Bible Questions Answered: Purgatory

Bible Questions Answered:
My church believes in suffering after death, if at death you are not spiritually perfect. Souls stained with venial, forgivable mortal sins, go to purgatory, where they will go through a period of suffering so that they may be cleansed. Is this correct?
Marsha/ Newark, New Jersey

Bible Answers:
Roman Catholics, find the basis of their belief in one of the apocryphal (Fourteen books, rendered as not being canonical by Jews and Protestants,)
book of II Maccabees.

II Maccabees 12:42-45
[42] Betook themselves unto prayer, and besought him that the sin committed might wholly be put out of remembrance. Besides, that noble Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves from sin, forsomuch as they saw before their eyes the things that came to pass for the sins of those that were slain.
[43] And when he had made a gathering throughout the company to the sum of two thousand drachms of silver, he sent it to Jerusalem to offer a sin offering, doing therein very well and honestly, in that he was mindful of the resurrection:
[44] For if he had not hoped that they that were slain should have risen again, it had been superfluous and vain to pray for the dead.
[45] And also in that he perceived that there was great favour laid up for those that died godly, it was an holy and good thought. Whereupon he made a reconciliation for the dead, that they might be delivered from sin.

Also quoted is....
Acts 2:27 KJV
Because thou wilt not leave My soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Speaking of Christ.

Yet the word, “hell,” used here is the Greek word Hades (Hah-dace), the place of departed souls: the grave.

Christ told us about the abode of the dead.
Luke 16:19-31 KJV
[19] There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
[20] And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
[21] And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
[22] And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into
Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
[23] And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
[24] And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
[25] But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
[26] And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
[27] Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:
[28] For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
[29] Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
[30] And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
[31] And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

The righteous dead were in a place called Abraham's Bosom, separated from hell, a place of torment.

At our Lord's resurrection, He took the righteous dead up with Him to heaven.
Now since that time all righteous dead go to heaven to be with the Lord.

Ephesians 4:8-10 KJV
[8] Wherefore He saith, When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
[9] (Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
[10] He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things.

Ephesians 4:8,9 RSV
[8] Therefore it is said, "When He ascended on high He led a host of captives, (Righteous spirits in Abraham's Bosom.)
and He gave gifts to men."
[9] (In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that He had also descended into the lower parts of the earth?

II Corinthians 5:6-8 KJV (Philippians 1:23)
[6] Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
[7] (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
[8] We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Ephesians 2:8,9 KJV
[8] For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
[9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.

(Works, religious or otherwise, do not save in this world, or the next!)

John 17:4 KJV (Christ's Priestly prayer to His Father.)
I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest Me to do.
The work of Redemption, not on going, but forever “finished.”

John 19:30 KJV
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost.
Christ's work of redemption, was completed on the cross.

Romans 8:1 KJV
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Isaiah 1:18 KJV
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Psalm 103:12 KJV
As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.

Micah 7:19 KJV
He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities;
and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

Hebrews 10:14 KJV
For by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Christians are, “made perfect,” by the blood of Christ, a finished work.

I John 1:7 KJV
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.

Not accomplished by man, before or after his death by others..and their sayings of prayers, masses etc.. etc...etc...
Forgiveness of sins, comes by the blood of Christ, and receiving Him as Saviour, in this life.

Hebrews 3:7,8 NLT
7 "...the Holy Spirit says,“Today when you hear His voice,
8 don’t harden your hearts

II Corinthians 6:2 NLT
For God says,“At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.”Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

Hebrews 9:27 KJV
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

See subject listing: Bible Lesson: Salvation Prayer