Where did the concept of Saints come from?
Author:
cfz
03 14th, 2010 in
sbbbs.com
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The Bible directs us to invoke those in heaven and ask them to pray with us.
Thus in Psalm 103, we pray, "Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word! Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will!" (Ps. 103:20-21). And in Psalm 148 we pray, "Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his host!" (Ps. 148:1-2)
Not only do those in heaven pray with us, they also pray for us. In Revelation, John sees that "the twenty-four elders [the leaders of the people of God in heaven] fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints" (Rev. 5:8). Thus the saints in heaven offer to God the prayers of the saints on earth.
Angels do the same thing: "[An] angel came and stood at the altar [in heaven] with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne; and the smoke of the incense rose with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel before God" (Rev. 8:3-4).
Jesus himself warned us not to mess with small children because their guardian angels have guaranteed intercessory access to the Father: "See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." (Matt. 18:10).
Because he is the only God-man, Jesus is the only Mediator between man and God (1 Tim. 2:5), but this in no way means we cannot or should not ask our fellow Christians to pray with us and for us (1 Tim. 2:1-4), including those Christians in heaven, who have already had their sanctification completed, for "[t]he prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects" (Jas. 5:16).
Statues and stained glass windows in churches
For the first 1600 years of Christianity, most people couldn't read or write. Every stained glass window and statue in medieval Churches told a story. Illiterate people could look at the stained glass pictures on the windows of the Churches and understand the story. So not only were the statues and paintings beautiful and reverent, but they were also very functional. They told the Bible story and the Priest could point to them during his homilies. Statues and stained glass were, for them, teaching tools and reminders. If we walk around any classic sanctuary and we'll see the statues, each saint holding his symbol. A well trained Christian could learn the stories of all those saints, and pass them along to his children, even if he couldn't read. This also explains the classic format of the windows: a large central picture surrounded by a host of smaller vignettes. With proper explanation, one could learn the whole story of, say, John the Baptist, along with all important tie-ins to the life of Christ. These were not false images to be worshiped, but reminders of the story of Salvation.
Just like Saint( Satan) Nicholas,Santa( Satan )Claus(Claws).
See where this is going?
Satan's little imps being used for his purpose to take mans eyes off of God.
The icons and statues are no different from having pictures of loved ones, and come from a time when people couldn't read.
God is against false idols, not religious art. If He were against religious art, He would not have blessed Solomon's Temple, which was filled with it. He also would not have commanded Moses to make a bronze seraph serpant, so that all who gazed upon it would be healed if they had been bitten by a snake while wandering in the desert. It is false idols, such as the golden calf, that God has a problem with.
Saints are mentioned in Wisdom 5:5, and again in Matthew 27:52. They are those who have performed God's will, and currently are in Heaven, glorifying God forever. We ask them to pray for us, sometimes, just as we would ask any friend or family member to pray for us, but we most certainly do NOT worship them! We worship nobody but God, in all 3 persons as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Though I'm not surprised you're misled if you're taking things from the Watch Tower!
They eventually came to understand that their dead members were still part of the community, still "saints". The martyrs were honored by the living, who in Rome at least actually gathered in the catacombs to pray, often over the very tombs of their fallen comrades. In time, the martyrs' sacrifices were regarded as being joined with the sufferings of Christ. And since they were still community members, they could pray to God as well as living Christians could. So living saints asked dead saints' help in praying to God.
When Christianity was legalized in the Fourth Century, martyrdom ended, and the cult of the martyrs faded. The dead died of natural causes and were no longer as distinct from survivors as before. Christianity went mainstream and the habit of calling onself "separate" ("saint") made less sense. The word came to be reserved for the dead alone, but the sense of remembering and asking departed Christian heroes for help in praying continued on.
Martin Luther repudiated the practice as part of his campaign to delegitimize Roman authority by making any hint of human intercession invalid. It took some careful scripture parsing but by carefully ignoring history (and some contradictory passages), the idea took root among his followers and remains among us today.
Catholic doctrine has always clearly stated that the saints are fit subjects for veneration and for auxiliary supplication, but not for worship. Their representations in church (including crucifixes) are merely sensory aids to meditation, not "idols". (Admittedly, some professed Catholics do not properly understand this.) The prohibition against "graven images" clearly applies to representations of God for worship purposes. Otherwise, NOTHING would be appropriate for visual representation, people, animals, even inanimate objects. We must not attempt to represent (and thereby limit) the Unrepresentable, that's all it means.
Saints arent in the Bible because alot of them werent alive.. although there are some people in the Bible.. The apostles, Mary Magdalene, John the Baptist.. who became saints.. to become a saint .. after one dies, some clergy member in the high ups of the vatican must nominate them for blessed status.. this is commonly supported by alot of people.. after being a blessed.. they are a venerable. then a saint.. apointed by the pope.. to intercede to God for a specific matter
The idea of saints came from the Bible and is meant to refer to us, believers in Jesus 'The' Christ. But, as you have already noticed, the Catholic Church, during the Dark Ages,and a few other denominations have twisted this doctrinal issue to mean that there are those of us who have lived a life worth venerating above others of us. And if I read your tone correctly, I agree with you.
Lastly, I would like to direct you to Romans chapter 3 where the author states that there are none righteous, nor are there any good people. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
Keep studying Brother, it will do you good.
First of all: Saints may not be in Your Bible. They are certainly in mine.
Secondly, Comparing scripture between our Bibles will not provide you with any satisfaction. I will not ever use the WT Publications of any sort.
My church was founded by Christ 2000 years ago. You cannot convince me my sources are corrupt. Simply because Jesus promised me my church will be here until he returns.
Now having said that...Let's take a look at the graphics in your liturature. My, they are fanciful, and some really scary ones too. So, you must worship this fancy booklet filled with religious art.
Are those subliminal images! WOW!!!
http://www.hiddenmysteries.org/mind/subl...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df1z5n5Fq...
http://www.watchtowerinformationservice....
Deuteronomy 33:3 Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words.
But other churches and religions created their own personal doctrine that is not of God. We cannot appoint anyone a saint. That is only up to God hImself.
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