Saints who Protect

[Devin P]

Intercession of the Saints — Church Fathers

Rabbinic Jews, though they reject Christ, also have this practice.

Is it okay to ask a deceased tzaddik to pray on my behalf?

I find the above link helpful, if for no other reason than to help folks realize that the Apostolic Christian practice is itself deeply Jewish in origin; not Pagan. The Church being the fulfillment of Israel, spiritually.

It doesn't really make sense to keep traditions of the Jews that aren't found in scripture. Jesus got on them for elevating their own vain traditions above scripture just as He would've anyone else. If it's not in scripture, we shouldn't observe it.

 

[ChicanaRose]

John 11:25-26, John 17:20-24, James 5:16-18.

None of these verses prove that saints in heaven have any control over the individual lives of those on earth right now.

 

[anna ~ grace]

None of these verses prove that saints in heaven have any control over the individual lives of those on earth right now.

I hope someday, you get to understand fully what it means to be alive in Christ. And get to know and love all the holy, awesome Christians who have already gone on ahead.

 

[ChicanaRose]

I hope someday, you get to understand fully what it means to be alive in Christ. And get to know and love all the holy, awesome Christians who have already gone on ahead.

Yes, I was dead in my sins but now alive in Christ (Eph. 2). I don't think you've proven anything on the subject but thanks for the sentiment.

 

[anna ~ grace]

It doesn't really make sense to keep traditions of the Jews that aren't found in scripture. Jesus got on them for elevating their own vain traditions above scripture just as He would've anyone else. If it's not in scripture, we shouldn't observe it.

And yet, Scripture does point us to the reality that the Saints are alive, care about us, are still One with us, though seperated, and that as they are alive in Christ and just, their prayers can do great things.

 

[ChicanaRose]

Hi Family,

I was searching Amazon for art supplies. I came across a pendant that had a saint who was to protect you.

How exactly does someone believe a saint can protect you?

What are the logistics?

Why cant God be the sole protector?

Do you believe it diminishes the divinity of God?

~Natsumi Lam~

This is a second or third order doctrine matter. If you do not believe it, it wouldn't make you any less of a Christian.

 

[Natsumi Lam]

The question is, Natsumi, as a Christian, do you believe Christ?

I believe you are contextually wrong...i will read up and get back to you.

 

[Natsumi Lam]

There is something contextually wrong with pulling out john 11:25 -26.....etc


I am going to do an indepth study for you. I will get back to you prepared.

 

[ChicanaRose]

I believe you are contextually wrong...i will read up and get back to you.

I agree.

 

[Natsumi Lam]

And yet, Scripture does point us to the reality that the Saints are alive, care about us, are still One with us, though seperated, and that as they are alive in Christ and just, their prayers can do great things.

I think you are contextually wrong but i am willing to modify my pov

 

[anna ~ grace]

I think you are contextually wrong but i am willing to modify my pov

This may help. Again, the Earliest Christians, many of whom who lived and wrote even prior to Nicea, had no problem with many of the things some Christians today feel deeply uncomfortable with. For them, this was just what their Christian faith looked and sounded and felt like.

The Intercession of the Saints

 

[SkyWriting]

I find this to be a logical concept.

In life, we all have a charism. Some people have a talent for music, others are called to the priesthood, some have a special calling to help the poor, etc. We all have a charism.

If we have one in life, why wouldn't we have one in death? It seems reasonable that the charism (and the mission to carry it out) would extend beyond this life.

Dead people are sleeping until judgment day.

 

[PoppyB]

Hi Family,

I was searching Amazon for art supplies. I came across a pendant that had a saint who was to protect you.

How exactly does someone believe a saint can protect you?

What are the logistics?

Why cant God be the sole protector?

Do you believe it diminishes the divinity of God?

~Natsumi Lam~

I don't believe in man-made saints. There are saints and sinners and according to the bible we, the Church, are saints. And we are also priests - a royal priesthood no less. I personally don't believe that prayer to anybody but God can possibly be effective. But so many people are taught to pray to 'saints' from an early age and believe in the effectiveness of it.

 

[Pavel Mosko]

Try praying to one? I'm not joking. Try it.

The Miracle stuff is secondary. The real fruit is the "fruit of the spirit" the life they lived and the inspiration they give to lead a better Christian life. While we have that sort of thing in the Bible, there is one added benefit of later saints, that since they come from more recent times their story might potentially speak to your life in a more personal way (Having specific problems that you might have, rather than general problems).

 

[thecolorsblend]

But so many people are taught to pray to 'saints' from an early age and believe in the effectiveness of it.

Nobody petitions the saints except people who have been taught to do so their whole lives, eh?

 

[PoppyB]

Nobody petitions the saints except people who have been taught to do so their whole lives, eh?

I didn't say that. I said so many.

 

[PaulCyp1]

God is the only protector. The saints can only intercede (pray) for us. If were ask a saint to watch over us, it is with the understanding that they will pray for us.

 

[FireDragon76]

Hi Family,

I was searching Amazon for art supplies. I came across a pendant that had a saint who was to protect you.

How exactly does someone believe a saint can protect you?

What are the logistics?

Why cant God be the sole protector?

Do you believe it diminishes the divinity of God?

~Natsumi Lam~

I have worn medals of saints. I have a medal of St. Therese of Lisieux, just because I liked alot of things she wrote: next to Luther, she's probably had the most profound influence on me as a Christian.

I don't think of it as something that is magical. Even though while we do not specifically ask for the prayers of saints traditionally, we don't exactly deny that they pray for us, and there is nothing wrong with honoring them.

 

[FenderTL5]

None of these verses prove that saints in heaven have any control over the individual lives of those on earth right now.

I think you may have the wrong impression.
It's not that the saints in heaven have control over anything, especially individual lives. We merely ask those saints to pray to God on our behalf, just as if you'd ask someone in a prayer group to pray for you. The difference being, the saint is in heaven, in the presence of God, and having lived (or martyred) through similar circumstances knows how to pray for us.

 

[gideon123]

I encourage people to read their Bible carefully. You should take this very seriously. Do not follow the customs of people who tell you to pray to Saints, or other departed souls.

Fund the passage in the OT where the king Saul and his son Johnathon are in deep trouble. So they go to a medium, a spiritist, to raise up Samuel from the dead. Samuel was a prophet of God, and possibly the greatest prophet of all. The Bible does not say that the attempt failed .. in fact the medium was succcessful, Saul did speak to Samuel.

Stop and thnk about this. Did Saul ask to talk to a witch, or to Harry Potter? No, he did not. Did Saul ask to talk to someone without faith? No, he did not. Samuel was a "Saint", in the same way that you are using the word.

So Saul and Johnathon asked to talk to a Saint, a prophet of God who had died.

How did God respond?
God struck down Saul and Johnathon ... dead.
Dead on the same day that they did this.
God was angry.
The commandments were broken.

Do not pray to the dead. And do not get involved with mediums, spiritists, or fortune tellers. Pray to the Living God!