摘要
When it comes to the afterlife, Seventh-day Adventists advocate ＂soul sleep＂ condition, in which the dead person is in some sort of suspended state until the final judgment. On the other hand, many Evangelical Christians believe that the dead go directly to Heaven to be with the Lord. But in Roman Catholicism, purgatory is considered as the place where most dead believers expiate their remaining sins before entering the visible presence of God. This doctrine has been criticized extensively both by Catholics and Evangelicals in spite of its massive defence by the Holy office. Several alternative views about the resurrection of the dead have been propounded by some twentieth-century Protestants and some notable Catholic theologians. Although the doctrine of purgatory has been approved and reaffirmed by several Church councils, the questions that still remain are： Is the doctrine of purgatory biblically justifiable？ Does the work of salvation extend beyond the grave？ This study attempts to find answers to these questions. The study therefore surveys the doctrine of purgatory in the light of the biblical teachings about death. The second section surveys the background to the doctrine with reference to Judaism, the Apocrypha, the New Testament, the Church Fathers, and Church Councils. The third section looks at the nature of purgatory, the duration and the nature of the punishment meted out to those who go to purgatory and how souls are released from purgatory. The fourth section also examines the biblical teaching on death. The study concludes that the doctrine of purgatory is based on tradition rather than the Bible. The Bible emphasizes the finality of one＇s destiny in this life rather than after this life.
