Catholic Outlook

Catholic Outlook

__________ Purgatory __________

“Christ paid the full price for our sins on the cross. We do not need to be punished for our own sins.”

Gary Hoge

It is true that Christ completely removed the eternal penalty for our sins. But it is equally true that even when sins have been forgiven, a temporal punishment often remains. An excellent biblical example is the story of King David. As you recall, David committed adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. Bathsheba became pregnant, and David tried to cover his sin by bringing Uriah home from battle, hoping he would have relations with Bathsheba and think the child was his. 

But Uriah would not return to his house while his commander and comrades were sleeping in tents.  So, David sent Uriah back to battle, with secret instructions that Uriah was to be positioned where the fighting was fiercest, then the others were to withdraw so Uriah would be killed. This was done, and sometime later, the prophet Nathan confronted David. He told the king that a rich man had stolen his poor neighbor’s beloved pet lamb and used it to prepare a feast for a guest.

David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

 

Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! … You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own.” (2 Samuel 12:5-7, 9)

David expressed repentance, and Nathan said, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die” (2 Samuel 12:13).

So David was forgiven, but a terrible punishment remained. Nathan told him: “Because by doing this you have made the enemies of the Lord show utter contempt, the son born to you will die” (2 Samuel 12:14). And that’s not all. God also said,

“Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.” This is what the LORD says: “Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel” (2 Samuel 12:10-12).

Although David was forgiven, he was punished for his sins. This pattern remains true in the New Testament also. In 1 Corinthians 11:29-30, the people were sinning by desecrating the Eucharist. As a result God punished them by making them sick, and even killing some. Paul drew this lesson from the punishments inflicted on the Corinthian believers: “When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world” (1 Corinthians 11:32).

In Hebrews 12:5-11, the theme of temporal punishment for sin is expounded:

And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

The chastisement of God is meant for our sanctification. The doctrine of Purgatory simply says that we may suffer some of this chastisement after death. Again, this is not referring to the eternal punishment of sin. If we are saved, that punishment has been removed by Christ. The only punishment we suffer in this life, or in Purgatory, is the temporal punishment of God’s fatherly discipline, the refining fire by which God purifies the dross from our souls. (Zechariah 13:9) and makes us fit to enter the place that “nothing impure will ever enter” (Revelation 21:27).