Expert: Sal - 3/27/2006

Question
Dear Sal,
I have read a response of yours to the boy named Gerald from January this year. I must say that I really would like to see some of the "info, materials or evidence" that you SUPPOSEDLY have that would support the claims in your response.
I also would like to hear your explanations concerning some of the things I'd like to ask about.
Where in the Bible can you find the concept of purgatory as the Catholic Church teaches it, considering your claim (or let's say belief:) that Catholic Ch. teachings are biblical? How do the Catholic teachings of heaven and purgatory go together with the Revelation book of the New Testament (which, by the way is a part of every single Bible read in Catholic churches during masses)? Why didn't I ever hear about the New Jerusalem, as well as the 1st and 2nd death, even though I was an "exemplar" Catholic myself for almost 23 years?
Another thing, what would be the point of God's final Judgment if people are already judged after death (according to Catholics) and based on that judgment they either go to heaven, purgatory, or hell?.....God could stay where He is and there is no point in His coming and judging again, if everyone already experiences individual judgment after death:)) Can you see there ANY kind of logic?
If the Sabbath day was meant to be kept by Israelites only, what was the need of Jesus Christ to keep the Sabbath Himself as well? Just so that He was a Jewish? So what?....can ANYONE dare to say that Jesus Christ was obliged to anything? I don't think so.....therefore, if the keeping of Saturday was not important to God, why would HIS OWN SON Himself have worshiped it? Plus, it is not true that SDA Church teaches that the worship of Sabbath is needed for salvation.....each and every SDA member would tell you that you can ONLY be saved by accepting the fact that Jesus died on the cross for you.
Finally, what gave the Catholic Church any right to change the 10 original Commandments? (leaving out the second one f.e.,)? ESPECIALLY IF GOD HIMSELF SAID THAT NO ONE WILL EVER CHANGE EVEN ONE LETTER OF HIS WORD? Does that seem to be ok with you?!?
Where in the Bible can you find factual information that Virgin Mary was taken up in the Heavens and is praying there for us? Especially when considering that she was just a human and also was born as a sinful person and likewise needed God's grace and the death of her own Son to be saved? And after all, would you need her prayers if you believe that Jesus died for your sins and as long as you accept Him in your life you are already saved? Again, can you see ANY logic there?
And last but not least, spending only few hours over independent historical teachings gave me knowledge, that many things kept by Catholics are just "left-overs" from the era of the Middle Age Catholic Church (things added or changed over centuries).....many of them IMPOSSIBLE to find in the Bible. Is it ok with you that some of them were established by those very popes, for acts of whom John Paul II himself had to apologize?
Your sister in faith, not belonging to any religious group, however, READING BIBLE MORE THOROUGHLY:))  

Answer
Dear Alex:

Today I will first look at the question is it biblical to pray for one another? Then I will explore the question is it biblical to ask saints to pray with us to God? Having established those two points, I will consider the particular intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Catholics view Christians as one family (Romans 12:5) with God as our Father (Ephesians 4:5-6). What father would not be pleased when his children help one another? Catholics believe that this unity shared by Christians is very profound. “If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all members share its joy” (1 Corinthians 12:26). I was suprised by your statement that we should not ask for the prayers of a sinful person. The fact that God's sinful children can and should help one another by prayer is beyond dispute. “I beg you brothers, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of the Spirit, join me in the struggle by your prayers to God on my behalf” (Romans 15:30). “But you must help us with your prayers, so that on our behalf God may be thanked for the gift granted us through the prayers of so many” (2 Corinthians 1:11). Other examples of intercessory prayer for other Christians may be found in Ephesians 6:18-20; Philippians 1:19; Colossians 4:24; I Thessalonians 5:25; II Thessalonians 1:11; 3:1-2; Philemon 22; James 5:13-16, and I John 5:16. We even have biblical examples of praying for those who are not united with God's family (Matthew 5:44 and I Timothy 2:1-4).

Catholics do not pray to the saints in the same way as we do to God. All prayer is directed to God. However, Catholics do ask for saints to pray with us to God. We believe in the communion of saints. That means that those Christians who have died are still in communion with Christians still here on earth. They still care about our needs from heaven just as they did while here with us. The Bible gives us clear examples of believers who have left this life still caring for, and interceding for, other believers.

In the Old Testament we read of Judas Maccabeus who related a vision that God had given to him concerning deceased believers. “What he saw was this: Onias, the former high priest…was praying with outstretched arms for the whole Jewish community. Then in the same way another man appeared…Onias then said of him, ‘This is God's prophet Jeremiah, who loves his brethren and fervently prays for his people and their holy city'” (2 Maccabees 15:12-14). So here we have evidence of deceased believers, a high priest and a great prophet, continuing their intercession for God's people even after their deaths.

Jesus informs us that the faithful that have left this life are still alive to God. “Moses in the passage about the bush…called the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. All are alive to Him” (Luke 20: 37-38). Jesus graphically demonstrated this truth on the Mount of Transfiguration where he spoke to Elijah and Moses (Matthew 17:3). Elijah may never have died since he was taken up to heaven while apparently still alive (2 Kings 2:11). Moses, however, had certainly died long ago (Deuteronomy 34:5-8). In the New Testament we read of Christians in heaven interceding for those on earth. “Along with their harps, the elders were holding vessels of gold filled with aromatic spices which were the prayers of God's holy people” (Revelation 5:8).  

Catholics believe that the Bible would not so strongly recommend and show the practice of intercessory prayer if it were not of great benefit to us. One such benefit is that the strong faith of the saints can serve to support our weaknesses. The saints can supply what is so lacking in our own faith. Jesus illustrated this by helping someone based on the faith of others. Examples of this can be found in Matthew 8:5-13; 15:22-28; Mark 2:1-5; 9:17-29; Luke 8:41-42, 49-55.

Catholics reason that if we are to pray for one another while here on earth (I Timothy 2:11), and our brothers and sisters who have left this life are alive before God (Mark 9:4), and if the prayers of a holy person are very powerful (James 5:16), and if those Christians in heaven have been made perfect (Hebrews 12:22-23; Revelation 21:27), then it follows that the prayers of the saints in heaven must be infinitely more powerful than the prayers of the sinners here on earth. Therefore, we rightly and wisely seek the intercession of the saints.

Catholics see Mary as the “Queen of the Saints”. She is the greatest of the saints. This is so not just because she is the only mother of the only God, but because of her great faithful obedience to the will of God. “I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). She is the humble servant that God has exalted. “For He has looked upon His servant in her lowliness; all ages to come shall call me blessed” (Luke 1:48). Catholics view the Virgin Mary as the most powerful intercessor of all the saints. We believe that she sits at her Son's right hand (the place of honor, cf. Luke 22:69; Acts 7:56; Hebrews 8:1; 10:12) in heaven and from there makes intercession for her other children (Revelation 12:17; cf. John 19:26-27).

While this belief is not explicitly taught in the New Testament we do have strong support for it in Old Testament typology. Bible scholars agree that the kingdom of David was a type of the heavenly kingdom. The king was a type of Christ. The kingdom of David always had a queen mother who possessed power and authority only second to her son, the king. The queen mother was a type of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 1 Kings 2:19-20 we read how the queen mother was honored above all others by her son. The king bowed to her in a show of great respect. He commanded that a throne be set up at his right for the queen mother. From there she would intercede for the people of the kingdom with her son. So we can logically expect that Mary as the king of kings'mother to be in heaven at her Son's right hand interceding with unique power for her other children, the people of God. We can also expect that her Son will say, “Ask it, my mother, for I will not refuse you.”

Mary's intercessory powers are graphically shown in John 2:1-11. Here we see Mary intercede for the groom at a wedding feast when the wine ran out. She gives us, what could be the most important advice in the Bible, “Do whatever he tells you” (v. 5). Even though his hour has not yet come (v. 4), Jesus cannot refuse his mother's request (v. 7f). Our Lord's statement in v. 4 indicates that when his hour does come his mother can intercede with great power.

With this I believe that I have answered all your questions. If I can clarify what I have said or if you have some other questions please let me know.

God Be With You,
Sal