In a YouTube video of music by a particular Baroque composer, one of the commenters says “I PRAY TO GOD, OUR LADY, KING JOSEPH, ANGELS AND SAINTS TO BLESS EVERYBODY!!!!!!” Ignoring the obnoxious use of Caps Lock and exclamation points, this is disturbing. It is so general as to be meaningless. How would such a prayer be answered?
The real point to be made though, is that the prayer is addressed not just to God, but to a whole pantheon of lesser gods (Mary, Joseph, angels, and saints), as if they are all up in heaven listening to us and somehow have the power and willingness to affect our lives.
The Roman Catholic church has a whole calendar of “patron saints” that apparently specialize in providing aid, healing, or protection to the living. The concept of Roman Catholic “sainthood” is of a group of “super Christians” now dead, who through extraordinary lives of humble and miraculous ministry here on earth, were recognized and then elevated by the church to a status of “Saint”. It appears that people see them as “little gods”, a step below God and the angels.
This differs from the Bible’s use of the word “saint”, where it simply refers to Christian believers, living or dead. See Rom. 1:7, 1 Cor. 1:2, Phl. 4:21-22, Heb. 6:10, and scores of other verses using the word “saint”. “Saint” is a synonym for believers in the various churches of Paul’s letters, and literally means the “sanctified ones”. i.e., those who have been set apart by God, saved and redeemed by Christ. The word is never used to refer to a special class of dead believers, who we are to refer to as “Saint So-and-So”.
Here are some questions or statements that should be a challenge for anyone who believes that we should pray to, or ask intercession of, the “saints” in heaven.
1. Where exactly in scripture are we encouraged to pray to dead saints, or to angels? Is there an example anywhere?
2. Where is any scripture that suggests that a dead saint can hear or answer a prayer?
3. Is there even any evidence that the dead can see or hear the living? I suppose the closest would be Heb. 12:1, which (following the “heroes of the faith” in chapter 11) says “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” Some might argue that the dead are actually witnessing and watching us through this life, but I think it rather means that we have the witness, or testimony, of all those who have gone faithfully through this life and its trials before us, serving as an encouragement for us also to hold fast through every trial. I have a hard time believing that believers now in heaven have any desire or ability to watch what is going on here below, but instead are engaged in heavenly worship and adoration of their King.
4. If one says “We’re not praying to them, we’re just asking them to intercede for us”, what is the difference? Asking for their intercession is a request that they do something on your behalf. That is a prayer.
5. Where is any scripture that suggests that dead saints intercede for us?
6. 1 Tim. 2:5 says “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” We only have, and only need one mediator, and that is Christ.
7. Why would a request that goes through an intermediary be more effective than a prayer made directly to the Father in Jesus name? Jn. 16:23-27 says we can go directly to the Father in Jesus’ name. No other intermediary is necessary.
8. There is a difference between requesting prayers from the church, family, or friends here on earth, which the Bible expressly approves of, and addressing yourself to the dead. This is getting uncomfortably close to occult practices like seances, Ouija boards, and necromancy.
9. Heb. 10:19-23 gives us direction to come boldly to God in prayer through Christ. “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having a high priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised:)”
So why would someone request intercession or mediation between them and God (apart from Christ)? It is because they lack the confidence of their own standing in Christ. They do not believe that they can come directly to God, but need someone that is already “in good with God” to do them a favor and get God to do something for them. If a person takes John 16 and Hebrews 10 seriously, they will see that no additional intermediary is necessary.
Of course the only ones who really can come to the Father in prayer are those who are “in Christ” as born again believers; those who have eternal life. If a person is an unbeliever, they need Christ as Savior. No other intermediary is able to do them any good. Jesus said “I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” (Jn. 14:6). You cannot come to the Father by Mary, Joseph, Christopher, Michael, or anyone else - only directly, through Jesus.
Conclusion: We have only one mediator between us and the Father, Jesus Christ. We as believers can come directly to the Father, praying in Jesus’ name. Praying to Mary, Joseph, the “Saints”, and especially to angels, is not scriptural, and in fact is praying to other gods. If it is accompanied by the use of pictures or statues, its idolatry is even more obvious.
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