Oh When the Saints

Evangelicals are at best confused at the practice of praying to the Saints, and at worst equate it with an ancient non Biblical practice left over from the Middle Ages.  When a Catholic says, Pray to this Saint, a Protestant will reply with, Pray to Jesus alone.  When a Catholic is seen on their knees in prayer in front of a statue, a Protestant will think of the story of the Golden Calf.  When an Evangelical finds worn down prayer cards in their Catholic Grandparents basement, they are likely to consider whether or not that Grandparent knows we only have One High Priest in whom we place our trust and our cares.



The misinformation of Catholicism makes me sad.  Both sides have distorted the truth of the doctrines, and few can form sound Biblical defenses for their beliefs or accusations.   This post is meant to be my part in showing a Biblical defense for a life lived among the Saints; those who have gone before us and now share in our masters table.  It will not be entirely whimsy or cute, because sometimes doctrine is dry but needs to be shared.  The practice itself is anything but dull.. there is an army of friends waiting to pray for you, if we would only open our hearts to the family of God.


Part I:
In learning about the Saints, the place to begin is in understanding the idea of a Communion of Saints.  As Christians, we are a mystical body, interconnected to one another, because the head over all is Christ.  He is that which holds everything together.

 

"And he put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way". Eph 1:22,23

This mystical body has been made precisely so that one part affects another.  When one suffers, all suffer, when one rejoices, all rejoice. 

 

"As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

Now the body is not a single part, but many. If a foot should say, “Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body,” it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. Or if an ear should say, “Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body,” it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as he intended. If they were all one part, where would the body be? But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I do not need you.” Indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are all the more necessary, and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable we surround with greater honor, and our less presentable parts are treated with greater propriety, whereas our more presentable parts do not need this. But God has so constructed the body as to give greater honor to a part that is without it, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another. If [one] part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy."  1 Corinthians 12:12 - 26



Although we are each individually a temple of the Holy Spirit, Christ only has one bride, one body, the Church.  Paul believed so much in this interconnectivity of the body that he wrote to the church in Colossae:

“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church.” 

Colossians 1:24

 

There was nothing lacking in the death and resurrection of Jesus.  Paul would have been labeled a heretic for making such a claim.  Rather, Paul is warning us that there can be holes or "lackings" in the Christians understanding of this sacrifice, or of our knowledge of Christ, or our willingness to do His will or follow Jesus who had redeemed the world.  And because we are One Body, under Christ, Paul boldly asserts that his sufferings could be offered to the Lord in order to benefit another within the Body of Christ.  His sufferings could fill what was lacking.  He offered himself as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1) to God, holy and pleasing to the Lord, allowing his sufferings to fill up what was lacking in his fellow believers at Colossae.  This is not a belief in working ones way to Heaven.  This is a profound understanding of the One Body of the One risen Christ, working together to bring all to the One mighty head of Christ. 



This view of Paul leads to a profound understanding of the purpose of suffering in our lives.  Mainly, it has a purpose, and it can be used as a sacrificial act for glorifying the name of Christ by aiding a brother in need.

 

“Rather, living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, brings about the body’s growth and builds itself up in love.” Ephesians 4:15

 

If we joined together and built upon the support of our fellow believer, how much more important does it become to care about your brothers spiritual walk?

This wasn't Paul's idea.  Jesus was so concerned with the Unity of the Body of Christ, that it was the last thing he prayed for before he died.  In his intimate plea with the Father Jesus asked, 

 

“I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they may also be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.”  John 17:20

 

The degree to which we act as the Body of Christ, is the degree to which the world will accept that he is Lord.  If we are not united, the world will never know him.  

 

“I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.”  I Corinthians 1:10

 

Paul understood the prayer of John 17.

The ultimate act as the communion of Saints, is partaking in the Eucharist, which is partaking in the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. 

“The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?  Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.”  I Corinthians 10:16 

 

As members in the Communion of Saints, One Body, under Christ, we can therefore ask for the intercessory prayer even among those who have already died here on earth.  They remain a part of the Body of Christ, because they are alive. 



Part II

We are eternal beings, created in the image of the Immortal, eternal God, and therefore when a person dies, their soul does not cease to exist.  They are fully alive, just removed from the present world.  Those who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead were sternly reprimanded by Paul,

 

“But if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then empty [too] is our preaching; empty, too, your faith. Then we are also false witnesses to God, because we testified against God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all. " 1 Corinthians 15:12 - 19

 

Non Catholic Christians profess the resurrection of the dead any time they state the Nicene Creed, or the Apostles Creed, which many liturgical protestant Churches have done even after the Reformation,

 

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen. 

 

Jesus himself taught the resurrection of the dead to the unbelieving Sadducees of his day.  He  emphasized that he was currently, in the present tense, the God of Israel's forefathers.  He IS our God, because with him time has no power, no boundaries and no death. 

 

Matt 22:32, “And concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?  He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”  Matthew 22:32



When those who love and follow the Lord die on earth, Jesus clearly states that their lives in no way cease to exist.  Rather, they simply exist outside of our realm of sight, but not outside of his. 

This was clearly demonstrated in Matthew 17 at the transfiguration of Jesus.  Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus to Peter, James, and John.  The men from old were apparently so very “alive” that Peter asked if they should set up tents for them! 

 

“Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Lord, it is good that we are here, if you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”  Matthew 17:4

 

The saints are alive.  They are made in the image of God, eternally a part of the communion of saints, the mystical Body of Christ, because he has One body, with many parts, under his head.  Each is given a unique mission in bringing glory and honor to the head of all, Christ.

Paul tells us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 12:1. 

 

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.  For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.”

 

The term "witnesses" in this verse has been a source of contention among Catholic and non Catholic scholars.  Some believe the witnesses to be a past event.  The great men and women who have come before in Hebrews 11, who have stood for the faith in times of immense fear or pain or uncertainty are simply examples we can look to as encouragement in our own lives.  They have witnessed to the faith, and we are to likewise make our own statements of faith.  Other viewpoints take the term witnesses in a more literal sense: the chapter 11 witnesses are currently watching the happenings here on earth, and are cheering us on to persevere and endure in our faith.  Not only encouraging us by their faithful examples, but actually praying for us before the throne of the Lamb.  They are not dead.  They are working and praying so that we too will one day join them in the heavenly Jerusalem.  (Hebrews 12:22).  They are the "spirits of the just made perfect" joined by angels in a "festal gathering" to which we have come to ask for prayers and to be encouraged and strengthened in our race of faith. (12 - 25).

 

"No, you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering, and the assembly of the firstborn of all creation, and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made perfect, and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel.”

Part III:

There is a communion of saints that everyone within the mystical Body of Christ is a member.  As members in this one body, we have been made in the image of the eternal God, therefore as eternal beings, we do not cease to live after death.  Because the sting of death has been removed due to the passion and resurrection of Jesus, the saints will forever live with him in the heavenly Jerusalem.  And because we are members of this body whether in heaven or on earth, we have all been called to pray for one another and build each other up into the One head of us all, Christ.   

 

“First of all then, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity.  This is good and pleasing to God our Savior, who wills everyone to be saved and come to knowledge of the truth.  For there is one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself as a ransom for all. "

1 Timothy 2:1 -3

 

Praying for one another was vitally important to Paul.  In fact, he explicitly states that an act of intercessory prayer is good and pleasing to the Lord.  His proclamation in verse 5 does not negate his pleadings in 1,2,and 3.  Stating that there is only one mediator between God and man does not violate praying for your neighbor.  In the fifth verse, Paul is not making a statement about the nature of prayer, but rather making a statement about the very nature of God.  He alone is the one unique mediator because he alone is wholly God and wholly man.  Therefore he has the unique role as the author of the new covenant, which is his blood.  Asking a saint, or a sister, or a brother for prayer is not diminishing the High Priesthood of Jesus Christ, rather it is acknowledging that through the support of his Bride, the body of believers, (the Church) I can become more formed to His perfect will than I ever would have been on my own.  Every ligament supports the other.  We support by encouragement and prayer.   The Saints in heaven are not answering our prayers.  They are bringing the prayer to Jesus, and He alone will answer. 

 

“It is my wish, then that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument.”  1 Timothy 2:8

 

Examples of the necessity of intercessory prayer can be seen throughout the scriptures.  Abraham interceded for Sodom in Genesis 18:23,

 

" Then Abraham drew near and said: “Will you really sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there were fifty righteous people in the city; would you really sweep away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people within it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike! Far be it from you! Should not the judge of all the world do what is just?” The LORD replied: If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake. Abraham spoke up again: “See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord, though I am only dust and ashes! What if there are five less than fifty righteous people? Will you destroy the whole city because of those five?” I will not destroy it, he answered, if I find forty-five there. But Abraham persisted, saying, “What if only forty are found there?” He replied: I will refrain from doing it for the sake of the forty. Then he said, “Do not let my Lord be angry if I go on. What if only thirty are found there?” He replied: I will refrain from doing it if I can find thirty there.  Abraham went on, “Since I have thus presumed to speak to my Lord, what if there are no more than twenty?” I will not destroy it, he answered, for the sake of the twenty. But he persisted: “Please, do not let my Lord be angry if I speak up this last time. What if ten are found there?” For the sake of the ten, he replied, I will not destroy it.

The LORD departed as soon as he had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned home. "

Job interceded for his friends in Job 42:8.  In fact, Job's friends were told not to pray, but to have their righteous friend, Job, pray for them, instead.  Christians are also told to summon a priest to pray for them in times of illness,

 

 “Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the Church, and they should pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up.” James 5:13

 

Part IV:

The prayers of those who have died are beneficial to us here on earth. They are not dead, rather they are surrounding witnesses to our lives, encouraging us in our races, and because they are in heaven, they are in a perfected state that is able to fulfill the commandments perfectly. 

Jesus tells the rich man in Luke 10 of the two greatest commandments, to Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself.  Because we know that Jesus claimed he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it, (Matthew 5:17), we can be sure that these two commandments stand true whether we live on earth or whether we live in heaven. 

 

“Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” He said in reply, “You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”  He replied to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” Luke 10:27

 

If the Saints are members of his One Body, if they remain in communion with us as a mystical body, and if we know they are worshipping God before the throne (first commandment) they are also honoring him by fulfilling the second, loving their neighbors, who are us, here on earth.  They do this by listening to the petitions of the Lord's body here on earth, and presenting them before God in heaven. 

 

"When he (the Lamb) took it, the four living creatures and the twenty four elders fell down before the Lamb.  Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayer of the holy ones."  Revelation 5:8

 

 

Incense has long been used as an image of prayers going up to heaven. 

 “Let my prayer be incense before you; my uplifted hands an evening offering.”

Psalm 141:2

“From the rising of the sun to its setting, my name is great among the nations; Incense offerings are made to my name everywhere, and a pure offering; For my name is great among the nations, says the Lord of Hosts.”

Malachi 1:11

 

Asking a saint to pray for us can bring immeasurable grace.  We are warned in the Bible that our prayers can be hindered by sin, and their effectiveness waned because of our selfish desires.

 

“You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” 

James 4:3

 

“Likewise, you husbands should live with your wives in understanding, showing honor to the weaker female sex, since we are joint heirs of the gift of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.” 1 Peter 3:7

 

“Therefore, if you bring your gift to the alter, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar; go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”  Matthew 5:23.

 

The saints in heaven are no longer hindered by the burden of sin.  They have been brought to completion, their desires have been redeemed, they can now perfectly fulfill their duty as a member of the Body of Christ.  Therefore asking a Saint for prayer is wise.  It is Biblical, and it is beneficial. 

 

Catholics are not claiming that saints are omniscient.  Only God is.  However, they are before the throne of God, outside of time, of space, and of natural human restrictions.  They have been given, by God, the ability to hear our prayers because they have been made a part, perfectly now, of the Body of Christ.  They remain a part of the Body of Christ in heaven, and will be, forever. As such, they are still asked to give supplications, prayers, and requests for everyone, which they are clearly doing in their presentation of the bowls filled with incense (prayers) before the throne.

 

Praying to a Saint in no way detracts from our duty to bring our requests directly to God.  In the same way that asking my friend to pray for me does not prevent me from also going before God in prayer.  Catholics do not ignore Philippians 4:6

 

"Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

 

Catholics love the Lord.  They love to pray to Him, and they love to be prayed for, among his Body.  The word "Prayer" is not meant as a form of worship or idolatry to someone other than God.  "Prayer" simply means, "To Ask."  That is how the Catholic uses it.  When a Catholic is in prayer in front of a saint, the Catholic is petitioning the saint not to answer a request, but to present a request to the One and Only God.  When a Catholic prays to a saint, that Catholic is not indicting himself before the Golden Calf of Moses, but rather asking the Saint to pray that his idols will be removed, better equipping him to follow the will of God.  Friendship with the saints can be a lovely addition to the life of a Christian.  They are waiting, willing, and desiring that we ask them for prayer.  They have seen Him who is invisible, they are bowed before Him, ever wanting to voice our names in unison with theirs. 

 

Oh How I Long To Be in That Number....