THE DOCTRINE

Before the time of Christ's Resurrection there was a place or state for the deceased that the bible calls sheol.  Studying sheol is sometimes difficult since in English translations this word is sometimes translated as "the grave," "the nether region" or "netherworld."  Nevertheless, scripture indicates that all old covenant souls, both righteous and wicked, enter sheol: "one fate comes to all, to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil" (Ecclesiastes 9:2).  Without regard to one's state in life, the Old Testament message was that in death it is "sheol to which you are going" (Ecclesiastes 9:10).  Thus, despite the presence of the righteous in sheol, it must be noted that some English translations will emphasize the presence of the wicked and translate "sheol" as "hell."

Now, despite the poetic nature of Ecclesiastes, its description of sheol is confirmed by Paul who states that the Old Testament people of God "died in faith, not having received what was promised" and so waited in sheol for what was promised: "a better country, that is, a heavenly one" (Hebrews 11:13.16).  Thus even the righteous "[King] David did not ascend into the heavens" (Acts 2:34).  Two biblical incidents, however, may confuse the issue.  Namely, God's "taking" of Elijah and Enoch:

By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God had taken him (Hebrews 11:5)

And as they still went on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven (2nd Kings 2:11).

These seeming contradictions with Ecclesiastes are resolved as follows.  Scripture does not actually say that Enoch was taken to Heaven, although Genesis 5:24 seems to imply such a thing: "Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him."  However, prior to this event in Enoch's life it was also said "Enoch walked with God after the birth of Methuselah three hundred years, and had other sons and daughters" (Genesis 5:22), demonstrating that the phrase "walked with God" does not mean "went to Heaven."  Furthermore, the phrases "God took him" (Genesis 5:24) and "Enoch was taken up" (Hebrews 11:5) omit naming the destination; it remains a mystery.

In regard to Elijah, the text actually says that he "went into heaven."  However, the Hebrew word translated as heaven is SHAMA'IM which means literally "skies."  This word here as elsewhere in the Old Testament almost always refers to the sky (e.g. Genesis 1:14-15.17.20, Nehemiah 1:9, Job 36:27-28, Proverbs 30:19).

Thus, sheol did indeed have the souls of every man both righteous and wicked.  But this all changed with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ "since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they [in sheol] should not be made perfect" (Hebrews 11:40).  Thus, Jesus took the righteous from sheol and left the rest.  How did this happen?

After Jesus "was put to death in the flesh" (1st Peter 3:18), he "descended into the lower parts of the earth [sheol]" (Ephesians 4:10) to "preach to the spirits in prison" (1st Peter 3:19), namely the righteous men whose knees "bow...under the earth" (Phillipians 2:10) such that the "gospel was preached even to the dead" (1st Peter 4:6).  Fulfilling the promise "the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God...all who are in the tombs will hear" (John 5:25.28).  Afterword, regarding these righteous men of sheol, "when [Jesus] ascended on high he led a host of captives" (Ephesians 4:8) immediately making Jesus the "firstborn of the dead." (Collosians 1:17).

But what happened to sheol after this?  Some say it disappeared.  But what does Scripture say?  Jesus says "I hold the keys to death and the netherworld [sheol]" (Revelations 1:18 - sheol in Greek is hades).  Jesus is not holding the keys to something that no longer exists, but to something that still exists.  But if it still exists, what is it for?  Do any souls still go to sheol even after Jesus' resurrection?  If so, are any of these souls righteous?

In Revelation 20:4, we see the superlatively righteous as coming to life during the first resurrection: "the souls of those who had been beheaded...they came to life and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years."  We are also told that "The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were over."  These remaining people are said to come from sheol: "then Death and Hades [sheol] gave up the dead in them" (Revelation 20:13).  This then answers a previous question; there are indeed souls that still go to sheol even after Jesus' resurrection.

Now, some might claim that this "hades" or "sheol" of Revelation 20:13 is actually hell itself.  However, Revelation 20:14 states "Then Death and Hades were thrown in the lake of fire [Hell]."  This proves that this sheol is not the same thing as hell itself.  If it were, then Revelation 20:14 would be indicating that Hell was being thrown into Hell; a proposition which makes no sense.  However, some say that absolutely all the souls of this second resurrection from sheol go to Hell.  But what does Scripture say of these people?  "If any one's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire" (Rev 20:15).  Now, (Ephesians 4:9) in saying "if any one," what does it mean but that some names were indeed found in the book of life.

What does it mean to say "if any one" if not to say that there are some whose name's were indeed in the book of life?  When Paul says "If any one refuses to obey what we say in this letter, note that man, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed.

Thus, those whose names were in the book of life did not go to Hell!  These remaining people were among the saved!  It thus holds ipso facto that there is a place, neither heaven nor hell, which does indeed detain some number of righteous souls before entrance into heaven.  For the remainder of this discussion, this detainment will be called by its common Christian name "Purgatory" rather than sheol.

It must be emphasized, at this point, that no indication is given that these souls in Purgatory have received some kind of "second chance."  The souls were evidently righteous before physical death.  But why would any righteous souls be detained in Purgatory?  This question is answered by inspecting the nature of the detainment.  Thus it is now asked: what is this the nature of the detainment?

Paul referred to the building of new church communities as "laying a foundation."  He also spoke of those who help such growth as those who "build on the foundation" (Romans 15:20, 1st Corinthians 3:10-15).  However, within his discourse of these ideas in 1st Corinthians 3:13-15, Paul describes the results of such labor in terms that are clearly eschatological in nature.  In fact, it appears that his language implicitly describes Purgatory by an evident parallel between the first and second resurrection woven into his words:
 

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.  If the work which any man has built on the
foundation survives, he will receive a reward [the first resurrection].
If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss [Purgatory], though he
himself will be saved [the second resurrection], but only as through fire
[Purgatory].

Such langauge indicates that Purgatory is a punishment for sin.  However, many believe that for the righteous there is no longer any punishment for sin.  After all, doesn't Hebrews 10:17 state "I will remember their sins and their misdeeds no more?"  This is true regarding God's pattern of repentance and forgiveness, but many forget that God's forgiveness doesn't always obviate the need for punishment:

Hebrews 12:5-6:

And have you forgotten the exhortation which addresses you as sons? -- "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage when you are punished by him. For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives."

Thus punishment for the righteous, whether on earth or in Purgatory, does not contradict proper biblical theology.  It also is evident, therefore, that Purgatory cannot be considered a place of horror, but instead a place where punishment issues from God's parental love.

Another apparent reference to Purgatory comes from a parable in Luke 12:35-48 where Jesus teaches of the doctrine of final judgement.  Here Jesus speaks of a master leaving his servants and then returning at a later time to exact judgment.  Of special note are verses 47-48 where Jesus says "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 [Hell].  But he who did not know, and did what deserved a beating shall receive a light beating [Purgatory]."  Indeed in Scripture, the "light beating" doesn't correspond to any other final judgment scenerio except the Purgatory already described.  It might also be noted that even without the use of 1st Corinthians 3 and Luke 12, it is only logical that any kind of posthumous detainment from entering heaven must be some form of punishment.

PRAYERS FOR THOSE IN PURGATORY

Since Baptism was considered to have value for remission of sins (Acts 2:38), it was the practice of some early Christians to baptize themselves vicariously for the dead (1st Corinthians 15:29) as a prayerful token knowing that the Lord's "kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead," (Ruth 2:20) in hopes that God would give relief to the souls waiting in Purgatory.  The idea was not that a dead person might become saved (there is no salvation after death), but that punishment in purgatory might be lessened.  In effect, this was an unusual form of praying for the dead (again, not for salvation, but for mitigation of the pains of longing for the second resurrection by the righteous in Purgatory).
 
It is also interesting to note that Paul also prayed for the dead after giving a eulogy for his deceased friend Onesiphorus: "May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorous, for he often refreshed me; he was not ashamed of my chains, but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me eagerly and found me--may the lord grant him to find mercy from the lord on that day [prayer for dead in caps]" (2nd Timothy 1:16-18).  This practice was not unique to Paul.  Even the great anti-Catholic Alexander Hislop admits early Christian inscriptions on Catacomb walls to include "A prayer here and there for the dead: 'May God refresh thy spirit'" (Hislop, The Two Babylons, 8, note).