and worshiped there gained plenary indulgence. However, for this year the pope decreed that Roman Catholics can obtain plenary indulgence at home, simply by attending one of the certain cathedrals he specified in their dioceses where special instructions were to be given on the accomplishments of the Vatican II Council.—Time, Dec. 31, 1965.

But, when one considers the nature of the discussion held at Vatican II Council meetings on the value of indulgences, one wonders whether Pope Paul VI is out of step with his prelates or not. For example: There was Maximos IV Saigh of Antioch, who pointed out that in the Roman Catholic Church during the first eleven centuries “there was no trace of indulgences, and even today the Eastern Church ignores them. In the Middle Ages, abuse of indulgences made grave scandals for Christianity. Even in our day it seems to us that the practice of indulgences too often favors in the faithful a sort of pious bookkeeping in which one forgets what is essential, namely, the sacred and personal effort of penance.” Another prelate at the Council pointed out that indulgences tended to widen the gulf between Roman Catholics and other churches in Christendom, that they were theologically unsound and not Biblical enough.

According to reports, these remarks were greatly applauded by the some 2,000 bishops assembled. The original idea of the group of the Council dealing with the subject had been merely to abolish the time feature, so many days, years, and so forth, for this, that and the other thing. But with such strong objections to the very idea of indulgences, nothing was done about them at the Vatican II sessions. In fact, to carry out the ideas of some would have made them liable to the curses inveighed by the Council of Trent upon all who questioned the value of indulgences!

GOD’S WORD ON THE SUBJECT

Can indulgences in fact release one from “temporal punishment”? What is the position of God’s Word on the subject? When Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was on earth he at times freely forgave the sins of some. Did he on those occasions have anything to say about indulgences? No, he did not. (Luke 7:48, 49) Nor did any of his early followers. Thus the apostle Paul writes: “By means of him we have the release by ransom through the blood of that one [Jesus Christ], yes, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his undeserved kindness.” Making it even stronger or more explicit are the words of the apostle John: “The blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous so as to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” If Jehovah God, on the basis of Christ’s sacrifice, forgives all our sins, there can be no temporal punishment before or after death for them.—Eph. 1:7; 1 John 1:7, 9.

Besides, how could persons be punished after dying, when, according to the Scriptures: “The living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all.” Yes, “in that day” that a man dies, “his thoughts do perish.” The Bible tells us of Lazarus, a friend of Jesus who was raised by Jesus after he had been in the grave for four days. Had he been alive somewhere we may be sure he would have told about his remarkable experience!—Eccl. 9:5; Ps. 146:4; John 11:38-44.

The erroneous teaching of suffering for sins after death and of which suffering indulgences are supposed to be able to relieve one is based on a false premise, namely, that man has a soul that is separate and distinct from his body, and that it is immortal, leaving the body at death. But neither scientists nor surgeons have ever found such a soul in man, nor has anyone else found any evidence of such a thing. Man’s consciousness depends upon his organism; seriously harm it, as in an accident, and his consciousness suffers. The Bible teaching is in support of this scientific fact, for it tells us that, upon creation, man “came to be a living soul.” As for man as a soul being immortal, God’s Word plainly negates such a teaching, stating: “The soul that is sinning—it itself will die.” The hope for the dead lies, not in a supposedly immortal soul, but in a resurrection, which the Bible assures us will include “both the righteous and the unrighteous.”—Gen. 2:7; Ezek. 18:4, 20; Acts 24:15.

More than that, not only does the Bible have nothing to say about indulgences and an immortal soul, but it likewise has nothing to say about such a place as purgatory. It tells of God’s creating heaven and earth but never mentions a purgatory, the word not occurring in the Bible from Genesis through Revelation.

SUPPOSED OBJECTIONS CONSIDERED

Those who teach such doctrines as indulgences, immortality of the human soul and purgatory claim that these teachings are supported by Jesus’ words at Luke 12:47, 48, about those knowing his Father’s will and not doing it being beaten with many strokes. However, no illustration can properly be used or interpreted to contradict plain statements of the Bible, but must be construed in harmony with them. Jesus was here stating a principle and a prophecy to be fulfilled at his second coming while his professed disciples were still alive in the flesh on earth.

Another text used to support the indulgence structure is 1 Corinthians 3:15, which reads: “If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved; yet, if so, it will be as through fire.” Clearly, here literal fire is not meant, for Christians do not build with literal “gold, silver, precious stones,” or with “wood materials, hay, stubble,” as mentioned in 1 Co 3 verse 12. More than that, it speaks of the person being saved as through fire because his works are burned. He built carelessly or unwisely in this life; in this life his works are destroyed and it is in this life, therefore, that he will be saved, as through fire of testing.

God’s Word shows Him to be reasonable, just, loving and righteous. He has made provision for the forgiveness of sins that are not willful by the ransom sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ. Since that sacrifice cleanses us from all sin and consciousness of guilt, it leaves nothing to be paid for by temporal punishment, and which punishment might be or is supposed to be obviated by indulgences. Especially is there nothing left to be paid after death, since in death man is wholly unconscious, without any thoughts until the resurrection, if that be his lot. Yes, God’s forgiveness is complete.

Evening and Morning Twilight

◆ Between sunset and the actual darkness there is a short period of evening twilight when the stars begin to be seen. This time was called nesheph by the ancient Hebrews and evidently is the time meant by the expression “between the two evenings” found at Exodus 12:6. (Prov. 7:9) Similarly, at the end of the night’s darkness there is a morning twilight leading to the dawn and this was expressed by the same Hebrew word. Thus, the writer at Psalm 119:147 says: “I have been up early in the morning twilight.”