Welcome to Apologetics with Carl Kerby!
Today we’re talking about Purgatory.
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Purgatory is a place in-between Heaven and Hell – a temporary residence people go to who aren’t quite good enough for Heaven but aren’t quite bad enough for Hell. Supposedly, faithful Catholics can move these “in-betweeners” into Heaven IF they pray hard AND do enough good works.
But if you’re searching for Purgatory in the Bible, you’ll be looking a long time – BECAUSE IT’S NOT THERE! In fact, the idea of Purgatory wasn’t formed until the Middle Ages, only becoming an official Catholic teaching at the Council of Lyons around 1274 AD.
Truth is, the idea of Purgatory makes eternal life in Heaven dependent on man’s effort rather than God’s grace.
As John MacArthur said, “[Purgatory] offers false hope to millions who anticipate ample time beyond the grave—perhaps eons, if necessary—to achieve their own justification.”
What else is wrong with Purgatory? We’ll discuss that another time.
For additional resources, go to www.hopetools.net. Stay bold!
Carl Kerby is the founder of Reasons for Hope and co-creator of the DeBunked apologetic video series. His radio feature, Fast Facts, is heard weekly on VCY America, Saturdays at 9:25 AM Central.
