Purgatory

Purgatory is not named in the Bible; it is the teaching of the Catholic Church, held in a related form by the Orthodox churches and rejected by Protestant churches, that those who die in God's grace undergo a final purification before entering heaven. Catholic teaching also cites 2 Maccabees 12, a book outside the Protestant canon, and the passages cited for and against the doctrine are listed below.

Passages cited for a purification after death

• 1 Corinthians 3:12-15
  ¹²Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, ¹³Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work. ¹⁴If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as if through the flames.
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• Malachi 3:2-3
  ²But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap. ³And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.And He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the LORD in righteousness.
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• Matthew 12:32
  And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the one to come.
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• Matthew 5:25-26
  ²⁵Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.Reconcile quickly with your adversary, while you are still on the way to court. Otherwise, he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. ²⁶Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
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Passages cited on holiness required for heaven

• Revelation 21:27
  And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
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• Hebrews 12:14
  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.
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Passages cited for prayer for the dead

• 2 Timothy 1:16-18
  ¹⁶The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain:May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he has often refreshed me and was unashamed of my chains. ¹⁷But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.Indeed, when he arrived in Rome, he searched diligently until he found me. ¹⁸The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.May the Lord grant Onesiphorus His mercy on that day. You know very well how much he ministered to me in Ephesus.
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• 1 Corinthians 15:29
  Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?If these things are not so, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them?
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Passages cited for Christ's finished cleansing

• Hebrews 10:14
  For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.because by a single offering He has made perfect for all time those who are being sanctified.
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• Hebrews 1:3
  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
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• 1 John 1:7
  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
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• Romans 8:1
  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
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Passages cited for going directly to the Lord at death

• Luke 23:43
  And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.And Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
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• 2 Corinthians 5:6-8
  ⁶Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:Therefore we are always confident, although we know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord. ⁷(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)For we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.We are confident, then, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
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• Philippians 1:21-23
  ²¹For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ²²But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.But if I go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. So what shall I choose? I do not know. ²³For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:I am torn between the two. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better indeed.
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• Hebrews 9:27
  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment,
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See also

• Death
• Heaven
• Judgment
• Atonement
• Sanctification

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.