Christ judges; purgatory is rejected in named confessions
Christ's judgment remains real in the sources shown here. Matthew 25 includes concrete mercy toward vulnerable neighbors. Protestant disagreement over final punishment does not remove accountability. The Lutheran Smalcald Articles II.II.12 reject Roman Catholic purgatory. Westminster XXXII.1 recognizes heaven and hell for separated souls and no third destination. This page describes their teachings without making them universal Protestant statements. Church of England Article XXII also rejects the Roman doctrine of purgatory. The selected Anglican option is bounded by its historic formularies, while the other new accounts cite their own teachings on Christ’s judgment. No position is assigned to every member of a church family.
Scripture
- Matthew 25:31-46 — Christ judges, and care for the hungry, strangers, sick, and imprisoned matters.
- John 5:28-29 — Jesus speaks of resurrection to life and resurrection to judgment.
Primary sources
After naming those two destinations, the Reformed confession states:
Westminster XXXII.1 recognizes heaven and hell, with no third place for separated souls.
Besides these two places, for souls separated from their bodies, the Scripture acknowledgeth none.
Passage context and translation
The two preceding places are heaven and hell in this Reformed confession. The statement is not attributed to every Protestant community.
Before the excerpt
Context summary: The paragraph describes righteous souls received into heaven and wicked souls cast into hell.
After the excerpt
Context summary: Paragraph 2 turns to the resurrection and reunion of bodies and souls.
Sources and further reading
- Assemblies of God · Fundamental Truths 5 and 13–16
- Church of England · Thirty-nine Articles IV, X–XII, XXII
- Lutheran · Smalcald Articles II.II.12 · Purgatory
- Matthew 25:31–46 · KJV
- Reformed · Westminster Confession XXXII–XXXIII · OPC
- Rethinking Hell · Statement on Evangelical Conditionalism
- The Wesleyan Church · Articles of Religion 8, 11–13, 20–22