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I have written one article about Jesus' teaching on purgatory in an in-depth examination of Matthew 5:21-26: available here. In this article I will give an examination of Jesus' teaching on purgatory in two passages, Matthew 12:32 and Luke 12:47-48. In each of these passages, I will look at the context. I will also address Protestant objections from Protestant sources, that argue against the usage of these passages for purgatory.
Many times, Protestant authors will examine Paul and use Paul to argue against purgatory. In this article though, my focus will be taking into account Jesus' teaching only on these two passages. It is not right to address Jesus' teaching on the matter by looking at Paul's examination of this issue. I have addressed objections using Paul, if so interested you can see those objections addressed here: Response to Rhodes on Purgatory and here:
What Must I do to be Saved? Response on Purgatory.
31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 And whoever says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.Here is the first passage I want to look at. In this passage, we see Jesus is speaking of everlasting things. Jesus is here telling us of a sin, the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, which is so big, if one has that on one's soul that person will be condemned to hell. This is a grave sin. He is elevating this specific sin above other sins. This sin is eternal. Now, the purpose of my examination here is not to go over what exactly the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is, but what Jesus is pointing to is that sin is so heinous that basically if you die with that on your soul, you will not be saved, either in this world or the next. So, Jesus is specifically emphasizing this by showing a contrast. A plain reading shows this sin extraordinarily grievous. However, besides that, Jesus Himself is providing a contrast to other types of sins. Then that points to the fact that there will be other sins that one does get forgiveness for, in the age to come.
In this very gospel Jesus speaks of purgatory in Matthew 5:21-26. In Matthew 5:19 Jesus talks about those who relax the commandments but still enter the kingdom of Heaven. I.E., venial sins. In Matthew 5:22 he points to sins where mistreating a brother can either lead to judgment for venial sins, or the third category, where one is sent to hell. In Matthew 5:21-26, He ended up saying that to make oneself fully clean, Mt. 5:48, or there is a possibility of spending time in a spiritual prison, until one gets release from the prison, i.e., purgatory, in 5:26. Now, in this situation Jesus had in Matthew 12, the immediate backdrop is where Jesus healed a blind and dumb demoniac, Mt. 12:22. The Pharisees responded by saying that Jesus can only do this by Beelzebub, the prince of demons vs. 24. He had previously healed a man's withered hand, vs, 10-14, and was opposed by the Pharisees. That is just in this chapter. So, they had witnessed these miraculous events but labeled Jesus' power as coming from a demon. So, when they had hardened their hearts so much, Jesus labeled this sin above other sins, calling it 'Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.'
What Jesus says afterwards is relevant:
Matthew 12:33-37
33 "Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! how can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good man out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter; 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
Now Jesus is still castigating the Pharisees for their sins, but what Jesus says is applicable to all in reference to justification/condemnation. In the context of Matthew 5:21-26 speaking to purgatory and Jesus commending being perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect in 5:48, so one can avoid purgatory. He clearly speaks of purgatory in Matthew 5:22, and 26. Here in Matthew 12:33, He speaks of how one has to make the tree good and the fruit good. A good man will bring forth good. But He also specifically says after this, man will render account for every careless word that they utter. By what one says leads to one's justification or condemnation. Now, this would apply to everybody. The amount of punishment and condemnation is relevant. If the good man brings forth good and is forgiven for whatever bad he said, He will go to Heaven directly. However, with the background of Jesus saying that there are sins that are forgiven in the coming age, Jesus says one will render account for every word they utter. In other words, God will render judgment for every action one does, so if there are unforgiven sins that are not mortal sins that separate one from God, then that needs to be forgiven. Thus, He is speaking of sins that are forgiven in the age to come, that Jesus himself had directly spoken to, just a few verses before in Matthew 12:32. So, a man who dies with the sin of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, there is indeed no forgiveness at that time and in the age to come. For those who gave nothing but good fruit, as Jesus specifically says in verse 33, and whatever venial sins, the sins were forgiven, and had perfect contrition, those people would go straight to heaven, without the need to go to purgatory. However, as Jesus mentions there are some of those who would die in God's grace, but did not produce only good fruit. We would be judged for everything we do as Jesus says in verse 36-37. Then those that died in God's grace, have mostly good fruit that died in God's grace, but had some sins that need forgiveness, 'in the age to come' will be purified in purgatory. I see Jesus' words about the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, forgiveness of sins both now and in the age to come, and His words about being judged for everything we say, as directly tied in to each other.
Now, with my look at this passage how do I respond to Protestant differences on this passage on Matthew 12:32, does Jesus' words not point to purgatory, and why not? Let us take a look at one of the original founders of Protestantism, John Calvin, and his reasoning against the Catholic interpretation of this passage:
7. Those passages of Scripture on which it is their wont falsely and iniquitously to fasten, 577 it may be worthwhile to wrench out of their hands.104 When the Lord declares that the sin against the Holy Ghost will not be forgiven either in this world or the world to come, he thereby intimates (they say) that there is a remission of certain sins hereafter. But who sees not that the Lord there speaks of the guilt of sin? But if this is so, what has it to do with their purgatory, seeing they deny not that the guilt of those sins, the punishment of which is there expiated, is forgiven in the present life? Lest, however, they should still object, we shall give a plainer solution. Since it was the Lord's intention to cut off all hope of pardon from this flagitous wickedness, he did not consider it enough to say, that it would never be forgiven, but in the way of amplification employed a division by which he included both the judgment which every man's conscience pronounces in the present life, and the final judgment which will be publicly pronounced at the resurrection; as if he had said, Beware of this malignant rebellion, as you would of instant destruction; for he who of set purpose endeavors to extinguish the offered light of the Spirit, shall not obtain pardon either in this life, which has been given to sinners for conversion, or on the last day when the angels of God shall separate the sheep from the goats, and the heavenly kingdom shall be purged of all that offends. Chapt. 5:7 Page 562-563 Calvin Institutes of the Christian Religion
So, Calvin is saying only that He is just amplifying the sin by pointing this out this sin has no forgivenses in the age to come, not saying that there will be forgiveness in the age to come. Calvin it seems to me, doesn't see the forest from the trees. Now, it is true that one can get sins expiated, and cleansed in the present time, however, that does not mean that most do. But we have a tendency towards sin that does not go away, even for those in a justified status. Of course, it is true that He is telling them the importance of this sin that if one has this as a part of that one's soul, that person indeed goes to hell. However, Jesus' mention of the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit as so bad precisely because there are other sins you can get forgiveness for, by his mentioning of sins 'in the age to come'. This particular sin is a mortal sin. He does not say that smaller sins one does not get forgiveness for, that is what He would have to say to exclude purgatory from this verse. After all, regardless of whether you think that 2nd Maccabees is Scripture or not, it confirms that people at the time, believed that those who have smaller sins on their soul, can get delivered based on the hope of the Resurrection, of course a prophetic pointing to Christ's Resurrection, 2 Macc 12:42-45:
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.
This is of the mindset of the Jews at the time Jesus is speaking of. You can get forgiveness of sins for sins that are not mortal. Jesus is just saying that Blasphemy of the Spirit is not one of them. His assertion of the age to come definitively implies that there are sins that will be forgiven, or else He would not have mentioned it. Or if He would have mentioned the 'age to come' and He meant 'there are no forgiveness of sins' for other sins, He would have said 'yea, you don't get forgiveness for blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, but even lesser sins you don't get forgiveness for either.' He doesn't say that so the implication of other sins where one can get forgiveness of sins is directly implied. Now, to those who say, well all is forgiven because you get an alien righteousness applied to the account, and that is the basis of your sins being forgiven, is found nowhere in the Bible, but especially nowhere does Jesus say this at all. Remember, Jesus in this gospel says you will not enter the kingdom of heaven unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees, Mt. 5:20.
At the time there were teachers such as the Shammai school who taught of an intervening state:
Rosh HaShanah 16b-17a:
The completely righteous will be recorded and sealed at once for eternal life. The completely wicked will be recorded and doomed at once to Gehinnom, as it says: "And many who sleep in the dust of the earth shall rise up, some to eternal life and some to shame and eternal rejection" [Daniel 12:2]. Those in between will go down to Gehinnom and cry out and rise up, as it says: " And I will bring the third part through the fire and refine them as silver is refined and test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name and I will answer them" [Zechariah 13:9] FishEaters: Purgatory
Even the The Talmud1 speaks of Purgatory:
So this is the background to Jesus' statement, the background is that there is a belief by Jews at the time, not being limited to 2nd Maccabees, where refining is necessary actually almost using terms consistent with 1 Corinthians 3:15, which points to purgatory. In the age to come, includes an afterlife, where there is a refinement. But that is besides the point, when Jesus is talking about how Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is not forgiven in the age to come, with this Jewish background, teachers at the time pointed to there being sins where one can get forgiveness in the age to come. That gives an important color to Jesus' statement.
Sabbath 33b:
"The judgment of the wicked in purgatory is twelve months."
"It has been taught that the school of Shammai says: "There will be three groups on Judgment Day (yom haDin):
(1) one that is completely righteous,
(2) one that is completely wicked,
(3) and one that is in between."
James White in his book Roman Catholic Controversy approvingly pointed to Calvin's rejection of the Catholic interpretation of Matthew 12:32 and additionally adds:
What in Matthew is rendered "nor in the age to come" is rendered in Mark as "an eternal sin" that "never has forgiveness." The Roman Catholic Controversy, Bethany House Publishers, 1996, p. 192. Christ emphasizes the impossibility of forgiveness for this blasphemy, nor the concept that there is forgiveness for sin In the age to come. The "age to come" for the Jewish person referred to the final age, the "Day of Yahweh. " So to say that there would be no forgiveness of that sin in that age to come is the same as saying "it is unforgivable, period!" This is clearly the understanding of the biblical writers, for when we consult the parallel passage in Mark 3:29 we find the following: "but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"
Not all of what White says is untrue. It is of course true that that the Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is an eternal sin that one would not get forgiveness for, if one dies with that on their soul. A Catholic does not dispute that for sure. But White's assertion that Mark's rendition of what Jesus says overtakes Matthew's representation of what Jesus said does not follow. Nothing in Matthew indicates that Mark is supposed to be Jesus' interpreter. Mark 3 does not cancel out what Matthew 12:32 said what Jesus said. It could have been two different times that Jesus spoke, and what Mark 3 recorded is a different occasion from what Jesus said in Matthew 12. Or since we believe Scripture is inspired both Mark gives a valid interpretation of what Jesus said in Mark 3 only, Matthew gives an inspired look at Matthew 12. Both inspired, different emphasis. In Matthew 16:18 right after Peter's confession of faith in Jesus, He tells us that Upon this Rock I will build my Church. The fact that Mark's version of Peter's confession of faith in Mark 8:29 leaves out Jesus' statement that He will build his Church in Matthew 16:18 does not mean Matthew 16:18 was not said. At least White doesn't argue that, he tries to say that Jesus did not mean that Peter is the rock of Matthew 16:18. I disagree with his assessment on Matthew 16:18 but at least he doesn't say that Jesus didn't really say that. Likewise, Mark 3 doesn't cancel out what Jesus says in Matthew 12:32. Yes, the age to come does show that the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is eternal and that does not get forgiven in the age to come. However, that does not cancel out that there are other sins that Jesus implies that are of less seriousness before God that one can get forgiven. The Jews at the time believed that sins can get forgiven after death as specifically related in 2nd Maccabees and the Shammai school. Now, it is true that if we did only have Mark to go by, the Marcan passage does not point to or imply purgatory. However, we do get Matthew 12 where Jesus specifically implies that other sins can get forgiveness.
Ron Rhodes in his book Reasoning from the Scriptures with Catholics argues similarly and attempts to get fellow Protestants to turn it around on Catholics:
Ask Would you please read aloud from Matthew 12:32? When this text says that the sin against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven in this age or the age to come, this is simply a Jewish idiomatic way of saying that the sin will never be forgiven. This becomes clear in the parallel account in Mark 3:29, "But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin" . Hence, there is no support of the Roman Catholic doctrine of purgatory to be found in these verses.
So here Rhodes makes the same argument that White did, that you can only read Matthew 12:32 by looking at Mark 3:29. It is just that the Blasphemy of Holy Spirit will not be forgiven forever. As I mentioned with White, if all we had was Mark 3:29 to look at, I agree Mark 3:29 does not point or even imply purgatory. However, Mark 3:29 does not do away with Jesus words in Matthew 12:32. The 'parallel' account is not the same thing, they say different things. Since Rhodes said to look at both passages, let us heed him, and see if that makes him right:
Now, please read aloud from the parallel account in Mark 3:29.
Can you see that the phrase "it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age, or in the age to come" is simply another way of saying that this sin will never be forgiven?
Seen in this light, can you see that there is no support here for a future purgatory?
Ron Rhodes, Reasoning from the Scriptures with Catholics, Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon, 2000, p. 248.
Mark 3:29
but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin."
Matthew 12:32
And whoever says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
So, does Jesus say the same thing in both passages? Well, in Mark 3:29 and Matthew 12:32 they both agree that Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is an eternal sin, and will not be forgiven. Those who die with the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit on their soul will not be forgiven, and will not get to heaven. On that part, there is no difference. However, in Matthew, Jesus did not limit Himself to that. He highlights that this sin is above other sins in seriousness. How, because this sin is so bad, one will not be forgiven now, or in the age to come. It directly implies that other sins will be forgiven, and is not Catholics reading into that. It is a logical sequence that reads this.
As St. Bellarmine notes that this is a prudential inference:
It follows according to the rule of prudence, because otherwise we would make the Lord the ineptest of speakers. If nothing is remitted in the coming age, then He said ineptly: This sin will not be remitted in this age nor in the coming one. . . . Hence, in John 18:36 when Christ said: "My kingdom is not of this world," Pilate inferred: "So you are a king?" Christ did not respond that an affirmative does not rightly follow from a negative, rather he approved it. St. Robert Bellarmine, On Purgatory: The Means of the Church Suffering, Mediatrix Press, Post Falls, ID, 2017, p, 29.
Christ when he said He is not a King of this world of course inferred that he was the King of a Kingdom much larger than this world. White/Calvin/Rhodes argument on Matthew 12:32 seems to be by inference, that Jesus only is saying that Jesus really is not King at all, in John 18, and that is it. In actuality, He infers much more than He is not King. His silence shows that He is the King of Kings, he did not explicitly say that in this circumstance but He inferred it. So, when Jesus also likewise said that this sin will never be forgiven in the age to come, He directly implies in Matthew 12:32 that there are other sins, not including the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, that will be forgiven in the age to come.
Now in reference to the Catholic interpretation leading to purgatory, James White refers to a passage in John, as canceling out the idea that any one in a state of grace can lose his salvation, let alone get punished:
The believer has already been judged with reference to sin in Christ Jesus and has passed out of death into life, never to come into judgment for sin, again (John 5:24). The believer's sins were judged in Christ Jesus. The remaining judgment is not about salvation but about reward. White, p. 194
White, as other Protestant reads imputed righteousness into this, that if one is justified, one is clothed with Christ's 'alien' righteousness and do not face punishment for their sins. That is nowhere found anywhere in Jesus' teaching.
Let us look at this passage, but also a relevant passage a few verses later:
John 5:24-29
24 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. 25 "Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself, 27 and has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man. 28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.
Those who believe have passed from death to life has eternal life. It is a gift no doubt, however Jesus is very clear we have to hold on to that life. However, one can throw that life away, by one's actions. We see Jesus say just a few verses later that who goes to heaven and who goes to hell is based on what they do. He who does good, goes to life, He who does bad goes to eternal death. Nothing about 'I have been judged so your salvation is wrapped up,' because we all know we can do bad, and thus face the judgment that Jesus specifically warns of, in John 5:28-29. We have seen in Matthew 12:36-37 that we are judged for everything we do, which points to purgatory, because if we die in His grace but still have smaller sins on our soul, forgiveness/cleansing is still necessary. Christians can do bad as well, and get sent to hell in the context of the very passage that White points us to.
Besides Jesus showing us that we face judgment for all that we do in John 5:28-29, in fact we have another witness for the correct interpretation of John 5:24, John himself. In John 5:24 Jesus said that when one believes, one has passed from death to life. What did the apostle John think that this phrase meant? Did the apostle John think that once one believed, there is no possibility of losing salvation? That clearly was not in Jesus' mind when He said it, as the apostle himself says: 1 John 3:14-15: We know that we HAVE PASSED FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
If one who has passed from death to life hates a brother in Christ, he has cut himself off from eternal life. If he hates a brother, he has committed a mortal sin (as John describes in 1 Jn 5:16-17). How do we know it is a mortal sin to hate with such venom? Because John said one who hates his brother is a murderer, and that person (if he dies in such a state) will not have eternal life. Christians are warned of losing their eternal inheritance. John wrote this letter to Christians and warned them that such activity cuts themselves off from God's grace. He even said that those people who think that practicing righteousness is not a criteria for actually getting into heaven are deceiving themselves, 1 John 3:7-10.
Church Fathers St. Augustine and Pope St. Gregory the Great, exactly reflects the Catholic understanding of Matthew 12:32 when they write the following:
For some of the dead, indeed, the prayer of the Church or of pious individuals is heard; but it is for those who, having been regenerated in Christ, did not spend their life so wickedly that they can be judged unworthy of such compassion, nor so well that they can be considered to have no need of it. As also, after the resurrection, there will be some of the dead to whom, after they have endured the pains proper to the spirits of the dead, mercy shall be accorded, and acquittal from the punishment of the eternal fire. For were there not some whose sins, though not remitted in this life, shall be remitted in that which is to come, it could not be truly said, They shall not be forgiven, neither in this world, neither in that which is to come. Matthew 12:32 But when the Judge of quick and dead has said, Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, and to those on the other side, Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire, which is prepared for the devil and his angels, and These shall go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life, it were excessively presumptuous to say that the punishment of any of those whom God has said shall go away into eternal punishment shall not be eternal, and so bring either despair or doubt upon the corresponding promise of life eternal. St. Augustine, City of God, Book 21, chapter 24).
For Pope St. Gregory the Great (c. 540-604): But yet we must believe that before the day of judgment there is a Purgatory fire for certain small sins: because our Saviour saith,
that he which speaketh blasphemy against the holy Ghost, that it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come. Out of which sentence we learn, that some sins are forgiven in this world, and some other may be pardoned in the next: for that which is denied concerning one sin, is consequently understood to be granted touching some other. (Dialogues, Book IV, chapter 39)
In conclusion, in Matthew 12:32, Jesus clearly points to sins that will be forgiven after death, in purgatory. Now some have argued that purgatory is not about forgiving sins, it is about sins getting purged, and that is why this passage doesn't apply to purgatory. Of course after one dies, there is no longer any penance that one can do, no ways that one can do anything to get satisfaction for sins. So purgatory is the way a person who died in a state of grace can get cleansed, and indeed thus gets sins forgiven. This is the final application of what Jesus did on the cross to cleanse those in that state from all iniquity, to make them truly free from sin, John 8:31-36, Matthew 5:48, Titus 2:11-14.
40 You also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an unexpected hour." 41 Peter said, "Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?" 42 And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 A) Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing. 44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 45 B) But if that servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will punish him, and put him with the unfaithful. 47 C) And that servant who knew his master's will, but did not make ready or act according to his will, shall receive a severe beating. 48 D) But he who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, shall receive a light beating. Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required; and of him to whom men commit much they will demand the more.Ok, so going over the background of Jesus' teaching, Jesus talks here about judgments for four servants. It is talking about servants, the Master obviously God, and 4 eternal destinies for those four. Now in context Jesus is talking about the Master coming, so we know at least He is talking about the second coming. However, not just about the second coming, because the judgment will be made on 'the day', which can point to the particular judgment. 1 Cor. 1:18, 3:14, 5:5, 2 Tim. 4:8, Heb 10:25, John Salza, The Biblical Basis for Purgatory, Saint Benedict Press, LLC Charlotte, North Carolina, 2009, p. 105, footnote 182. So this can talk about both judgments. Though Jesus definitely did mean this to apply to the disciples, He has not come back (though many can say the coming back was fulfilled in the destruction of the Jerusalem temple) but this would no doubt to apply to everybody who faces a judgment. In this segment, He is talking about those, at least starting off, who have been under the Master, God, in some capacity.
In this passage I want to go over the four results. I colored each of the four results, A, B, C, D to separate the four results. Let us go down one by one, until we get to the portion that points to purgatory in verses 47-48.
A) The first servant, verses 43-44, is the faithful and wise steward, who is faithful and and prepared, truly faithful and wise. He will receive no punishment at all, and is given more reward, due to his faithfulness. These are people who go straight to heaven, and thus fulfill Jesus' commandment to 'be ye perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect', in fulfillment of Matthew 5:48. This is like the people who Jesus said brought nothing but good fruit that Jesus encouraged his followers to practice, Mt. 12:33.
B) The next servant, the second type, is one in verses 45-46, is he who just ate and got drunk, as well as beat servants. He does not do the job that he is supposed to do. He will not inherit the kingdom of heaven as he is a drunkard. Jesus warns elsewhere in Luke 21:34 that those who are drunk, will not be ready for His coming (Luke 21:34), and will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Because he sins and is not ready, he will be put with the unfaithful. So, this servant, who is actually a servant, gets put with the unfaithful. This shows that there is no once saved always saved as this is a 'servant' who will get condemned.
C) The next servant, the third type is in verse 47, the servant was not fully prepared, but he knew the will of the Master, but didn't do it faithfully as the one who was perfect in verses 43-44. So, there is a serious beating for this servant, who knew of the responsibility but was lax. However, though he was lax, he didn't commit mortal sins of drunkenness, gluttony, and assault, as the condemned servant of vv. 45-46. He didn't get put with the unfaithful, but severe punishment comes. That is the definition of purgatory. Punishment, but eventually will get to heaven.
D) The fourth servant is one in verse 48, who still deserved a beating. That person, did not respond satisfactorily to the light shown to him, so he still will get a beating, but the beating will be lighter than that one of verse 47. He likewise will not get punished by getting put with the unfaithful. This person was not given the full light, so he was not fully aware of what he should have done, beyond the natural light that everybody is given, so he will go to purgatory, but the punishment he will endure will be less than the one of verse 47.
Salza after pointing out what I mentioned about the servants and the different beatings says the following about the term Jesus used for beating:
Jesus in His parables uses this word for 'beating' (dero) six other times and it always refers to temporal not eternal punishment. In fact the other instances in the New Testament where dero is used refer exclusively to temporal punishments or penance, Salza, 110, (footnote 186, Luke 22:63, Jn 18:22, Acts 5:40, 16:37, 22:19, 1 Cor. 9:26, 2 Cor. 11:20).
So Jesus specifically used language to show that the beating is not eternal punishment, but a disciplinary beating. The end will be eternal life after this punishment, this passage exactly points to purgatory.
In summary of this Jesus' teaching we see four results, the first one goes directly to heaven, the second one goes to hell, and the third and fourth one go to purgatory. Based on the language of Jesus, that seems to be the best interpretation.
Now, not going to Paul for his interpretation of this passage, but to show the exact parallel:
1 Cor. 3:13-17:
13 each man's work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 A) If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 B) If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. 16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 C) If any one destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are.
Now, I am not using Paul to interpret Jesus, but the parallels are very relevant and exactly fit. The faithful servant of Luke 12:43-44, matches the faithful person of 1 Cor. 3:14, A, where the person is so faithful that they get to heaven without a necessary detour. The person who was put with the unfaithful because of his drunkenness, Luke 12:45-46, matches the person in 1 Cor. 3:17, C, who destroys the temple and gets condemned. The people who were lax with varying degrees of punishment in Luke 12:47-48, and gets needed punishment before rejoining the Master, matches those who were saved, but only through fire in 1 Cor. 3:15, B.
Now, since this passage is not one that is mentioned as a top one used for purgatory, the Anti-Catholic books that I have access to that dispute purgatory did not feel the need to address this passage. Since this is not one of the top ones used, I don't critique them for not addressing this passage. However, a look at online, the answer seems to be that Protestants of course do not accept that it infers purgatory, but verses 47-48 only speaks to punishment in hell, and degrees of punishment in hell only. I did find one apologist responding to a Catholic argument on Luke 12:40-48, specifically verses 47-48, for purgatory by saying this:
"Three kinds of people but only two destinations. This parable is obviously talking about 3 kinds of people as the apologist stated. . .however, there is only 2 places where they end up The servant who knows and does the will of his Lord goes to Heaven. The servant knows his Lord's will and doesn't do it gets beaten with many stripes is in Hell. The last servant is the one in question by the apologist. This is he who "did not know" the Lord's will. He has never heard the Gospel. He is a heathen. He is NOT a "Christian" nor a Catholic. Both of the previous two knew the Lord's will. This person had never heard of the Bible. It is people like the North American Indian before Christianity reached these shores. It is the people who are living in tribal villages in remote areas in the world even still today. This servant is still in Hell because of his sins, but is suffering much less than the servant who knew the Lord's will. I don't know how God will accomplish these different degrees of punishment in Hell, but He certainly teaches this." This is on this web page: Think on His Truth: Purgatory: Problems with Purgatory and indulgences.
This person thinks that there is only heaven and hell being spoken of. However, there is a difference. There are actually four servants with four consequences. He is saying the only difference is the one who goes to heaven, and the rest goes to varying degrees of hell. Because some people haven't heard the gospel, they just get a lesser punishment in hell is his theory. He is starting with a false presumption. There are four consequences, and this relegating to lesser degrees of hell doesn't match Jesus' language. The first servant (v. 43-44) goes to heaven, the second (vv.. 45-46) goes to hell. That is true, that is as far as its trueness goes. Notice that the second goes to hell, he did acts of gluttony, drunkenness, and assault, and is specifically cited as getting put with the unfaithful. The person is in a state of mortal sin. Scripture shows elsewhere those in a state of drunkenness will go to hell, Luke 21:34, 1 Cor. 6:10, Gal. 5:21. That clearly shows two eternal destinies. The parallel passage in Mt. 24:45-50 only shows these two same destinies.
However, the third and fourth people in this Lucan passage, verses 47-48, not shown in the Matthew parallel, are not put with the unfaithful i.e., not sent to hell. No drunkenness, assault, or gluttony. As I specifically mentioned, and as Salza noted, the term used for beating is never used for those going to eternal punishment, so it can not mean hell. Not put with the unfaithful is determinative that these persons are not sent to hell. Jesus used the term dero six times in other parables/teachings where those getting beat, were getting beat or disciplined, and the ones receiving the beating were not getting sent to hell. Five of the six passages, Mt. 21:35, Mk 12:3, 5, Lk 20:10, 11, are parables where the people beaten, are the victims. If it is anyone which implied people were getting sent to hell, it is those who beat them, not victims of the beating. The sixth passage, Mark 13:9, Jesus said you will get beat if you bear witness for him. So obviously none of the scenarios indicate those who receive beatings, get sent to hell. Protestants use the term, Interpret Scripture with Scripture, using that criteria, it shows temporal punishment only, not eternal punishment. In none of the passages where Jesus used this specific term, beat dero, is it used for people getting eternal punishment.
Let us look at the way the term dero, for beating, is used elsewhere in Scripture as pointed to by Salza, p. 110, footnote 186. Is it used for people going to hell?:
Luke 22:63
Now the men who were holding Jesus mocked him and beat dero him;
Jesus gets mocked and beaten, not sent to hell.
John 18:22
When he had said this, one of the officers standing by struck dero Jesus with his hand, saying, "Is that how you answer the high priest?"
Officers beat Jesus, Jesus not sent to hell.
Acts 5:40
So they took his advice, and when they had called in the apostles, they beat dero them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
Apostles are beaten for declaring the Name of Jesus, apostles not sent to hell.
Acts 16:37
But Paul said to them, "They have beaten dero us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now cast us out secretly? No! let them come themselves and take us out."
Paul is getting beaten by the Roman authorities, not sent to hell.
Acts 22:19-20
And I said, 'Lord, they themselves know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat dero those who believed in thee. 20 And when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I also was standing by and approving, and keeping the garments of those who killed him.'
Pre conversion experience, Paul beat followers of Christ, those followers were not sent to hell.
1 Corinthians 9:26
Well, I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating dero the air.
Paul writes about the discipline necessary to run the race for salvation. Not about because of his discipline, him getting sent to hell.
2 Corinthians 11:20
For you bear it if a man makes slaves of you, or preys upon you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes dero you in the face.
The followers of Christ had taken discipline for the Lord. Not that discipline is sending those to hell.
This passage clearly shows the servants of verses 47-48 not being put with the unfaithful, and since it has to do with eternal judgment, it is a beating, punishment, that is only temporary, not an eternal punishment. Since it is a temporary beating, it is temporary, and ultimately, there will be not a condemnation with the unfaithful. After the punishment, there will be a rejoining with the Master. This passage definitively points to purgatory.
We have seen that in my, earlier examination of Matthew 5:21-26 available here, Jesus taught the doctrine of purgatory. In my examination here of Matthew 12:31-32, and a look at the larger context, we see that Jesus directly implies, and thus teaches purgatory. With the larger context we examined, we see directly that Jesus spoke of the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit was indeed an eternal sin, but He directly implied that there are sins that will be forgiven in the age to come. The Jewish understanding was that there are sins that are forgiven in the age to come, and Jesus directly implied that with His language. Especially when we saw the larger context that all will be judged for every word and deed. Those who are in God's grace who do not die in mortal sin (such as the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit), but spoke imperfectly and don't have only perfectly good fruit (v. 33), will get judged for such venial sins, exactly matching the sins that are forgiven in the age to come. We saw Protestant attempts to say that Jesus is only speaking about the severity of the sin of the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, do not match what Jesus is speaking of, in verse 32, especially with context that all are judged for every word we use, verses 36, 37. The idea that Protestants assert that because Jesus spoke of the eternality of the sin of the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit in Mark 3:29, and the Catholic not does not disagree, does not mean that we can ignore the language of Matthew 12:32, and also verses 33, 36, 37.
Then we looked at Luke 12:40-48, highlighting verses 47-48. The language Jesus used in the parable explicitly points to purgatory. We saw that Jesus definitively made a distinction between those who were put with the unfaithful in verses 45-46 with those not done so in verses 47-48. The steward of verses 45-46, assaulted others, had gluttony and was drunk, got condemned to hell. Jesus used language in verses 47-48, of only a temporary beating, which implied that this beating would end. We saw Jesus use the term for beating six times himself, and other biblical uses of the term seven other times, and none of them where the term for beating was used in connection to getting sent to hell. In fact, most of the passages showed that those who were on the receiving end of beatings were people in God's grace, definitively not sent to hell. So the Protestant apologist theory that Jesus is only talking about three levels of hell, doesn't match the language used. The servants of verses 47, and 48, are people in purgatory, who receive punishment that purifies, until they can join the Master, God himself when purification is finished.
2020 Jesus' Teaching, Purgatory, Part 2, Matthew 12:32, Luke 12;47-48: Examination & Responses to Protestant Objections... Matt1618... This text may be downloaded or printed out for private reading, but it may not be uploaded to another Internet site or published, electronically or otherwise, without express written permission from the author.