Purgatory is not in the Bible, but prayer for the dead is (2 Mc 12:43-45, one of the "7 funky books"; and almost certainly I Cor 15: 29). The older way of picturing eternal life was to see it in terms of a different time, a new age: thus if Uncle Joe died, we have some time to pray for him before the resurrection. This is the image behind 2 Mc 12:43-45. Around New Testament times, a new way of picturing eternal life came out: eternity as a different "place" (heaven or hell). Thus the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Lk 16:19-31 -- they go to reward or punishment when they die and don't have to wait for the end of the world. (CONTINUE)