Don't let the word purgatory cause a knee jerk reaction: in primitive Christian eschatology--- the tormenting regions of Hades served to bring UNBELIEVERS to their senses, if not guilty of eternal sin----believers are saved to the uttermost, and enter paradise immediately when they die.
CHAP. VI.—PURGATORY AND HELL
“Such is the nature of the one and only God, who made the world, and who created us, and who has given us all things, that as long as any one is within the limit of piety, and does not blaspheme His Holy Spirit, through His love towards him He brings the soul to Himself by reason of His love towards it. And although it be sinful, it is His nature to save it, after it has been suitably punished for the deeds it hath done. But if any one shall deny Him, or in any other way be guilty of impiety against Him, and then shall repent, he shall be punished indeed for the sins he hath committed against Him, but he shall be saved, because he turned and lived. And perhaps excessive piety and supplication shall even be delivered from punishment, ignorance being admitted as a reason for the pardon of sin after repentance.1 But those who do not repent shall be destroyed by the punishment of fire, even though in all other things they are most holy. But, as I said, at an appointed time a fifth2 part, being punished with eternal fire, shall be consumed. For they cannot endure for ever who have been impious against the one God.
1 The text manifestly corrupt.
2 Perhaps, rather, “the greatest part.”
Pseudo-Clement of Rome. (1886). The Clementine Homilies T. Smith, Trans.). In A. Roberts, J. Donaldson & A. C. Coxe (Eds.), The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume VIII: Fathers of the Third and Fourth Centuries: The Twelve Patriarchs, Excerpts and Epistles, the Clementina, Apocrypha, Decretals, Memoirs of Edessa and Syriac Documents, Remains of the First Ages (A. Roberts, J. Donaldson & A. C. Coxe, Ed.) (239–240). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company.
That Dives was a child of Abraham and therefore one of God's Elect who died unbelieving--- and so ended up suffering in Hades, is implied by:
1)Luke 16:27 ff which does not depict Dives cursing Abraham for not helping him, as a child of the Devil would do, but rather showing Christian like concern for others);
2)Luke 16:26 The redeemed in heaven praise God when the wicked are punished, but here they pity Dives, therefore he is redeemable, a lost child who can be found; They are willing to endure the torments of Hades to help Dives, but the great gulf doesn't allow it. Scripture shows the redeemed in heaven would NOT feel that way towards children of the Devil:
9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? (Rev 6:9-10 KJV)
3)The irredeemable Wicked in Hades are in darkness (2 Pet 2:4; Job 10:21f; Ps 88:6), but Dives still sees the light of God, Abraham and Lazarus in paradise or third heaven (2 Cor 12:2,4), hence he is in a different part of Hades than the eternally cursed.[/B]
As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.
(Zec 9:11 KJV)
No one is saved in the name of being one of God's Elect, all must repent and believe in Christ to be saved...there is no salvation by any other name under the heaven. John the Baptist warned all---being "elect" does not spare the fires of hell:
9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. (Mat 3:9-12 KJV)
3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?
4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
6 who "will render to each one according to his deeds":
7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;
8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness-- indignation and wrath,
9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek;
10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
11 For there is no partiality with God.
(Rom 2:3-11 NKJ)
God is not partial, whatever a man sows that he will reap. But thanks be to God Hades presents the argument for believing in very compelling terms, so that many who enter therein choose, like Dives, to repent and live according to God in the spirit (1 Pet 4:6), that their spirit may be saved in the Day of the LORD Jesus (1 Cor 5:5), when He judges all the earth sitting on the Great White Throne:
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Rev 20:11-1 KJV)
If one of God's elect chosen before the foundation of the world according to His purpose, should die unbelieving in this life...it is predestined the fires of hell will be adjusted to whatever level is required, to bring them to their senses, so they can rise in the Resurrection unto life and be conformed completely to the image of His Son.
28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (Joh 5:28-29 KJV)
Although Paul is speaking mainly about his countrymen, what he says applies to the Elect, Jew and Gentile alike:
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
(Rom 11:26-33 KJV)
