Question: Does the Greek text of 2 Tim. 1:16-18 imply that Onesiphorus had already been dead by the time of writing these words?:

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> The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft
>  refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: But, when he was in
>  Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me. The Lord grant
>  unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how
>  many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.
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Answer: 
The key of this text is the phrase **that day**, which occurs in the following three verses:

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> [**2 Tim 1:16-18**](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy%201%3A12&version=NASB;SBLGNT) (NASB)  
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> 16 The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains; 17 but when he was in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me— 18the Lord grant to him to find mercy from the Lord on **that day**—and you know very well what services he rendered at Ephesus.
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> [**2 Tim 4:8**](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy%204%3A8&version=NASB;SBLGNT) (NASB)  
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> 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on **that day**; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.
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> [**2 Tim 1:12**](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy%201%3A12&version=NASB;SBLGNT) (NASB)  
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> 12 For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until **that day**.
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If the author of the epistle refers to himself as receiving his reward of due compensation on **that day**, and the author was alive when he wrote these words, then why should we assume that Onesiphorus was necessarily already dead just because he too was supposed to receive his reward of due compensation on **that day**?
According to the current official teaching of the RCC, purgatory is not a place to PAY for one's venial sins, but a place of purification to prepare the deceased 'Christian' to live in heaven. Thus, purgatory implies that the person enduring it already has full pardon or mercy in Jesus. The person's sins are redeemed by Jesus' death on the cross. The person in purgatory is said to already be forgiven. The person is assured heaven in the official view and so we cannot conclude that 2 Timothy 1:16-18 is proof of purgatory. So is it then proof of hell then? We cannot conclude that either for the fact that mercy is assured to the one who has met the conditions of divine pardon in this life. If Onesimus was dead and Paul was praying for mercy, then it would imply Paul was praying that Onesimus would be able to avoid hell. And such an interpretation would also be speculation.