Praying for the dead in Reformed theology

[MichaelNZ]

As a former Roman Catholic and Anglican, I have gotten used to the idea of praying for the dead. When I hear that anyone has died, I say the "Eternal Rest" prayer.

Now that I'll be attending a Reformed church, is there a problem with that? Is it acceptable for Calvinists to ask God to grant eternal rest to people, especially those who died visibly outside the Christian faith?

 

[Radagast]

As a former Roman Catholic and Anglican, I have gotten used to the idea of praying for the dead. When I hear that anyone has died, I say the "Eternal Rest" prayer.

Now that I'll be attending a Reformed church, is there a problem with that? Is it acceptable for Calvinists to ask God to grant eternal rest to people, especially those who died visibly outside the Christian faith?

It's unusual. But there's no harm in asking God anything.

 

[twin1954]

Pray for people while they are alive. After they are dead there is no hope for an unbeliever and no reason to pray for a believer. No one that I have ever known or read that was Reformed ever spoke positively about praying for the dead. Theologically it is heresey.

 

[heirmiles]

I think that for some the grief of the loss of someone we deeply loved/love is so devastating, that praying that God would bless them in His presence is a very natural response within that grief. Some may even ask God to let their loved one know how deeply they are loved and missed. Some times we really have to rely on Jesus as our high priest and 'primary caregiver' to bring our prayers to God in an acceptable way when we are really hurting that much.

 

[Elderone]

Here is a l o n g article as to why we are NOT to pray for the dead with many Bible verses to back it up.

Should Christians Pray For The Dead?

 

[MichaelNZ]

Here is a l o n g article as to why we are NOT to pray for the dead with many Bible verses to back it up.

Should Christians Pray For The Dead?

Thanks for the replies and particularly this article. I'm not going to pray for the dead anymore.

I remember a Roman Catholic woman telling me that she prays for her non-Roman Catholic mother because God is outside of time. What do you think of praying for the dead in the context that God is outside of time?

 

[Elderone]

It is true that God is outside of time but I can't think of why that might make it OK to pray for the dead. Knowing little as to why the Roman church does anything, I can only say His word says it isn't to be done.

As they say, "God said it that settles it."

 

[MichaelNZ]

It is true that God is outside of time but I can't think of why that might make it OK to pray for the dead. Knowing little as to why the Roman church does anything, I can only say His word says it isn't to be done.

As they say, "God said it that settles it."

The Romish church does it because of a belief in purgatory - those who are saved but die with venial sins or the remaining temporal punishment of already forgiven sins suffer in the fires of purgatory until all such punishment is paid for in full. Prayers for the dead can remit some of that punishment and lessen the person's time in purgatory. Eastern Orthodox believe that the dead can repent up until the Last Judgement and they also believe that prayers for the dead can help them.

But since there's no mention of it in the Bible, it's best to stay away from such practices. The saved don't need our prayers and the damned cannot benefit from prayers.

 

[bbbbbbb]

The Romish church does it because of a belief in purgatory - those who are saved but die with venial sins or the remaining temporal punishment of already forgiven sins suffer in the fires of purgatory until all such punishment is paid for in full. Prayers for the dead can remit some of that punishment and lessen the person's time in purgatory. Eastern Orthodox believe that the dead can repent up until the Last Judgement and they also believe that prayers for the dead can help them.

But since there's no mention of it in the Bible, it's best to stay away from such practices. The saved don't need our prayers and the damned cannot benefit from prayers.

Excellent post and quite true.