← Purgatory
1 Corinthians 3:15
Catholic Perspective
Paul is discussing the judgment after death that every human being will one day face, framed in the context of loss and reward. “Each man’s work will become manifest,” writes Paul, “for the Day [of judgment] will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done” (1 Cor. 3:13-14).
Paul then describes a state of being. He cannot be describing hell, because people are being saved there. He is not describing heaven, because there is imperfection being “burned up” there (cf. Heb. 1:13, Rev. 21:27).
Paul is describing a third place, Purgatory: a place (or state of being) where the faithful dead who are in a state of grace but not yet purified of all imperfection go for final purification to prepare them to enter the glory of heaven.
Common Objections
| + | ST. PAUL IS ONLY TALKING ABOUT APOSTOLIC LABORS. |
| + | PAUL NEVER USES THE GREEK WORD FOR “CLEANSE.” |
