Was purgatory invented by Catholics

Answer 1

Purgatory was never adopted by Judaism and has been rejected by the Protestant Churches, also there is no mention of it in The Bible. It is a creation of the Catholic Church.

Roman Catholic Answerfrom Where is That in the Bible?, by Patrick Madrid

Purgatory, like the Trinity, is a doctrine that is not mentioned by name in Scripture. It is, however, well attested to in the Old and New Testaments. The Catholic Church teaches that purgatory is a temporary state of purification that takes place after death for those who die in the state of grace and friendship with God (cf. Rom. 11:22), but who still have the vestiges of temporal effects due to sin, inordinate attachment to creatures, and whose will is not fully united with God's will. This purification involves suffering (St. Paul uses the analogy of fire to emphasize this), as the process of God's fiery love "burns" away all impurities that may remain. Once this process of purification is complete, the soul enters into God's presence, the beatific vision, in which the perfect bliss of beholding God face to face lasts forever.

To explain purgatory, it's helpful to begin with this passage in Revelation 21 and show the need for being spotless and pure in God's presence. Purgatory is God's merciful and loving way of helping us to prepare ourselves to enter into the wedding feast of the Lamb.

Revelation 21:27: "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."

Matthew 22:1-14: "And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast; but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, "Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have made ready my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves are killed, and everything is ready; come to the marriage feast." But they made light of it and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, "The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find." And those servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment; and he said to him, "Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?" And he was speechless. then the king said to the attendants, "Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth." For many are called, but few are chosen.'"

Other Citations

Matthew 12:32 is not only helpful in showing that some sins are remitted in the "age to come" (i.e., in purgatory), but it also illustrates that Christians can lose their justification (i.e., "right standing before God") through serious sin.

In Matthew 18:21-35 we see evidence of purgatory as well as the fact that a Christian can forfeit his justification by serious sin: "So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."

In Luke 16:19-31, we see Lazarus in a place of tranquility and rest (Abraham's bosom). The Rich Man, however, finds himself in a place of fiery torment. Clearly, neither of these places was heaven (the two men were in two separate sections within Hades [Hebrew: Sheol = the underworld]), since Christ had not yet died on the cross and heaven was closed to all the righteous, who waited patiently for that day (cf. Hebrews 11:39-40; 1 Peter 3:18-20). Notice too that the Rich Man was interceding on behalf of his brothers still on earth. This is a clear example - given by the Lord himself - of intercession being made after death for those still alive on earth.

see also:

2 Maccabees 12:38-46

Matthew 5:21-26

Matthew 12:32

Matthew 18:21-35

Luke 12:58

Luke 16:19-31

1 Corinthians 3:10-16

1 Peter 3:19; 4:6

Answer 2

Purgatory is a concept within Catholicism, but it was not invented by Catholics. The belief in an intermediate state or place of purification after death has roots in various religious and philosophical traditions before the establishment of the Catholic Church. The concept of purgatory became more formalized and defined within the Catholic tradition over time.