Is purgatory mentioned in the bible?

Answer 1

Not in the King James Version.

However, Purgatory is a Catholic, not Protestant, concept, and the Catholic Bible has some additional, deuterocanonical books, but I haven't seen the term there either.

The concept of purgatory is not a Catholic invention. Purgatory is clearly taught in The Bible (King James Version included). The Catholic teaching defines purgatory as a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who departing this life in God's grace are not entirely free from venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions.

The idea of temporal punishment due to sin even after the the sin has been pardoned by God is clearly taught in scriptures. God forgave Moses and Aaron for their disbelief in Numbers 20:12 but punished them by not allowing them to enter the land of promise. In 2 Samual 12:13-14 David's sin was forgiven but the child died as punishment.

Old Testament references for purgatory are found in Sirach 7:33 (Be generous to all the living, and withhold not your kindness from the dead). If a soul is in heaven he has no need for our kindness and if in hell no amount of our kindness will do any good. 2 Machabees 12:41-46 (So they all blessed the ways of the Lord, the righteous Judge, who reveals the things that are hidden; 42 and they turned to prayer, beseeching that the sin which had been committed might be wholly blotted out. And the noble Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had happened because of the sin of those who had fallen. 43 He also took up a collection, man by man, to the amount of two thousand drachmas of silver, and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for a sin offering. In doing this he acted very well and honorably, taking account of the resurrection. 44 For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. 45 But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin).

New Testament references include Matthew 12:32. Christ very clearly alludes to a third place where some sins will be forgiven after this life. 1 Cor. 3:10-15. Scripture idicates that all our bad works will be burned and we will suffer loss but we ourselves will be saved but only through the fires of purgatory. Matthew 5:25-26 tells us that even the smallest offence against God must be fully expiated before we can enter heaven. Rev. 21:27 states that nothing defiled can enter heaven. In 2 Timothy 1:16-18 St. Paul prays for his dead friend Onesiphorus. Why would this be necessary if this person was in heaven?

The above a just a few scriptual references to purgatory. There are several more. As can be clearly seen, purgatory is scriptural.