I noted today another fascinating post from Art Sippo, the Catholic lay apologist (and writer of odd pulp fiction stories). Algo had posted a few quotes that demonstrate, as all rational historians recognize, that dogmas like purgatory developed over time, and hence, are not apostolic in origin. Sippo’s response is, once again, classic:

Ah yes, Algo. Spoken like someone who cannot read the Bible himself and must defer to the opinions of others.

Sorry, Charlie. I stand on the words of Scripture. i will quote them for you here so that the readers in this forum may judge for themselves what they mean.

1Cr 3:10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and another man is building upon it. Let each man take care how he builds upon it.
1Cr 3:11 For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1Cr 3:12 Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw–
1Cr 3:13 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.
1Cr 3:14 If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.
1Cr 3:15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

Now I know that Protestants are truly sycophants to any one who has a degree (whether the degree is phony of not). That is because your false religions are based on human pride and arrogance.

But I think that you and your ilk need a reality check here. We are told by St. Paul that on “the DAY” (which is the day of judgment) God will confront us with fire and reward the good that we have done in the light of it while the flames burn away anything not founded in Jesus and his teaching. This is PRECISELY what Catholic teaching says about Purgatory.

The following is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says about Purgatory and this includes the references in the CCC to Scripture and Tradition.
[snip]
Please note that the Catechism — a document produced by consensus of the Bishops for the Catholic Church as a whole – affirms that 1Cor 3:15 refers to Purgatory.

I stand with the Church. You are wrong.

Art

   Let’s consider Sippo’s claims, especially his attempt to interact with 1 Corinthians 3. But before we do, let’s note an interaction I had with an actual Catholic apologist who has standing as a priest:


   So let’s consider Sippo’s claims.

Ah yes, Algo. Spoken like someone who cannot read the Bible himself and must defer to the opinions of others.

   Remember, this is the same man who will close his post by citing the Universal Catholic Catechism. I don’t know, seems very inconsistent to me.

Now I know that Protestants are truly sycophants to any one who has a degree (whether the degree is phony of not). That is because your false religions are based on human pride and arrogance.

   This is called ad hominem argumentation and is irrelevant to the point at hand. But it is classic Sippo anyway.

But I think that you and your ilk need a reality check here. We are told by St. Paul that on “the DAY” (which is the day of judgment) God will confront us with fire and reward the good that we have done in the light of it while the flames burn away anything not founded in Jesus and his teaching. This is PRECISELY what Catholic teaching says about Purgatory.

   Now, as I asked Father Stravinskas, where do you get the idea that this “fire” is in any way related to something that could be called “satispassio,” as Rome does? Purgatory is for those who are headed to heaven: they died in a state of grace. The fire of purgatory (whether taken literally over time, as Rome obviously indicated for centuries on end, or now metaphorically, as the kinder, gentler Rome seems to indicate) is meant to cleanse away the temporal punishments of sins. But this testing in the day of judgment is about the motivations of the works done by Christian leaders. There is nothing here about temporal punishments. Besides, there is only one result of the testing in purgatory: everyone ends up in heaven. But there are two results of this testing: there are those whose works remain, and they receive a reward. And there are those who works are burned up, but they are saved anyway. So could someone tell me how there is anyone in purgatory whose works, upon being tested, are shown to be gold, silver, and precious stones? Aren’t those the godly, the righteous, who receive a reward? But purgatory is for those who have in fact been judged, but, they are judged to have more temporal punishment for sin upon their souls than they have positive merit, so they must be cleansed and prepared through purgatory. So how does one get from a fire that tests works of Christian leaders, demonstrating who did what they did in life for the glory of Christ, to the fire of purgatory that should only be applied to those having temporal punishments of sin? You sure don’t get there by exegesis. Instead, the only way to get this text to teach that kind of theology is by doing what Sippo himself accused Algo of:

Spoken like someone who cannot read the Bible himself and must defer to the opinions of others.

   Physician, heal thyself!

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