Purgatory: 110 Related Biblical Themes

All Bible verses from RSV.

I. One Must be Perfectly Holy to Enter Heaven

Job 4:17 Can mortal man be righteous before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker? 

Job 25:4 How then can man be righteous before God? How can he who is born of woman be clean?

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor sexual perverts, [10] nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, [20] idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, [21] envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 5:5 Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure man, or one who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Hebrews 12:14 . . . the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

Hebrews 12:22-23 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, [23] and to the assembly of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to a judge who is God of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

2 Peter 3:13 But according to his promise we wait for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Revelation 21:27 But nothing unclean shall enter it, nor any one who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Revelation 22:15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murderers and idolaters, and every one who loves and practices falsehood.

II. Prayers for the Dead in Purgatory

2 Maccabees 12:39-40, 42-45 On the next day, as by that time it had become necessary, Judas and his men went to take up the bodies of the fallen and to bring them back to lie with their kinsmen in the sepulchres of their fathers. [40] Then under the tunic of every one of the dead they found sacred tokens of the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbids the Jews to wear. And it became clear to all that this was why these men had fallen. . . . [42] and they turned to prayer, beseeching that the sin which had been committed might be wholly blotted out. . . . [43] He also took up a collection, man by man, to the amount of two thousand drachmas of silver, and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for a sin offering. In doing this he acted very well and honorably, taking account of the resurrection. [44] For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. [45] But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin.

1 Corinthians 15:29 Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf?

Note: St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622), the great Catholic apologist and Doctor of the Church, exegeted this passage in the following way:

This passage properly understood evidently shows that it was the custom of the primitive Church to watch, pray, fast, for the souls of the departed. For, firstly, in the Scriptures to be baptized is often taken for afflictions and penances; as in St. Luke chapter 12 [12:50] . . . and in St. Mark chapter 10 [10:38-39] . . . in which places Our Lord calls pains and afflictions baptism [cf. Matthew 3:11, 20:22-3, Luke 3:16].

This then is the sense of that Scripture: if the dead rise not again, what is the use of mortifying and afflicting oneself, of praying and fasting for the dead? And indeed this sentence of St. Paul resembles that of 2 Maccabees 12:44 [“if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead”]. (The Catholic Controversy, translated by Henry B. Mackey, Rockford, Illinois: TAN Books, 1989, from the 1886 edition (London and New York); originally 1596, 368).

2 Timothy 1:16, 18 May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiph’orus, for he often refreshed me; he was not ashamed of my chains, . . . [18] may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day — and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus.

III. God in Conjunction with Fire 

Exodus 3:1-2, 4 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Mid’ian; and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. [2] And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and lo, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. . . . [4]  When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” 

Exodus 13:21-22 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night; [22] the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. 

Exodus 14:24 And in the morning watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down upon the host of the Egyptians, . . . 

Exodus 19:18 And Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire; and the smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.

Exodus 24:17 Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel.

Numbers 14:14 . . . thou, O LORD, art seen face to face, and thy cloud stands over them and thou goest before them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. 

Deuteronomy 4:11-12 And you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud, and gloom. [12] Then the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but saw no form; there was only a voice.

Deuteronomy 4:24 For the LORD your God is a devouring fire, . . . 

Deuteronomy 4:33, 36 Did any people ever hear the voice of a god speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and still live? . . . [36] Out of heaven he let you hear his voice, that he might discipline you; and on earth he let you see his great fire, and you heard his words out of the midst of the fire.

Deuteronomy 5:4 The LORD spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, 

Deuteronomy 5:22-23 “These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and he added no more. And he wrote them upon two tables of stone, and gave them to me. [23] And when you heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;

Deuteronomy 9:15 So I turned and came down from the mountain, and the mountain was burning with fire; and the two tables of the covenant were in my two hands.

Deuteronomy 33:2 He said, “The LORD came from Sinai, . . . he came from the ten thousands of holy ones, with flaming fire at his right hand.

Nehemiah 9:19  thou in thy great mercies didst not forsake them in the wilderness; the pillar of cloud which led them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night which lighted for them the way by which they should go.

Psalm 50:3 Our God comes, he does not keep silence, before him is a devouring fire, round about him a mighty tempest.

Isaiah 4:5 Then the LORD will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night . . . 

Daniel 7:9-10 As I looked, thrones were placed and one that was ancient of days took his seat; his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, its wheels were burning fire. [10] A stream of fire issued and came forth from before him;

Zechariah 2:5 For I will be to her a wall of fire round about, says the LORD, and I will be the glory within her.

2 Thessalonians 1:7 and to grant rest with us to you who are afflicted, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire,

Hebrews 12:29 for our God is a consuming fire.

Revelation 1:14, 16  . . . his eyes were like a flame of fire, . . . [16] . . . and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

Revelation 2:18 . . . the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire . . . 

Revelation 19:12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, . . . 

IV. God in Conjunction with Light

Isaiah 60:19-20 The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you by night; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. [20] Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, . . . 

Matthew 17:2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light.

1 Timothy 6:16 who alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, . . .

Revelation 22:5 And night shall be no more; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they shall reign for ever and ever.

Revelation 22:16 “I Jesus have sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star.”

V. The Nature and Experience of Direct Encounters with God

Exodus 3:5-6 Then he said, “Do not come near; put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” [6] And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Exodus 34:29-30, 35 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tables of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. [30] And when Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. . . . [35] the people of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone; . . . 

Deuteronomy 5:5, 24-26 while I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD; for you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up into the mountain. . . . [24] and you said, `Behold, the LORD our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire; we have this day seen God speak with man and man still live. [25] Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, we shall die. [26] For who is there of all flesh, that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of fire, as we have, and has still lived?

Deuteronomy 18:16 just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’

Isaiah 6:1-5 In the year that King Uzzi’ah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. [2] Above him stood the seraphim; each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. [3] And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” [4] And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. [5] And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”

Revelation 1:17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand upon me, saying, “Fear not,  . . . ”

VI. Purgatory as a Cleansing, Purifying, Chastising, Sanctifying Process

Leviticus 16:30 for on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins you shall be clean before the LORD.

Numbers 12:1, 9-14 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman; [9] And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them, . . . [10] and when the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. And Aaron turned towards Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. [11] And Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, do not punish us because we have done foolishly and have sinned. [12] Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb.” [13] And Moses cried to the LORD, “Heal her, O God, I beseech thee.” [14] But the LORD said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut up outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again.”

Numbers 31:23 everything that can stand the fire, you shall pass through the fire, and it shall be clean. . . . 

Deuteronomy 8:5 Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the LORD your God disciplines you.

2 Samuel 7:14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. When he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men;

2 Samuel 12:13-14 David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. [14] Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the LORD, the child that is born to you shall die.”

2 Chronicles 7:3 When all the children of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the LORD upon the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the earth on the pavement, and worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, . . . 

Job 5:17-18 Behold, happy is the man whom God reproves; therefore despise not the chastening of the Almighty. [18] For he wounds, but he binds up; he smites, but his hands heal.

Job 23:10 . . . when he has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Psalm 51:2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!

Psalm 51:7, 9-10 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. . . . [9] . . . blot out all my iniquities. [10] Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.

Psalm 66:10-12 For thou, O God, hast tested us; thou hast tried us as silver is tried. [11] Thou didst bring us into the net; thou didst lay affliction on our loins; [12] thou didst let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet thou hast brought us forth to a spacious place.

Psalm 94:12 Blessed is the man whom thou dost chasten, O LORD, and whom thou dost teach out of thy law

Proverbs 3:11-12 My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, [12] for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.

Proverbs 17:3 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the LORD tries hearts.

Proverbs 30:12 There are those who are pure in their own eyes but are not cleansed of their filth.

Isaiah 1:25 I will turn my hand against you and will smelt away your dross as with lye and remove all your alloy.

Isaiah 4:4 . . . the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning.

Isaiah 6:6-7 Then flew one of the seraphim to me, having in his hand a burning coal which he had taken with tongs from the altar. [7] And he touched my mouth, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgiven.”

Isaiah 48:10 Behold, I have refined you, but not like silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.

Jeremiah 9:7 . . . thus says the LORD of hosts: “Behold, I will refine them and test them, . . . 

Jeremiah 30:11 . . . of you I will not make a full end. I will chasten you in just measure, . . . 

Jeremiah 33:8 I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me.

Ezekiel 36:25, 33 I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. . . . [33] . . . On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities . . . 

Ezekiel 37:23 They shall not defile themselves any more with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; . . . 

Daniel 11:35 and some of those who are wise shall fall, to refine and to cleanse them and to make them white, until the time of the end, for it is yet for the time appointed.

Daniel 12:10 Many shall purify themselves, and make themselves white, and be refined; but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but those who are wise shall understand.

Zechariah 13:1 “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness. . . . 

Zechariah 13:9 And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. . . . 

Malachi 3:2-3 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? “For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; [3] he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, till they present right offerings to the LORD.

Judith 8:27 . . . the Lord scourges those who draw near to him, in order to admonish them.

Wisdom 3:1-6 But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. [2] In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be an affliction, [3] and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. [4] For though in the sight of men they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. [5] Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself; [6] like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them.

Sirach 2:5 For gold is tested in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation.

Matthew 3:11 . . . he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. (cf. Luke 3:16)

John 15:2 Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

Romans 5:3-5 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, [4] and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, [5] and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.

Romans 8:17-18 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. [18] I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw — [13] each man’s work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. [14] If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. [15] If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

1 Corinthians 11:32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are chastened so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

2 Corinthians 4:17 For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

2 Corinthians 7:1 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, and make holiness perfect in the fear of God.

Philippians 1:6 And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 2:4 . . . God who tests our hearts.

Titus 2:13-14 . . . our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, [14] who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.

Hebrews 12:5-11 And have you forgotten the exhortation which addresses you as sons? — “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage when you are punished by him. [6] For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” [7] It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? [8] If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. [9] Besides this, we have had earthly fathers to discipline us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? [10] For they disciplined us for a short time at their pleasure, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. [11] For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him.

1 Peter 1:4-7 and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, [5] who by God’s power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. [6] In this you rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials, [7] so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you.

1 Peter 5:10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, and strengthen you.

2 Peter 1:9 For whoever lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

1 John 1:7-9 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. [8] If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 3:2-3 Beloved, we are God’s children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. [3] And every one who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

Revelation 3:19  Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten; . . . 

Revelation 22:14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.

VII. Sanctification is Directly Related to Salvation (Purgatory Continues the Process After Death)

Luke 3:9 . . . every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire [hell].

Acts 15:8-9 And God  . . . [9] . . . cleansed their hearts by faith.

Acts 26:18 . . . those who are sanctified by faith in me.

Romans 6:22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life.

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 . . . may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all men, as we do to you, [13] so that he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly . . .

2 Thessalonians 2:13 . . . God chose you from the beginning to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

1 Peter 1:2 chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ . . .

2 Peter 3:11, 14 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of persons ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, . . . [14] Therefore, beloved, since you wait for these, be zealous to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.

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Summary: I collect 110 Bible passages that contain various elements of the doctrine of purgatory, including fire, cleansing, purifying, chastising, sanctification, prayers for the dead, etc.