Catholic bible 101 purgatory catholicbible101 is the website that explains catholic teachings in plain, easy to understand english. Rome now declares there is scriptural support for purgatory in the apocryphal book of second maccabees. First of all, a careful reading of the text reveals the sin of these men to be carrying small amulets or sacred tokens of the idols of jamnia under their tunics as they were going in to battle. Books of maccabees encyclopedia of the bible bible gateway. Recently i was having a discussion with a roman catholic about purgatory and he brought up an interesting verse from the scriptures which he claims is evidence of purgatory 2 maccabees 3946. The author tells how a number of jews, who had fallen in battle, were found with idolatrous amulets, forbidden by the law, and how judas maccabeus took up a collection and sent the money to jerusalem to have a sacrifice offered for their sin. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from sin.
The first book, although written from a biased perspective, does not directly mention god or divine intervention. Roman catholics will often claim that purgatory is affirmed even before the time of the new testament in the jewish apocryphal book of 2 maccabees. Books of the maccabees paperback april 9, 2014 by king james bible author, douay rheims author 4. After a brief preface summarizing alexanders conquests, death, and successors, the author begins his story with antiochus epiphanes invasion of egypt and subsequent. Maccabees, books of, 35 international standard bible. In his book, a biblical defense of catholicism ms word version, 2001 dave armstrong has a section entitled scriptural evidence for purgatory. It describes the refusal of mattathias to perform pagan religious rites, the ensuing jewish revolt. Third, the catholic teaching regarding purgatory comes from 2 maccabees 12. Why the maccabees arent in the bible my jewish learning. Some people have seen this story as biblical justification for the teaching on purgatory. Jews refer to the maccabees, but the family is more commonly known as the hasmoneans.
But this book tells of sufferings and triumphs on the part of loyal jews comparable to those of the. The roman catholic and eastern orthodox both hold the books of maccabees as sacred, inspired scripture. While the idea of a middle ground may find historical support in other places or seem sensible to many, the fact is that it is not supported by the biblethe very book that. The church used to even sell indulgences to shorten your time in purgatory by a fixed number of days. The books of the maccabees biblical literature britannica. Purgatory and praying for the dead franciscan media.
The second book has a more theological slant, advancing several. This is unfortunate since it is that their bibles have been edited and are missing books. The council ignored the fact that the jewish scribes never recognized the apocryphal books as inspired or part of the hebrew scriptures. And with this article i would like to argue this using scripture, the early church and the catechism. It is further argued that, because evangelicals dont accept this book as canonical, it doesnt impede what is stated in these passages. This doctrine is based on books that dont belong in the bible. Purging purgatory from 2 maccabees it is a common roman catholic argument that 2 maccabees 12. When the battle over purgatory was waged, catholic apologists zeroed in on the second book of maccabees, wherein we meet soldiers who make an offering for. The original hebrew is lost and the most important surviving version is the greek translation contained in the septuagint. Nor is purgatory a late invention of the church, as many protestants claim. Use highlighting, underlining, and take notes while you study the bible. The author of the first book of maccabees regarded the maccabean revolt as a rising of pious jews against the seleucid king who had tried to eradicate their religion and against the jews who supported him. But it is a nonsequitur to conclude from this teaching that ii maccabees could not be referring to a type of purgatory. He then quotes luther responding there is no proof of purgatory in any portion of sacred scripture, for the book of maccabees not being in the canon, is of weight with the faithful, but avails nothing with the obstinate 249.
The first mention of purgatory in the bible is in 2 maccabees 12. Some people do not accept maccabees as book of the bible. In the third sitting of the council, julian, after mutual congratulations, showed that the principal points of dispute between the greeks and latins were in the doctrine a on the procession of the holy ghost, b on azymes in the eucharist, c on purgatory, and d on the. I maccabees presents a historical account of political, military, and diplomatic events from the time of judaeas relationship with antiochus iv epiphanes of syria reigned 175164163 bc to the death 54 bc of simon maccabeus, high priest in jerusalem. The books of the maccabees are books concerned with the maccabees, the leaders of the jewish rebellion against the seleucid dynasty and related subjects the term mostly refers to two deuterocanonical books contained in various canons of the bible. Like other rulers before him, antiochus underestimated the will and strength of his jewish.
The book of maccabees teaches purgatory sure foundation baptist church. The first and second books of maccabees contain the most detailed accounts of the battles of judah maccabee and his brothers for the liberation of judea from foreign domination. With scripture lets begin in the old testament book of maccabees. It goes back to judaism and is mentioned in the second book of maccabees 2 mac. Lessons from the holy maccabees catholic world report. The family of mattathias became known as the maccabees, from the hebrew word for hammer, because they were said to strike hammer blows against their enemies. Traditionally the name has come to be extended to the brothers of judas, his. First book of maccabees, pt 1 of 3, new american bible. Unlike the second book of maccabees, there is no doctrine of individual immortality except in the survival of ones name and fame, nor does the book express any messianic expectation, though. There is some justification for the title since illustrations are largely drawn from 2 maccabees 6 and 7. The book 2 maccabees taken out after protestant reformation but still in catholic bible speaks of purgatory therefore, be aware. The name 3 maccabees, though occurring in the oldest manuscripts and vss, is quite unsuitable, because the book refers to events which antedate the maccabean age by about half a century, and also to events in which the maccabees took no part. Indeed, it can rightly be said that the concept of purgatory is more than 2,000 years old and finds it roots in judaism, especially.
The book of 2 maccabees consists of a greek synopsis of a fivevolume history of the maccabean revolt written by jason of cyrene. As such, it lacks biblical authority and is to be rejected. First maccabees written circa 4104 bce and describing the period of 1665 bce is devoted to presenting the maccabean dynasty, from mattathias through his son judah, to jonathan and simon who became high priests and gained political independence. Book of daniel, although included within the canon, is to a large extent written in aramaic. The book is held as canonical scripture by the catholic, orthodox. Evidence for belief is purgatory goes back to judaism herself with the maccabees.
The orthodox response to the latin doctrine of purgatory given at the pseudosynod of ferraraflorence. The author of the second book of maccabees presented the conflict as a struggle between judaism and hellenism, concepts which he coined. See all 6 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. These books include within them the earliest references to the story of hanukkah and the rededication of the temple, in addition to the famous story of the mother and her seven sons.
The name maccabee, probably meaning hammer, is actually applied in the books of maccabees to only one man, judas, third son of the priest mattathias and first leader of the revolt against the seleucid kings who persecuted the jews 1 mc 2. Jerome all thought this was a description of purgatory. Purgatory is an extrabiblical teaching developed beyond what jesus and the apostles presented in the bible. The belief is that people first enter purgatory upon death at least in some cases and that the actions of believers on earth can help a person move to. Contrary to the opinions of some misinformed scholars, many of them protestants, purgatory is a doctrine that is far older than christianity.
Purgatory 101 by james akin suppose a friend or coworker comes to you and says. The catholic church has this massive doctrine of purgatory, invented in the middle ages. Contrary to roman catholic dogma, the apocrypha should not be considered authentic scripture, so finding the doctrine of purgatory there would not grant it biblical authority. It describes the refusal of mattathias to perform pagan religious rites, the ensuing. The maccabee the holy spirit, purgatory and the holy ghost the maccabee 10 simple reasons why christianity should practice male circumcision the first book of the maccabees. However, it is only the catholics that developed the concept of purgatory. The orthodox response to the latin doctrine of purgatory. Even more problematic is the fact that scholars believe that the first book of maccabees was indeed written originally in hebrew, therefore meeting the language criterion for inclusionand yet it is absent from the biblical canon. This concept stems partly from ancient grecoroman mythology whereby there is the long held view that heaven, hell and purgatory are places within the physical realm.
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