Saturday, April 14, 2007

Theses Against Worship and Prayer to the Saints

1. God desires all our attention, prayer, worship, devotion, and adoration. Therefore, we should not worship or pray to Mary, a departed saint, or any other creature, but should worship and pray to our Creator alone.

“You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God…” (Exodus 20:3-5).

“…for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Exodus 34:14).


2. Jesus Christ was worshiped as God. Therefore, we should worship and pray to Him.


“Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, 'Truly you are the Son of God'” (Matt. 14:33).


3. We have confidence and many promises in Scripture concerning prayer to our Mediator Jesus Christ. On the other hand, we have no promises concerning prayers to the dead.

“And whatever you ask in My [Jesus’] name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:13-14).

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5).


4. Mary worshiped God and never proclaimed that she would be worshiped, but only venerated.

“My [Mary’s] soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47).


5. The Scriptures never grant that it is acceptable to worship Mary. Therefore, Christians should not be taught to worship her.

“And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts which nursed you!” But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it” (Luke 11:27-28)!


6. The Scriptures only tell us to pray to God, and that we can ask for others who are still living [not dead] to pray for us. The OT patriarchs (Abraham & Jacob) were not sought for intercession after death.

“Doubtless you are our Father, Though Abraham was ignorant of us, and Israel [Jacob] does not acknowledge us. You, O LORD, are our Father; Our Redeemer from Everlasting is your name” (Isaiah 63:16).


7. Mary and some saints receive millions of prayers everyday from Christians throughout the world. This is done contrary to the Scriptures while it is assumed Mary and the saints become multi-lingual in heaven.

"And God said to him, 'I am God Almighty'" (Gen. 35:11).


8. Mary and some saints receive millions of prayers everyday from Christians throughout the world. This is done contrary to the Scriptures while it is assumed that Mary and the saints become omniscient (all-knowing) in heaven.

"O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it" (Psalm 139:1-6).


9. Mary and some saints receive millions of prayers everyday from Christians throughout the world. This is done contrary to the Scriptures while it is assumed that Mary and the saints become omnipotent (almighty/all-powerful) and omnipresent (present everywhere) in heaven.

"Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.


10. The Bible is against invoking the dead. Therefore, Christians should not be taught that praying to the saints is acceptable.


“Let no one be found among you…who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you” (Deut. 18:10-13).


11. King Saul invoked Samuel who was dead and was condemned.


See 1 Samuel 28:7-16

“So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. But he did not inquire of the LORD; therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse” (1 Chron. 10:11-13).


12. Praying to Mary and the Saints distracts us from the One Invisible Mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ.

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5).


13. Deceitful miracles can occur through demonic spirits, and are not only brought about by God. Usually, they lead to worship of another creature (or person) rather then worship of Jesus Christ.

“Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "When Pharaoh says to you, 'Prove yourselves by working a miracle,' then you shall say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.'" So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents” (Exodus 7:8-12).


14. The Anti-Christ (also known as the man of lawlessness) will appear before the second coming of Jesus Christ. Paul says he will perform deceitful miracles to lead people astray.

“The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved” (2 Thess. 2:9-10).


15. The Scriptures declare that all Christians are saints, not only those who have been voted such by the Roman Catholic Church.

“Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem” (Acts 9:13).

”Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda” (Acts 9:32).


16. The Holy Spirit already intercedes for us [The Saints] even prior to our prayers.

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will” (Rom. 8:26-27)


17. Such elevation of particular saints, often causes lay people to think that sainthood is distant and unattainable.

18. Such elevation of priests, monks, and hermits often creates so much distance between clergy and laity, that the laity think they don't have to be as serious about walking with Jesus as the clergy.


19. Rare is it to find someone who is devoted to the saints with images in their home, who also is growing in the knowledge of Scripture and sharing the gospel with other people.

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