Purgatory: Rebuttal on Gerry Soliman's Blog

Gerry Soliman

There is no problem there. Nothing unclean will enter Heaven. Those who die as unbelievers will go to hell. But if you die as a believer, you're Heaven bound. No problem there. [Soliman]

Revelation 21:27New International Version (NIV)

²⁷ Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

If we follow Soliman's argument, we can conclude that those people who died (unbelievers of Jesus) are all in hell.

Mahatma Gandhi for example was unbeliever of Jesus... Soliman means that Gandhi is already in hell.

I posted a question on the comment box few weeks ago. But he never approved it or showed it on his blog.

The question was:

How about people who died (unbelievers of Jesus) who lived a VIRTUOUS life? Are they in hell?

Unfortunately, he never leave a reply.

Let us analyze the verse:

St. John said:

Nothing impure will ever enter it...


NOBODY CAN ENTER HEAVEN if he is "DEFILED."


but on the next premise John said:

"nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful"

It is very clear as daylight that no one can enter heaven if he does what is shameful or deceit

If we apply this to the unbelievers of Christ who lived a VIRTUOUS Life or who Lived their Life like a TRUE Christian... then Mahatma Gandhi is in hell. If we follow what Soliman had said...

But St. John told us that no one can enter heaven if he "does what is shameful or deceitful," Rev.21:27

Was Gandhi lived his life deceiving people? or does he lived a shameful life?


Okay, granting for a moment that I am an Arminian I have no problem that can salvation be lost. If I die separated from Christ, I go to hell. So what's the relevance of this to Purgatory? Nothing. [Soliman]

Soliman believed that salvation can be lost... (because of sin, I presume).. but he forgot that there are sins that less shall we say and there are grave sins. The Catholic Church calls these kinds of sins venial and mortal.

The Bible explicitly supports these kinds of sins:

1 John 5:16-17New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. ¹⁷ All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.

That is why Catholics believed in the concept of purgatory its because there are sins that are pardonable by God through prayers... and there are sins that leads to death (unpardonable sins).

For example:
If your brethren died in an accident, he is not prepared for this death. He wasn't able to repent. But he never committed a mortal sin...

Is he already in hell? Nope. Why?

We have to remember that Nothing unclean can enter heaven. Though how small the sin he committed still his is unclean. So he needs to be purified and the Church calls this state PURGATORY...

Jesus taught us that we must strive to be perfect like our Heavenly Father is perfect...Mat.5:48

Imperfections are not allowed in heaven...

We feel unworthy in facing God if we have sin just like what Isaiah felt when he saw a vision of God..

Isaiah 6:1-7 New International Version (NIV)

¹ In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. ² Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. ³ And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”

⁴ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

⁵ “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”

⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷ With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

Isaiah was cleansed through the live coal. His guilt was taken away and his sins was forgiven. Isaiah experienced a purgation (or cleansing; purification).

If someone died in a state of venial sins he must undergone purification so that he may be worthy to live with God in heaven.

The Israelites believed in praying for the dead...Most of the questions might arise from protestants will ask where in the Old Testament that Israelites pray for their dead? or Did Moses prescribed the praying for the dead?

Let us read an article from the internet:

Death and Mourning: upon the death of a Jew, the body is ritually washed and placed in a coffin for burial, generally the day after death. Loved ones observe a seven-day period of mourning called Shiva at which time religious services are held in the home of the bereaved. The anniversary of the death of a parent (Yahrzeit) is observed by lighting a candle and saying a prayer (Kaddish) in memory.

(source: Who are the Jews?)

And I think that nowhere in the Bible that Moses condemned this practice. The same in the New Testament Jesus never mention that praying for the dead is not allowed.

But I remembered a passage in the Bible that Jesus prayed for the dead

John 11:38-44 English Standard Version (ESV)

³⁸ Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. ³⁹ Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” ⁴⁰ Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” ⁴¹ So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” ⁴³ When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” ⁴⁴ The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Protestants don't agree with the canonicity of the book of Maccabees. [Soliman]

Of course, you will not accept the canonicity of the book of Maccabees its simply because it opposes your stand... ehehehehe!

In fact, it can be used as a reference for our doctrine... eheheheh!.. Why? because it is a Historical Book..

But many protestant scholars admit the canonicity of the books in the bible that is being dropped by Luther...They accepted the septuagint where the book of Maccabees is found..But we will not take up this topic for the sake of Purgatory...


The Jews whom Judas Maccabeus is praying for is guilty of idolatry. [Soliman]

Then, you admitted that Judas Maccabeus is praying for the dead... ehehehehe! And it was their tradition to pray for their dead in order to be cleansed from their sinfulness and God will forgive those people who committed idolatry...



Purgatory - where God's mercy and justice meet.




P.S.
Red texts signifies Mr.Soliman's arguments...
"Gerry Soliman"