CATHOLIC APOLOGETICS GUIDE 101
sinful, but are still within God’s grace, go to purgatory (v. 15) as they are saved only as through fire. Those who destroy God’s temple are destroyed by God and will be eternally punished by God (v. 17). This clearly alludes to purgatory in v. 15. (11) The Scripture says that nothing unclean shall enter Heaven: "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 21:27, RSV) The word “unclean” used in the above passage comes from the Greek word “koinon” which refers to a spiritual corruption. "To understand this doctrine and practice of the Church, it is necessary to understand that sin has a double consequence. Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the "eternal punishment" of sin. On the other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the "temporal punishment" of sin. These two punishments must not be conceived of as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the very nature of sin. A conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain." (§1472, CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH) "But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother, you will be liable to the council; and if you say ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the Gehenna of fire." (Matthew 5:22) Note that of the three transgressions described by Christ only the third is punishable by damnation (Gehenna being a frequent appellative for hell) and yet the first transgression, being “angry with a brother” is “liable to judgment”. The word used here for “judgment” is the Greek term krisei which is, in every instance of use in the Gospels, the domain of God alone. Thus, Christ is indicating a negative form of divine judgment to which one is subject which is not punished by hell but in another form, without prejudice to the final justification of the sinner. (12) "Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. In truth I tell you, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny. " (Luke 12:58-59; see also Matthew 5:25-26) The word “opponent” (antidiko) is likely a reference to the devil (see the same word for devil in 1 Peter 5:8) who is an accuser against man (c.f. Job 1.6-12; Zechariah 3.1; Revelation 12:10), and God is the judge. If we have not adequately dealt with Satan and sin in this life, we will be held in a temporary state called a prison, and we won’t get out
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