The Saints: Intercession & Veneration
What Saith the Scriptures?
© Copyright 1999, by Diane Dew Order the book
I. Mary and the dead saints are equal to us in his eyes. God has
no "favorites" in his kingdom.
Matthew 3:9 (Luke 3:8); 11:11;
Luke 8:19-21; 11:27, 28; 17:9, 10; 20:21;
John 13:14; 15:16; Acts 10:25,
26; Romans 2:11; 3:27, 28; 4:2-6; 11:32;
Ephesians 2:8, 9; Revelation
19:10; 22:8, 9
II. In scripture, the title "saints" (literally, holy ones),
refers to all who believe in Jesus.
Acts 9:32; Romans 1:7; 1
Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:1, 15;
2 Corinthians 1;1; Philippians
1;1, etc.; See also Psalms 29:5
III. Dead saints and angels were first venerated or exalted in prayer in AD 375.
A. Peter and John, after healing a lame
man, rejected the attention
and rebuked "all the people
(who) ran together unto them ... greatly
wondering." Peter got up
and sais, "Ye men of Israel, why marvel
ye at this? or why look
ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own
power or holiness we had
made this man to walk? He drected them to Jesus.
Acts
3:11, 12
B. Again, when Cornelius bowed before
him as if in worship, Peter rebuked
the man and sais, "Stand
up; I myself also am a man."
Acts 10:25, 26
C. The very men who performed these
miracles recognized their own
humanity (that is
why God could use them supernaturally; they were
humble and would give
God the glory)--yet the very things they taught
against, such as human
idolatry, are done against them in their absence.
Acts 14:11, 14, 15 "And when the people saw what Paul had done,
they lifted up their voices, saying... The gods are come down to us
in the likeness of men...when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard
of [it], they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying
out,
and saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men ... you
should turn from these vanities unto the living God...
D. The prophet Daniel was quick to
emphasize that his revelations did not
make him special above others:
"But as for me, this secret is not revealed
to me for any wisdom
that I have more than any living, but for their sakes ..."
Daniel 2:30
E. When Pharaoh began to look up to
Joseph, because of his understanding of
dreams, Joseph gave God
the glory for the gift. "And Joseph answered
Pharaoh, saying, It is not
in me; God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace."
Genesis 41:16
F. "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos,
but ministers by whom ye believed,
even as the Lord gave to
every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but
God gave the increase. So
then neither is he that planteh any thing, neither
he that watereth; but God
that giveth the increase."
1 Corinthians 3:5-7, 21; 4:6, 7
G. Even angels do not accept prayer or
worship (Revelation 19:10; 22:8, 9)
-- a practice Roman Catholicism
not only approves of, but encourages.
IV. Praying for the dead was officially approved by the Pope in AD
300, and
prayers were offered to Mary, the dead saints,
and angels in AD 600.
Roman Catholicism officially began the canonization
dead saints in AD 995,
through Pope John XV.