Saints LightIs Purgatory in the Bible?
Purgatory is the final cleansing of people who die in God's friendship but are not yet fully healed; it is rooted in Scripture and in the ancient practice of praying for the dead.
What this lesson teaches
- Everyone in purgatory is saved; it is purification, not a second chance.
- Purgatory applies Christ's complete sacrifice; it does not add to it.
- Scripture points to it in 1 Corinthians 3, Matthew 12 and 2 Maccabees 12.
- Christians have prayed for the dead from the earliest centuries.
Catechism paragraphs this lesson cites
- CCC 958
- CCC 1030-1032
- CCC 1479
CCC means the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Saints Light teaches it in its own words and never quotes it. Look up any paragraph in a printed copy or at vatican.va. See every lesson by paragraph in the Catechism index.
Scripture read in this lesson: 2 Maccabees 12:46 (2 Machabees 12:46 in Douay-Rheims); 1 Corinthians 3:15; Revelation 21:27 (Apocalypse 21:27 in Douay-Rheims).
A sample question from this lesson
Who is in purgatory, according to Church teaching?
- People who rejected God but get a second chance
- People who died in God's friendship and are being purified before heaven
- Only people who committed murder
- Unbaptized babies
Show the answer
People who died in God's friendship and are being purified before heaven. Everyone in purgatory dies in God's grace and is assured of salvation, but still needs purification (CCC 1030-1031).
The lesson in the app has three questions, each with an explanation.
Words to know
- Purgatory
- The final purification after death of those who die in God's grace but are not yet fully purified.
More terms in the Catholic glossary. More passages in the Scripture index.
Read the full lesson in the app
"Is Purgatory in the Bible?" is lesson 10 of Answers to Hard Questions. In Saints Light you get the whole teaching, the Scripture quoted in full, all three questions and a step to live it this week.
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Related lessons
- What Is Purgatory, and Where Does It Come From? (The Last Things)
- The End of the Story: Death, Judgment and Heaven (Start Here, free)
- and life everlasting. Amen. (The Creed, free)
- the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints (The Creed, free)