Rosary Beads?

[Valerie]

Boot it is not the same as consulting the dead via mediums. To a Catholic or Orthodox, the dead in Christ, are alive in Christ actually- the great cloud of witnesses. Jesus is the only "mediator" between God and man for salvation but the belief is, just like we ask each other to intercede for us in prayer, the early church believed they could ask those nearest to God to intercede just like we do for each other- here- this goes away back- it is not the sa MN e as calling up the dead as Saul asked for Samuel

Does the Bible anywhere encourage us to ask the dead to intercede on our behalf? Or to communicate with the dead in any way? If so, where? I see only warnings not to do it.

And the form is quite different from the way we talk to each other. When I talk with you, I don't use the same kinds of words I use when I praise or pray to God. I don't use religious forms like prayer beads to talk with you.

What goes way, way back is an awareness that we are surrounded by angels and the saints who have gone before us, that they intercede on our behalf. I think that's biblical. And it's found in the earliest Church Fathers. Were Christians encouraged to pray to dead people in this manner before 300 AD or so?

Boot this article may explain some of what you ask.

https://www.protomartyr.org/our-faith/p ... ed-saints/

[Bootstrap]

Are you a member of a Mennonite church/group as those organizations define member?
That is, do you partake in communion and what group are you a member of?

Yes, I am a member of a local Mennonite Church and partake in communion.

Our congregation is MC-USA, we hold to the 1995 Mennonite Confession of Faith. That is the Confession of Faith that the liberal end of the church wants to reject because of the teaching on marriage. We are not a plain church.

MCUSA? Have you all decided which way you are going, or staying. Most of my friends that were MCUSA left with the Lancaster Conference, now known as LMC.

Our district is on the conservative side, the conference is about 50/50, our church is mostly staying out of the fray and waiting to see what emerges. We will decide who to join up with once we know our options.

Right now, building our local church is more important to us than anything at higher levels.

[MaxPC]

Boot it is not the same as consulting the dead via mediums. To a Catholic or Orthodox, the dead in Christ, are alive in Christ actually- the great cloud of witnesses. Jesus is the only "mediator" between God and man for salvation but the belief is, just like we ask each other to intercede for us in prayer, the early church believed they could ask those nearest to God to intercede just like we do for each other- here- this goes away back- it is not the sa MN e as calling up the dead as Saul asked for Samuel

Does the Bible anywhere encourage us to ask the dead to intercede on our behalf? Or to communicate with the dead in any way? If so, where? I see only warnings not to do it.

And the form is quite different from the way we talk to each other. When I talk with you, I don't use the same kinds of words I use when I praise or pray to God. I don't use religious forms like prayer beads to talk with you.

What goes way, way back is an awareness that we are surrounded by angels and the saints who have gone before us, that they intercede on our behalf. I think that's biblical. And it's found in the earliest Church Fathers. Were Christians encouraged to pray to dead people in this manner before 300 AD or so?

Boot this article may explain some of what you ask.

https://www.protomartyr.org/our-faith/p ... ed-saints/

Interesting article, Valerie. Thank you.

[MaxPC]

... this article may explain some of what you ask.

https://www.protomartyr.org/our-faith/p ... ed-saints/

Additionally, when speaking of the soul living after the death of the physical body, Jesus Himself affirmed this life when on the cross He replied to the good thief in Luke 23:42-44

42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

[Judas Maccabeus]

... this article may explain some of what you ask.

https://www.protomartyr.org/our-faith/p ... ed-saints/

Additionally, when speaking of the soul living after the death of the physical body, Jesus Himself affirmed this life when on the cross He replied to the good thief in Luke 23:42-44

42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Just because souls of the faithful departed are alive and able to comprehend current affairs, does not give warrant to attempting to contact them. In fact the only request I have read to have someone dead contact the living, was refused:

Luke 16:27-31
Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:
For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

So what is the Biblical basis of communicating with the dead? Or the dead interceding? I suspect you have none, but I will give it a shot.

[eccentric_rambler]

So what is the Biblical basis of communicating with the dead? Or the dead interceding? I suspect you have none, but I will give it a shot.

That depends, do you believe Saul communicated with Samuel or with an apparition claiming to be Samuel?

[MaxPC]

So what is the Biblical basis of communicating with the dead? Or the dead interceding? I suspect you have none, but I will give it a shot.

That depends, do you believe Saul communicated with Samuel or with an apparition claiming to be Samuel?

Indeed. As I have mentioned previously, we are communicating with the living on the other side of the veil. We are not communicating with dead souls.

[Bootstrap]

Boot this article may explain some of what you ask.

https://www.protomartyr.org/our-faith/p ... ed-saints/

I read the article, but I missed the answers. Could you please explain the answers it gives to the questions I have asked?

[Judas Maccabeus]

So what is the Biblical basis of communicating with the dead? Or the dead interceding? I suspect you have none, but I will give it a shot.

That depends, do you believe Saul communicated with Samuel or with an apparition claiming to be Samuel?

Indeed. As I have mentioned previously, we are communicating with the living on the other side of the veil. We are not communicating with dead souls.

sorry, this does not answer the question, and attempts to get around the problem by redefining "dead." I would encourage you to try again. I am sure you have better than that.

[Judas Maccabeus]

So what is the Biblical basis of communicating with the dead? Or the dead interceding? I suspect you have none, but I will give it a shot.

That depends, do you believe Saul communicated with Samuel or with an apparition claiming to be Samuel?

Ah, yes. This is a common question posed to Bible school students. The answer generally accepted is that the medium was trying to call up her familiar spirit, or demon if you will, but Samuel appeared instead. This startled her.