A) Can you quote please...
B) But some seem to be venerated as being special... could you also talk about that.
The New Testament describes God's people, both living and reposed, as ἁγίους (hagious), "holy ones". The term is not novel with the New Testament, as the Old Testament also describes God's people and servants as קְדֹושִׁים (qedoshim), "holy ones", which the LXX also translates as hagious. So the precedent is established long before the New Testament itself. God's people are holy, a people set apart for God's purposes.
So we read Acts 9:32 mentioning "the saints that are in Lydda", or St. Paul in Romans 15:25 saying he is going to serve the saints in Jerusalem. And in Psalm 16:3 "But to the saints that are in the earth".
As far as the veneration of the saints who have come before us, it's about respecting and remembering our spiritual forebearers.
You might be thinking about how certain individuals are often known as "Saint So-and-So" such as when I say St. Paul the Apostle, or St. Augustine of Hippo. This is simply a term of respect and honor, the same reason one might be described as "The venerable so-and-so". It is a recognition of their honor within Christian history. All God's people are saints, both those alive and those who have gone to be with the Lord. So just because someone isn't called "St. So-and-so" doesn't mean they aren't a saint. It's just an honorific that has been applied to those who have come before us, and whose memory we seek to retain.
Now, over the course of history, a process of "canonization" developed in the Western Church, and so to be formally recognized as a "Saint" in Roman Catholicism requires a rigorous process of study, certain criteria must be met. But this process of canonization in Catholicism isn't what makes someone a saint, it is only a formal process by which "sainthood" is acknowledged. It's basically, "Yeah, we checked the numbers, and it all adds up, this person should be honored as a saint by the Catholic Church". Other churches don't have this process, in the Orthodox Churches a person is recognized as a "saint" simply because their blessed memory continues among the Faithful themselves.
In Lutheranism we simply acknowledge and honor those who have come before us. We still use "St. So-and-so" as an honorific to those who have traditionally been so honored. It's not exclusive of course, as though if someone isn't called "St. So-and-so" they are less honored.
The TL;DR version is that there isn't a special class of "saints" in heaven apart from everyone else. It really just boils down to how many Christians have sought to honor the memory of our spiritual forebearers. And we do that by using the same language which the Bible itself uses often to speak of God's people.
-CryptoLutheran
....but it's funny, y'know, especially 'cuz my mother-in-law often suggests to me and my wife that we do so!
