‘Don’t pray for the dead!’ is a new dogma imposed by Luther upon his followers. ‘Neither the Bible nor Christian tradition commanded it.’ All ancient churches, even those who were separated from the Catholic Church and Orthodox churches all over the world, are still praying for their dead. Can we help our departed ones by prayer? Will the prayer become useless or powerless after our death?
In order to protect his false doctrine, which was not supported by the Bible, Luther even tried to destroy biblical books that clearly taught praying for the dead. 1500 years those books were accepted without questioning it. But Luther, in order to defend his new doctrine, threw two books of Maccabees together with other seven books, from the Bible. These books were there in the Greek Septuagint of St. Jerome who formed the most ancient bible in Jerusalem. Even Jesus himself was using these Old Testament books, as they were in use among the Jews at his time. The book of Maccabees, which was written centuries before Jesus, gives clear evidence of praying for the dead.
2 Mac. 12:42-45 – “The noble Judas warned the soldiers to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had happened because of the sin of those who had fallen. He then took up a collection from all his soldiers, amounting two thousand silver drachmas, which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sacrifice. In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, as he had the resurrection of the dead in view; for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin.
Jesus himself prayed for the dead and showed the world; prayer can work even after death. If praying for the dead is useless, why Jesus himself prayed for the dead Lazarus, four days after his death? Jn. 11:41 – Prayer is powerful than death itself, so Lazarus was resurrected. When our relatives die, it is our duty to pray for them. We shared their goodness in this life; just like that we shared their sins also. The society with whom the dead lived, are also responsible and accountable for their sins. We also must ask God for their sins. St. Paul prayed for Onesiphorus who is already dead, that he might find mercy from God in that Day of Judgment (2 Tim. 1:16-18).
In order to protect his false doctrine, which was not supported by the Bible, Luther even tried to destroy biblical books that clearly taught praying for the dead. 1500 years those books were accepted without questioning it. But Luther, in order to defend his new doctrine, threw two books of Maccabees together with other seven books, from the Bible. These books were there in the Greek Septuagint of St. Jerome who formed the most ancient bible in Jerusalem. Even Jesus himself was using these Old Testament books, as they were in use among the Jews at his time. The book of Maccabees, which was written centuries before Jesus, gives clear evidence of praying for the dead.
2 Mac. 12:42-45 – “The noble Judas warned the soldiers to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had happened because of the sin of those who had fallen. He then took up a collection from all his soldiers, amounting two thousand silver drachmas, which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sacrifice. In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, as he had the resurrection of the dead in view; for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin.
Jesus himself prayed for the dead and showed the world; prayer can work even after death. If praying for the dead is useless, why Jesus himself prayed for the dead Lazarus, four days after his death? Jn. 11:41 – Prayer is powerful than death itself, so Lazarus was resurrected. When our relatives die, it is our duty to pray for them. We shared their goodness in this life; just like that we shared their sins also. The society with whom the dead lived, are also responsible and accountable for their sins. We also must ask God for their sins. St. Paul prayed for Onesiphorus who is already dead, that he might find mercy from God in that Day of Judgment (2 Tim. 1:16-18).
AMEN! Those who have passed before ARE NOT dead! They live on in Heaven, they watch over us here and they intercede for us if we ask them to in our prayers.
ReplyDeleteoy..bka nsa purgatoryo pa koya wala pa sa heaven :)
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