Counterfeit WK 7 - Wednesday Night

·       2683 The witnesses who have preceded us into the kingdom, especially those whom the Church recognizes as saints, share in the living tradition of prayer by the example of their lives, the transmission of their writings, and their prayer today. They contemplate God, praise him and constantly care for those whom they have left on earth. When they entered into the joy of their Master, they were "put in charge of many things." Their intercession is their most exalted service to God's plan. We can and should ask them to intercede for us and for the whole world.

Key Arguments Against:

1.        As believers we have direct access to God

A.       We do not need an intercessor, we can go to God directly

Matthew 27:51

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from the bottom to the top.

Hebrews 4:16

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 10:19-22

¹⁹ Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

B.       We are instructed how to pray in the Bible

Matthew 6:9  

Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name.

Matthew 6:5-7  

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.  But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

John 16:23

Jesus says Truly, Truly I say into you whatever you ask the Father in My Name He will give you.

John 14:13

Whatsoever you ask in My Name that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Do not be anxious about anything, but… let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6)

Ephesians 1:3 / 1 Peter 1:3

C.    Lack of Biblical evidence

2.        Jesus is the only mediator

1 Timothy 2:5

⁵ For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man^[a] Christ Jesus,

3.        Lends to idolatry or Necromancy

-              It can lead to idolizing saints, placing them above God.

-              It can lend itself to Necromancy

a.        Necromancy is a form of magic or divination involving communication with the dead to gain hidden knowledge, predict the future, or manipulate events.

b.        Deuteronomy 18:10-12

¹⁰ There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer ¹¹ or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, ¹² for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you.

4.        The role of Holy Spirit is to intercede for us

 The Holy Spirit intercedes for us.

The Holy Spirit knows our hearts and the will of God and prays accordingly – something a saint cannot do.

Romans 8:26-27

The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for , but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans… because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance to the will of God.

5.        Issue with the definition of a saint

1 Corinthians 1:2

 ² To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

Catholicism view between Saint and Canonized saint

6.        Church Historical evidence

Origen in his epistle to the Romans in the 240s

“ If indeed the saints who are outside the body and are with Christ do and work anything in our behalf after the manner of the angels who perform services for our salvation, let this also be considered amount the secret things of God not to be committed to paper.”

No prayer to Stephen when Stephen was martyred

Clement writing to the Corinthians about Paul never mentions making prayer to

The Martyrdom of Polycarp “We worship Christ as the Son of God; the martyrs however, we love as disciples and imitators of the Lord, as is right on account of their unsurpassable benevolence toward their King and Teacher; and we wish to become their companions and disciples”  - no prayers to Polycarp

Historical innovation: not related to the first century of the church.