Is there a non-Catholic view of purification of the spirit after physical death?

ON THE TEACHING OF PURGATORY

The idea of purification or cleansing of a saved human spirit after its physical death on earth is a well known idea in all professing Christians. The differences come only because of various interpretations regarding the nature of this life-after death purgation of the saved.

ROMAN CATHOLIC STANCE ON PURGATION

Roman Catholicism teaches that purgation in the next life occurs in a place called "purgatory" wherein a saved human spirit pays for or atones for , not his sins, but rather, the temporal punishment of his sins. There is no exact duration when someone will finally enter heaven but it is said that as soon as the temporal punishment is satisfied, heaven is the surest destiny of the purged spirit.

The sad fact is that the Bible never described nor stated that a saved spirit is in a place of purification wherein he is paying for the temporal punishment of his sins. In fact, none of the people in the Bible ever expected such a place!

BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN STANCE ON PURGATION

Born Again Christians teaches that purgation in the next life is not a place but a state of the saved human spirit. It is a state or condition which the Scriptures describes as instantaneous. When Christ comes again all believers whether dead in body or alive in spirit will be glorified (i.e. bodies changed from mortal to immortal) in just a twinkling of an eye!

1 Cor. 15:52 "It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed."

Regarding the disembodied saved human spirits (James 2:26). They do not go to a place called Purgatory but to Paradise itself, in Heaven where Jesus lives. As soon as the body gave up the ghost (i.e. spirit) then it will be with Jesus Christ our Lord.

2 Cor. 5:8 "we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord."

THE CRUX OF THE MATTER

1 Cor. 3:15 speaks only of these: 1) If a person's work is burned up ( not if a person is burned up)

2) He will suffer loss ( not suffer loss of salvation but of suffer loss of rewards - v. 14)

3) saved as by fire ( not saved by fire) 1 Corinthians 3:15 is about believers in Christ facing the judgment seat of Christ ( 2 Corinthians 5:9-11). The clearest meaning we can have from the context of 1 Corinthians 3:15 is that if a believer's works are completely judged as worthless even though they have trusted in Christ for their own salvation, it will be like they have been snatched from a fire - they themselves are safe, but everything they labored for is destroyed and unsalvageable.

This interpretation of 1 Corinthians 3:15 that is held by Born Again Christians is supported by both the immediate context and greatext context of the Holy Bible.

Old Testament

"I overthrew some of you as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick snatched from the fire, yet you have not returned to me," declares the LORD. ( Amos 4:11 NIV)

"I destroyed some of your cities, as I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Those of you who survived were like charred sticks pulled from a fire. But still you would not return to me," says the LORD." ( Amos 4:11 NLT)

"And the LORD said to Satan, "I, the LORD, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire." ( Zechariah 3:2 NLT)

New Testament

"save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear--hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh." ( Jude 1:23 NIV)

The phrase "saved as by fire" may also include the meaning that the result of losing rewards is a form of catharsis ( purging of emotions) of the mind into deep realization of the divine plan.

This verse best describes what happens in 1 Corinthians 3:15:

"Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely" ( 1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT).

NOTE

1 Peter 1:6-7 "In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

It is highly implied here that the works of the Christian out from the trials in life is the "proof or evidence of his/her faith" and that this works is "tested by fire." It is clear that it is not the Christian that is tested by fire but rather, it is the works that is tested by fire.