Introduction
I was born to Malayalee parents, in an Orthodox Christian family. I attended a reputed Catholic school, where I also occasionally attended Mass and Catechism classes. In my adolescent years, when I was exposed to a wider range of ideas, most of my friends were from Protestant churches, something that I noticed only years later.
Later, when I lived in other parts of India, and experienced other cultures, I felt extremely grateful and blessed to have grown up in the culture, milieu, and society that I did. In a corporate township, we grew up among people from diverse states, castes, backgrounds, but with a lifestyle where all were equal, without the divisions, bigotry, hate, “we and they” that seems all pervasive and so common now. So, I grew up exposed to a wide variety of cultures and beliefs, but not always conscious of they even being different. To me, something was right or wrong based on its own merit, and not because of who it came from.
I became aware that my father was a staunch Orthodox believer, and was instrumental in building an Orthodox congregation at Ranchi. But I never felt the need to side with all things Orthodox and oppose everything else. Either I had not yet faced a situation the needed taking sides, or had not come across a serious issue that could be potentially divisive. Hence, the opinions and attitudes that were shaping me had nothing to do with me attending the Orthodox church, or attending a Catholic school, or my friends being Protestant.
Meanwhile, I was gaining a reputation for ‘asking too many questions’, and thinking deeper than most other children. Gradually, I also became aware of the difference between simple compliance and deep conviction on any issue. I found no reason to muffle my doubts that demanded answers. Being with elders, clergy, or an authority was no reason to stop probing. That company may actually give a better chance for an answer. I did not mean to rebel without cause; I was just asking, seeking, knocking. I kept myself open to opinions from any source, but realized that I needed to come to my own personal conclusions and genuine convictions. Not every issue mattered; but some did matter immensely, and deserved a thorough search.
I do not remember the exact year, when I was praying at a cross tower (shrine) adjacent to our church building. This cross tower was in the name of St. Gregorios of Parumala, the first to be declared a saint from the Orthodox church, and probably second only to Mother Mary in importance and prominence among the many ‘intercessors’ in Orthodox practice. I must have gone to pray about an upcoming exam. But midway, I was jolted to a stop when I found myself addressing the saint as Lord. I froze. Somehow, I knew that what I had said was absolutely unacceptable. I must have stood there for long moments, but another word of prayer refused to come out of my mouth, or to mind. Stuck mentally and emotionally, I came back home.
My struggles, my efforts, my labour to resolve this question, what I did to get answers, and to come to a stand on the issue of intercession (through departed saints), was a long, exhausting, demanding journey, and would need another book to narrate it in. This topic kept me spiritually and intellectually busy, and consumed my peace of mind for many years. It refused to be brushed aside. Over the years, I have tried to look at this problem in different ways, try different sources and approaches, but without a solution, without peace. I knew something just wasn’t adding up. I was unable to put a finger on it. I was very uncomfortable and unable to reconcile to the Orthodox (and Catholic) idea of intercession. Moreover, I was not trying only to decide if it was right or wrong, but also WHY it was right or wrong. It just could not be decided on a whim, arbitrarily, by tossing a coin. It needed solid reason.
I observed that the topic of intercession is almost the single biggest issue of struggle for many Orthodox believers, and the topic of most debates between Orthodox and Protestant individuals. I hope that this book, showing the reasons for my conclusions, helps many who are troubled by this dilemma, to think deeper, and come to a conclusion (either way), more clearly and thoughtfully.
A few clarifications might be in order at this point. When I say ‘Orthodox church’, it almost always would apply to the Catholic church also, in the context and purpose I write this. Intercession is an integral and inseparable part of Christian life, in that we are told to pray for each other. But the issue I deal with and clarify, is the intercession through departed saints, who are biologically no longer alive. And, what I write here is my own personal journey, experiences, and conclusions. There may be other more sides or considerations. But my actual personal journey would be more experiential, realistic, relatable and genuine, rather than a hypothetical, academic debate. This is about MY real personal journey and my conclusion.
(1)
Having questions about intercession is almost an inalienable part of growing up in the Orthodox faith. Some may have questions of their own, or be asked such questions by others. Not everyone is disturbed by the topic, and not all who have doubts may think deeply or pursue it seriously. Some who do ask may be satisfied with an answer given by their priest or someone in authority. Even if, by chance, they are not satisfied with the answer, and are personally not convinced, many people may just accept the answer because of who gave it, or in the name of tradition. Many people may be too scared to question the norms (even if personally uncomfortable), and may not dare to rock the boat. From my own personal experience, I can vouch that it is very rare to get a (knowledgeable) person who is willing to entertain questions and willing to genuinely address the troubled seeker from within their shoes.
Incidentally, I have not come across any Protestant who grapples with this question, and is churned by the urge to seek the intercession of saints. It is almost always that people are disturbed about seeking intercession, and never (in my know) about refraining from it.
When a discussion does happen, the questions and answers always hover around the same few limited and predictable points. So much so, that the beaten track is well known, and I need not discuss them here. Briefly mentioning them should suffice.
- Departed souls can hear our prayers;
- Departed souls can petition God on our behalf;
- The prayers of ‘saints’ are more acceptable to God than ours, and thus more likely to be granted.
- Jesus cannot refuse any request of (His mother) Mary, suggesting that her intercession is most strongly recommended to ensure favourable answers to our requests.
- All departed souls are part of the body of Christ; hence we are obligated to fellowship with them, and see them as partaking in our corporate worship, making their intercession ok.
Each of the above points may be debatable, may possibly be theologically, Biblically, or denominationally right or wrong. But my own search was beyond the above points and considerations. Answers hovering around these aspects did nothing to quench my search about the ‘desirability’ of the practice of seeking intercession. Do ‘positive results’ (if any) come at the cost of greater collateral damage? With all ensuing talk limited to these seemingly fruitless and unsatisfying points, my frustration and discomfort only grew, till I got my answers in small bits, over many long years.
I also noticed that intercession was not just an additional part, an optional accessory in the body of the whole prayer. It was the very foundation, building blocks, and the predominant component of the worship and prayers that I saw. It seemed like not just the cherry on the cake, but a large part of the cake, and the visible and conspicuous icing. I was quite disturbed by the fact that intercession was too pervasive and inescapable in the liturgy and all prayers, and it was a difficult challenge to find one’s way around it.
I shall explain some of the considerations that helped me to come to my own stand on intercession. It may not be in any chronological or schematic sequence. Each of these answers helped me to see intercession as ‘not mandatory’ to begin with, as ‘not desirable’ as I went along, and later, as clearly wrong. I saw it as even damaging for my faith life, and to my relationship with God.
(2)
Most often, our ideas, thoughts, and expressions of worship are limited by what we have been exposed to. Most people may not have had the inputs, material, or the moments that would have challenged them to think, and to decide on either side of most matters. Often, we might also be influenced by our surrounding cultures and lifestyles more than by Biblical instruction. So, we may find it more peaceful, easy, comfortable to go with the flow, not ask questions, and avoid rocking the boat. But when God decides to touch our lives, things begin to change. We ask, we think, we choose. Status quo no longer satisfies.
Many people live with an image of God being a grumpy, moody, angry grandpa, waiting to find fault, Impatient to punish, and find an excuse to deny our requests. So, an intermediary, a pleader, to assuage ruffled feathers, to lobby for our wishes being granted, seems to be just what the doctor ordered. And this ‘agent’ can be pleased by observing their feast days and giving offerings to honour them. But this is so far removed from the Bible’s picture of God. Sadly, we do not explore the Bible enough.
Jesus taught us to look at God as our Father. The gospel of John (ch 1 v 14) tells that when we put our faith in Him, we do become children of God. The Sermon on the Mount (Mtw 7:11) gives us reason not to doubt God’s goodness and provision. Jesus encourages us to ask the Father in Jesus’ name (Jn 14:13-14). Paul comforts us (Phil 4:19) that God gives us a lot more than just a subsistence dole. Moreover, Paul’s writings are mostly about God’s grace; in fact, the whole Bible revolves around this very theme. Possibly the most famous and most enacted parable shows God as the doting father waiting earnestly for the return of the Prodigal son. Arguably the most quoted and popular Bible verse, Jn 3:16 shows that God gave the most precious, perfect, priceless gift.
God not only gave us (and continues to give), but gave when we were at our undeserving worst. 1Jn 4:19 shows that it was God who initiated love between us and Himself, not we. Rom 5:8 is so stunning and humbling, as it tells us that Jesus died for our sake while we were still sinners, deserving nothing. Further, Rom 8:32 should remove all doubt about God’s goodness and His desire to provide for us.
All this certainly does not mean that God is a fairy waiting to grant our any and every wish. There can be many reasons for our wishes not being granted. What we ask may not be in God’s will for us. It may not be good for us. Since God is good and wise, He may deny us some of our desires. In Jas 4:3, James reminds us that some of our wishes may be selfish, and we are better off without these being granted.
In spite of such assurances of God’s wisdom, ability, mindfulness, and goodness to provide sufficiently for us, do we still need anyone to ‘put in a word’? Would we want to snatch things from His hand that He, in His wisdom, seems unwilling to otherwise give? Doesn’t that show that we think we know better than God does, or that we do not trust His care and love? Are we bothered more about getting our requests granted at any cost, even that of our relationship with a loving and giving God? If so, we would be like the crowds that followed Jesus only for the worldly bread, whom He admonished in Jn 6:25-27.
Among the saddest stories in the Bible is the incident involving Hezekiah. God tells him of his imminent death. Hezekiah had had a clean reputation thus far. Hezekiah weeps and pleads, and God grants him 15 more years (Isa 38-39). What happens in these following 15 years is heart breaking. Not only does he do a few things that displease God, but some of the most terrible things to happen in the history of that kingdom take root durin g this period. (2 Chron 29-32).
Israel had been advised to be under the kingship of God. But they insisted on having a human king like other nations around them. God gave them Saul. He began very well, but ended up as a leading tragic Bible character.
During a Bible study, many friends shared that a few unanswered prayers had been the great blessings they had experienced lately. God was wise and good to deny the requests. Do we trust His goodness and say “Thy will be done”? Do we want our wishes granted at any cost?
(3)
Forbidden territory
I need to confess that I have not found any passage in the Bible that has satisfied me as an endorsement of Intercession. Whatever examples are quoted in this matter fail to answer my disquiet, as they involve (biologically) living people. Job, Stephen, Abraham (among others) are quoted, but the events are while they are still living, and not after these intercessors have passed away. The insistent claim that these intercessors are “not dead but still alive” is a diversion, a deflection, and is clearly not the answer that I seek. But a categorical, unequivocal example of a “physically dead but spiritually alive” person, actively, visibly praying for the dead, is not available. One example that is quoted, of the rich man pleading with Abraham to be able to warn his brothers, my own observation is that such an opportunity is NOT available. Also, in my struggle in this matter, my stand was that, the possibility or ability of the departed to pray for us wasn’t the main issue; my quest had been to see if it was wise or right for us to initiate, or participate in, that activity by the departed souls, even assuming it was happening.
So, an issue that is not clearly encouraged in the Bible would need a lot more circumspection. Even in the absence of other indicators, it would be best to stay away from practices (even as a precaution) that make us uncomfortable and unsure of their correctness.
Despite many reservations against Intercession existing, the proponents of the practice still insist on it, and almost refuse to pray without it. It even seems that Intercession is more important than prayer itself, and is arguably the most dominant segment of the total body of each time of prayer.
(The greatest intercessor): When we want influence to get a job done, or want a word put in for us, it is logical to take hold of the most influential, maybe senior most and powerful person possible. A lesser contact may not suffice, lest we fall just short; and so, we look for the most consequential name available.
Several verses in the book of Hebrews show Jesus as the High Priest, who is the mediator between God and man. The job of a priest is that of mediation, advocacy, on behalf of the congregation. Rom 8:34 plainly states that Jesus is at the right hand of God, interceding for us. With access to such an intercessor, already on the job, it simply doesn’t seem logical, useful, or necessary, to rely on ‘lesser mortals’ (literally). It is not even as if the intended intercessor (Jesus) is not always available, or willing, or effective. It would be a total waste of access, that was made available at what an incomparable cost, to go after any other intercessor, when the highest possible intercessor is available, willing, and capable, and does not need reinforcements.
(4) Samuel and spirits.
I have not come to my conclusions in a prejudiced, partisan, whimsical way, in a hurry. I had wrestled with this question for at least 20 yrs, and had sought every available source of help to come to an informed stand on the issue. I had not wanted to prove any one faction right, but had just wanted to do what was the right thing in the eyes of God. I wanted to honour, respect, appreciate, and acknowledge God, and to please Him as best as possible for me.
One day, yearning for a clearer answer, I opened the Bible for some clue. It opened to the portion around 1 Sam 28. Saul calls up the (supposed) spirit of (the now ‘departed’) Samuel for guidance. I have heard opinions of both sides of the debate, whether the spirit that came up was indeed that of Samuel, or some other evil spirit. Both opinions seem to have weight, but both cannot be true at the same time. But what we can do for now is to consider the implications for us in both situations.
If the spirit was indeed that of Samuel, what are the results? For one, Samuel is very displeased that he has been disturbed (vv15-19). This warns me to not summon ANY spirit for ANY reason at ANY time; they should not be disturbed. Secondly, Samuel doesn’t turn things in favour of Saul. Neither does he ‘put in a word’ and see ‘what can be done to help’. Samuel underlines God’s sovereignty and finality as judge. The pleadings of a ‘departed saint’ did not even happen, and did not help. Lev 19:31 warns us against causing defilement by using mediums and spiritists.
Mediums are people who communicate with the spirits of dead people, without their goodness or holiness being a factor. Dead people are dead people, and communicating with them is forbidden. Praying to them (or, as some may insist, ‘petitioning them to pray on our behalf’) is, surely, communicating with them.
Now let us consider the possibility that the spirit was not Samuel’s, but an evil spirit. That is all the more scary and dangerous. Calling up one spirit may bring up any random spirit, with totally unpredictable consequences. This does not seem to be a wise thing to do. This is playing with fire, and is best avoided. If nothing else, this spirit pretended to be Samuel’s. That itself shows an intent to mislead. And even if this spirit gave some useful or factually correct information, such encounters cannot be encouraged. And for me, this is sufficient to end the debate.
Those favouring Intercession do so by highlighting the wording and content of what is said (as petitioned by the pray-ers), and what is not said. Much clarification follows. But my point is, there should be (absolutely) NO communication from our side. Hence, the question of content, wordings or intent does not arise. Well, a spirit being a spirit, may happen to hear us. (I am just allowing for that possibility, not banking on it or wanting it). They hearing us is not of our choosing. Again, spirits may speak to us. Experts on the topic may tell us better why the spirits were able to speak to whom they spoke to, whether there was a ‘crossing of a line’. But for a layman, we, at least consciously, are not choosing to hear from them. Petitioning a ‘departed soul’ is, undeniably, communicating with them. I cannot not see this as ‘crossing a line’. What words we speak is a totally secondary consideration.
Either way, I feel conclusively convinced to stay clear of Intercession, very specially in view of the prayer that I had said, and the text that I immediately got (as quoted in the beginning of this chapter).
(5) Domino Effect.
Mtw 18:6 sternly warns us that we should not only not sin ourselves, but also not cause others to even stumble (let alone fall).
The church is a unique and central feature of the Christian faith. Corporate worship is very essential, apart from any amount of personal devotion and prayers that one may have. The role and function of the church is to edify, help, encourage, correct, and endow each other. The church is not an echo chamber or a cozy club but is called to be a ‘city on a hill’, meant to show the light of God to the world. We are to be the agents of change, the ‘salt of the earth’. The church has to be what Israel was called to be in the Old Testament, a peculiar people, a nation like no other.
The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23). God views sin very seriously. So much so, that ‘He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life’ (Jn 3:16). The sinless Son of God had to die to pay for our sins, so as to redeem us at a price. Thus, sin is not a casual thing. From parallels as shown in the Bible, sinning would be like suicide, while causing others to sin would be like murder.
The most repeated warning to the Israelites in the Old Testament, is to stay away from other gods. God was so serious about it that He put that at the start of the 10 Commandments. Even Satan was thrown out of heaven for having coveted the worship which only God deserves. And that was the same bait (of being like God) that Satan used to make man fall (not simply stumble). In many portions in the book of Isaiah, God repeats that He will not share His glory with anyone else.
I have heard of people praying to saints as if to God. One lady even proclaimed (wrongly) that the Orthodox church worshipped many gods. I was aghast, and still cannot fathom, about where she (and possibly many others) got such mistaken ideas from. But the unfortunate possibility remains that even many members within the orthodox fold may be entertaining such baseless ideas. I am personally aware of the pains that the clergy take to define the strict boundaries of the well intended practice of Intercession. But the rigidly twisted ideas continue. My own error, though momentary, was an example of exactly that premise.
Moreover, at some places, people of other faiths come and pray wherever they see a shrine or an image of a ‘holy man (or woman)’. Such people have no qualms about seeing the saints as gods, because of their definition of the term ‘God’. Their faith allows it, or rather, encourages it. We cannot blame such people of other faiths for such expressions of their devotion. Nobody (who knew better) has clarified to them and presented a right explanation. From my experience, I imagine that members of such churches may smile smugly that ‘outsiders’ have come to ‘their’ shrine, seeing it as a commendation, a certification of their church or their (patron) saint, or possibly of Christianity. They seem ignorant of, and disinterested in, what has actually transpired. Without proactive correction, the ‘outsiders’ will know no better. But then, aren’t many of the ‘insiders’ also needlessly on the same boat of error?
Yes, the clergy do preach about the technical and theological boundaries. But having such questionable practices is the root of other problems, which only seem inevitable in due course of time.
I may not be able to change the teachings within a denomination. But I surely can protect myself from the consequential spiritual harm by desisting from such clearly dangerous practices. My withdrawal may raise questions (and eyebrows); and it has noticeably happened. But this gives me a chance to tell others of what I see as a clear error. It may not always cause everyone else to follow my example. But that is the least I can do. After realising that Intercession has so many pitfalls, my continuing to do it would be suicidal; and I causing others to do it would be like (spiritual) murder. Besides all the other aspects that trouble me, Intercession also poses the very present danger of presenting many ‘gods’ to the ignorant and careless. I do find Mtw 18:6 threatening. Intercession is certainly not an attractive idea.
(6) Rock bottom
God promised the promised child to Abraham and Sarah when they both were biologically incapable of childbearing. God parted the Red Sea when the Israelites were desperately and helplessly trapped between the Sea and a harsh enemy. God picked a shy, humble, reluctant Saul as the first ever king for His chosen people. Numerous such examples show that God begins His work in us whe n we are totally spent and out of options.
When king Ahaziah sends messengers to consult Ekron’s god (2 Kings 1:3-4), God tells Elijah to ask them if there is no God in Israel. On many other occasions, God takes His hand of blessing away from Israel, and mockingly tells them to go to the foreign gods that Israel seemed more devoted to. As long as there is another source that we may turn to, God keeps away. He is sovereign, absolute, and perfect. He has shown many times that He wants us to call on Him and Him alone for help. He wants us to call on Him for everything, not just for the bigger problems, or certain kinds of matters that ‘others cant handle’. He is all in all, and wants (rightly and rightfully) to be treated so. By this principle, we are only harming our own case by approaching others, even departed souls, for help. We are only keeping God away. As mentioned earlier, I am all for people praying for each other. That is exactly what church and fellowship are for. That is what the Bible teaches. Abraham, Moses, and Job (and others) were alive when they interceded for others.
Whether the liturgy explicitly states that or not, asking departed saints for intercession causes us (however unintentionally or unknowingly), to give at least part of the credit, thanks, glory, for the ‘favours received’, to those saints. As quoted earlier from Isaiah, God is emphatic that He will NOT share His glory with ANYONE else.
Thus, by approaching anyone else, we are blocking God’s help. For a God who says “come to Me” (Mtw 11: 29-30), “Call on Me..” (Psa 50:15), “…I will answer you..” (Isa 65:24), to me, personally, it is an insult, a rejection, more than anything else, to turn to any other source for help, however innocuous or well meaning it may seem to us.
(7) Honour
One of the reasons given in favour of Intercession is to honour and remember the fathers, pioneers, teachers, saints and all others, who have contributed to our being where we are in the faith. Heb 13:7 is quoted in this context. Yes, we must not forget to be thankful for all that we have gained or learnt from our predecessors and those who have ‘gone before us’. The role and value of the prayers of many, whom we may not even have known personally, should not be downplayed. True, we need to be mindful and grateful for all that. Such intentions are absolutely noble and exemplary.
In Acts 14:11-13, we see people in Lystra making a terribly wrong response to miracles performed through Paul and Barnabas declaring them to be gods, avatars. The people just wanted to showed their appreciation and gratitude for the healing of a crippled man. But their response swung to an unacceptable level, and Paul showed his disapproval in vv15-18. A similar incident happens with Peter in Acts 10:25-26, and with Paul in Malta (Acts 28: 6). There are a few other examples (as Rev 22:8-9) of people being overwhelmed at the presence of angels and responding in (effective) worship. The angels correct the men by saying that God alone is to be worshipped.
By communicating with departed saints, by involving them in our prayers (actively, deliberately, conspicuously), we may not have intended to worship them. As mentioned earlier, we do, however, run the risk of crossing that line, and doing the forbidden, however innocently or unintentionally. This risk is the smaller point; I wish to make a larger point below.
In eastern and pantheistic religions, there is hardly any line to demarcate boundaries for legitimate respect and honour. Love, respect, adoration, reverence, and worship blur into each other. Besides, no zone is seen as a ‘no fly zone’, and every form of honouring anyone or anything is acceptable. In fact, the more numerous the objects of reverence, the greater is the apparent piety of the devotee. Moreover, pantheism sees everything as physically being god anyway.
Closer home, we see a culture that worships the guru with guru puja and has no qualms in placing the guru on a pedestal higher than that of ‘god’. (Seeing the guru as another god may quell any disquiet about that conflict). Brides are told to treat their husbands as pati Parmeshwar. Children are taught to literally worship their parents (whether dead or alive). But the Bible does not allow for such flexibilities or liberties; it is very clear and unrelenting about keeping us away from worshipping anything or anyone other than God. There are lines that we must not cross.
As seen in the Acts passages mentioned above, our reverence, respect, and desire to honour someone should not cross over into dangerous territory. While bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to their land (2Sam 6:6-7) Uzzah only wanted to prevent the Ark from toppling when the oxen stumbled. He had no time to call for help, to ponder on the alternatives; he had to react (or be still) in that fraction of a second. Yet, God struck him dead. Peter showed his love for Jesus by saying that he would not allow Jesus to be killed. Far from being rewarded, Peter got a sharp rebuke (Mark 8:32-33). Peter gets pulled up again in Jn 13:8 for displaying what he thought was love and reverence for the Son of God.
Our right intent may not always lead to the right response in God’s eyes. Prov 14:12 warns us not to be led too much by our own reasoning and intellect.
What Heb 13:7 tells us, is (to me) a call to remember the teachings, instructions, examples, warnings and lifestyles of our spiritual fathers. We must value their presence and prayers in our lives, yes. But I fail to see how and why this should lead us to proactively interact and communicate with the departed saints in our prayers. The departed saints may, or may not, be active, praying for us, or participating in worship with us. That is completely besides the point. Whatever the saints may or may not be doing, what they may be able or unable to do, should not have anything to do with our own intent, effort, initiative, actions. Let things happen whichever way “on the other side”, as per God’s wisdom and ways. Let us curtail ourselves to this side of the curtain, and not flirt with lines, which if crossed, may give reason to some, to suspect it to be necromancy or even occult. This is certainly not what Heb 13:7 calls us to do.
In my own view, such transgressions not only fail to honour the ‘dearly departed’, but actually dishonour them by dragging them into our indiscretions and trespasses. Apart from all the other unhappy fallouts of such practices like Intercession, it causes the names, lives, and memories of very precious predecessors to be used for things that are not only misguided (in intent and methodology), but also lead to unpleasant consequences.
The claim that this practice (like many others) has been done for years has no merit in itself. Doing a wrong for long years does not make it right. That may in fact make it worse. I would rather go by the Biblical correctness of it rather than its antiquity or prevalence. A wrong turn must be corrected at the earliest, and not stuck to for the sake of loyalty or allegiance. Being right in God’s sight is far more essential than any other consideration of tradition, heritage or human loyalty.
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The Author’s bio
Stanley Varghese grew up and studied in Ranchi (now in Jharkhand). His job in a PSU took him to stations across India. Asking persistent but honest questions and seeking personally satisfying answers has been a trait that has stuck to him over the years.
Stanley responded to God’s call and quit his job to serve God instead. He is currently based in Chennai, where he expresses his convictions, worship, and admiration of God mainly through his writing.
Stanley lives in Chennai with his wife and daughter.
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(1)
Having questions about intercession is almost an inalienable part of growing up in the Orthodox faith. Some may have questions of their own, or be asked such questions by others. Not everyone is disturbed by the topic, and not all who have doubts may think deeply or pursue it seriously. Some who do ask may be satisfied with an answer given by their priest or someone in authority. Even if, by chance, they are not satisfied with the answer, and are personally not convinced, many people may just accept the answer because of who gave it, or in the name of tradition. Many people may be too scared to question the norms (even if personally uncomfortable), and may not dare to rock the boat. From my own personal experience, I can vouch that it is very rare to get a (knowledgeable) person who is willing to entertain questions and willing to genuinely address the troubled seeker from within their shoes.
Incidentally, I have not come across any Protestant who grapples with this question, and is churned by the urge to seek the intercession of saints. It is almost always that people are disturbed about seeking intercession, and never (in my know) about refraining from it.
When a discussion does happen, the questions and answers always hover around the same few limited and predictable points. So much so, that the beaten track is well known, and I need not discuss them here. Briefly mentioning them should suffice.
- Departed souls can hear our prayers;
- Departed souls can petition God on our behalf;
- The prayers of ‘saints’ are more acceptable to God than ours, and thus more likely to be granted.
- Jesus cannot refuse any request of (His mother) Mary, suggesting that her intercession is most strongly recommended to ensure favourable answers to our requests.
- All departed souls are part of the body of Christ; hence we are obligated to fellowship with them, and see them as partaking in our corporate worship, making their intercession ok.
Each of the above points may be debatable, may possibly be theologically, Biblically, or denominationally right or wrong. But my own search was beyond the above points and considerations. Answers hovering around these aspects did nothing to quench my search about the ‘desirability’ of the practice of seeking intercession. Do ‘positive results’ (if any) come at the cost of greater collateral damage? With all ensuing talk limited to these seemingly fruitless and unsatisfying points, my frustration and discomfort only grew, till I got my answers in small bits, over many long years.
I also noticed that intercession was not just an additional part, an optional accessory in the body of the whole prayer. It was the very foundation, building blocks, and the predominant component of the worship and prayers that I saw. It seemed like not just the cherry on the cake, but a large part of the cake, and the visible and conspicuous icing. I was quite disturbed by the fact that intercession was too pervasive and inescapable in the liturgy and all prayers, and it was a difficult challenge to find one’s way around it.
I shall explain some of the considerations that helped me to come to my own stand on intercession. It may not be in any chronological or schematic sequence. Each of these answers helped me to see intercession as ‘not mandatory’ to begin with, as ‘not desirable’ as I went along, and later, as clearly wrong. I saw it as even damaging for my faith life, and to my relationship with God.
(2)
Most often, our ideas, thoughts, and expressions of worship are limited by what we have been exposed to. Most people may not have had the inputs, material, or the moments that would have challenged them to think, and to decide on either side of most matters. Often, we might also be influenced by our surrounding cultures and lifestyles more than by Biblical instruction. So, we may find it more peaceful, easy, comfortable to go with the flow, not ask questions, and avoid rocking the boat. But when God decides to touch our lives, things begin to change. We ask, we think, we choose. Status quo no longer satisfies.
Many people live with an image of God being a grumpy, moody, angry grandpa, waiting to find fault, Impatient to punish, and find an excuse to deny our requests. So, an intermediary, a pleader, to assuage ruffled feathers, to lobby for our wishes being granted, seems to be just what the doctor ordered. And this ‘agent’ can be pleased by observing their feast days and giving offerings to honour them. But this is so far removed from the Bible’s picture of God. Sadly, we do not explore the Bible enough.
Jesus taught us to look at God as our Father. The gospel of John (ch 1 v 14) tells that when we put our faith in Him, we do become children of God. The Sermon on the Mount (Mtw 7:11) gives us reason not to doubt God’s goodness and provision. Jesus encourages us to ask the Father in Jesus’ name (Jn 14:13-14). Paul comforts us (Phil 4:19) that God gives us a lot more than just a subsistence dole. Moreover, Paul’s writings are mostly about God’s grace; in fact, the whole Bible revolves around this very theme. Possibly the most famous and most enacted parable shows God as the doting father waiting earnestly for the return of the Prodigal son. Arguably the most quoted and popular Bible verse, Jn 3:16 shows that God gave the most precious, perfect, priceless gift.
God not only gave us (and continues to give), but gave when we were at our undeserving worst. 1Jn 4:19 shows that it was God who initiated love between us and Himself, not we. Rom 5:8 is so stunning and humbling, as it tells us that Jesus died for our sake while we were still sinners, deserving nothing. Further, Rom 8:32 should remove all doubt about God’s goodness and His desire to provide for us.
All this certainly does not mean that God is a fairy waiting to grant our any and every wish. There can be many reasons for our wishes not being granted. What we ask may not be in God’s will for us. It may not be good for us. Since God is good and wise, He may deny us some of our desires. In Jas 4:3, James reminds us that some of our wishes may be selfish, and we are better off without these being granted.
In spite of such assurances of God’s wisdom, ability, mindfulness, and goodness to provide sufficiently for us, do we still need anyone to ‘put in a word’? Would we want to snatch things from His hand that He, in His wisdom, seems unwilling to otherwise give? Doesn’t that show that we think we know better than God does, or that we do not trust His care and love? Are we bothered more about getting our requests granted at any cost, even that of our relationship with a loving and giving God? If so, we would be like the crowds that followed Jesus only for the worldly bread, whom He admonished in Jn 6:25-27.
Among the saddest stories in the Bible is the incident involving Hezekiah. God tells him of his imminent death. Hezekiah had had a clean reputation thus far. Hezekiah weeps and pleads, and God grants him 15 more years (Isa 38-39). What happens in these following 15 years is heart breaking. Not only does he do a few things that displease God, but some of the most terrible things to happen in the history of that kingdom take root durin g this period. (2 Chron 29-32).
Israel had been advised to be under the kingship of God. But they insisted on having a human king like other nations around them. God gave them Saul. He began very well, but ended up as a leading tragic Bible character.
During a Bible study, many friends shared that a few unanswered prayers had been the great blessings they had experienced lately. God was wise and good to deny the requests. Do we trust His goodness and say “Thy will be done”? Do we want our wishes granted at any cost?
(3)
Forbidden territory
I need to confess that I have not found any passage in the Bible that has satisfied me as an endorsement of Intercession. Whatever examples are quoted in this matter fail to answer my disquiet, as they involve (biologically) living people. Job, Stephen, Abraham (among others) are quoted, but the events are while they are still living, and not after these intercessors have passed away. The insistent claim that these intercessors are “not dead but still alive” is a diversion, a deflection, and is clearly not the answer that I seek. But a categorical, unequivocal example of a “physically dead but spiritually alive” person, actively, visibly praying for the dead, is not available. One example that is quoted, of the rich man pleading with Abraham to be able to warn his brothers, my own observation is that such an opportunity is NOT available. Also, in my struggle in this matter, my stand was that, the possibility or ability of the departed to pray for us wasn’t the main issue; my quest had been to see if it was wise or right for us to initiate, or participate in, that activity by the departed souls, even assuming it was happening.
So, an issue that is not clearly encouraged in the Bible would need a lot more circumspection. Even in the absence of other indicators, it would be best to stay away from practices (even as a precaution) that make us uncomfortable and unsure of their correctness.
Despite many reservations against Intercession existing, the proponents of the practice still insist on it, and almost refuse to pray without it. It even seems that Intercession is more important than prayer itself, and is arguably the most dominant segment of the total body of each time of prayer.
(The greatest intercessor): When we want influence to get a job done, or want a word put in for us, it is logical to take hold of the most influential, maybe senior most and powerful person possible. A lesser contact may not suffice, lest we fall just short; and so, we look for the most consequential name available.
Several verses in the book of Hebrews show Jesus as the High Priest, who is the mediator between God and man. The job of a priest is that of mediation, advocacy, on behalf of the congregation. Rom 8:34 plainly states that Jesus is at the right hand of God, interceding for us. With access to such an intercessor, already on the job, it simply doesn’t seem logical, useful, or necessary, to rely on ‘lesser mortals’ (literally). It is not even as if the intended intercessor (Jesus) is not always available, or willing, or effective. It would be a total waste of access, that was made available at what an incomparable cost, to go after any other intercessor, when the highest possible intercessor is available, willing, and capable, and does not need reinforcements.
(4) Samuel and spirits.
I have not come to my conclusions in a prejudiced, partisan, whimsical way, in a hurry. I had wrestled with this question for at least 20 yrs, and had sought every available source of help to come to an informed stand on the issue. I had not wanted to prove any one faction right, but had just wanted to do what was the right thing in the eyes of God. I wanted to honour, respect, appreciate, and acknowledge God, and to please Him as best as possible for me.
One day, yearning for a clearer answer, I opened the Bible for some clue. It opened to the portion around 1 Sam 28. Saul calls up the (supposed) spirit of (the now ‘departed’) Samuel for guidance. I have heard opinions of both sides of the debate, whether the spirit that came up was indeed that of Samuel, or some other evil spirit. Both opinions seem to have weight, but both cannot be true at the same time. But what we can do for now is to consider the implications for us in both situations.
If the spirit was indeed that of Samuel, what are the results? For one, Samuel is very displeased that he has been disturbed (vv15-19). This warns me to not summon ANY spirit for ANY reason at ANY time; they should not be disturbed. Secondly, Samuel doesn’t turn things in favour of Saul. Neither does he ‘put in a word’ and see ‘what can be done to help’. Samuel underlines God’s sovereignty and finality as judge. The pleadings of a ‘departed saint’ did not even happen, and did not help. Lev 19:31 warns us against causing defilement by using mediums and spiritists.
Mediums are people who communicate with the spirits of dead people, without their goodness or holiness being a factor. Dead people are dead people, and communicating with them is forbidden. Praying to them (or, as some may insist, ‘petitioning them to pray on our behalf’) is, surely, communicating with them.
Now let us consider the possibility that the spirit was not Samuel’s, but an evil spirit. That is all the more scary and dangerous. Calling up one spirit may bring up any random spirit, with totally unpredictable consequences. This does not seem to be a wise thing to do. This is playing with fire, and is best avoided. If nothing else, this spirit pretended to be Samuel’s. That itself shows an intent to mislead. And even if this spirit gave some useful or factually correct information, such encounters cannot be encouraged. And for me, this is sufficient to end the debate.
Those favouring Intercession do so by highlighting the wording and content of what is said (as petitioned by the pray-ers), and what is not said. Much clarification follows. But my point is, there should be (absolutely) NO communication from our side. Hence, the question of content, wordings or intent does not arise. Well, a spirit being a spirit, may happen to hear us. (I am just allowing for that possibility, not banking on it or wanting it). They hearing us is not of our choosing. Again, spirits may speak to us. Experts on the topic may tell us better why the spirits were able to speak to whom they spoke to, whether there was a ‘crossing of a line’. But for a layman, we, at least consciously, are not choosing to hear from them. Petitioning a ‘departed soul’ is, undeniably, communicating with them. I cannot not see this as ‘crossing a line’. What words we speak is a totally secondary consideration.
Either way, I feel conclusively convinced to stay clear of Intercession, very specially in view of the prayer that I had said, and the text that I immediately got (as quoted in the beginning of this chapter).
(5) Domino Effect.
Mtw 18:6 sternly warns us that we should not only not sin ourselves, but also not cause others to even stumble (let alone fall).
The church is a unique and central feature of the Christian faith. Corporate worship is very essential, apart from any amount of personal devotion and prayers that one may have. The role and function of the church is to edify, help, encourage, correct, and endow each other. The church is not an echo chamber or a cozy club, but is called to be a ‘city on a hill’, meant to show the light of God to the world. We are to be the agents of change, the ‘salt of the earth’. The church has to be what Israel was called to be in the Old Testament, a peculiar people, a nation like no other.
The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23). God views sin very seriously. So much so, that ‘He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life’ (Jn 3:16). The sinless Son of God had to die to pay for our sins, so as to redeem us at a price. Thus, sin is not a casual thing. From parallels as shown in the Bible, sinning would be like suicide, while causing others to sin would be like murder.
The most repeated warning to the Israelites in the Old Testament, is to stay away from other gods. God was so serious about it that He put that at the start of the 10 Commandments. Even Satan was thrown out of heaven for having coveted the worship which only God deserves. And that was the same bait (of being like God) that Satan used to make man fall (not simply stumble). In many portions in the book of Isaiah, God repeats that He will not share His glory with anyone else.
I have heard of people praying to saints as if to God. One lady even proclaimed (wrongly) that the Orthodox church worshipped many gods. I was aghast, and still cannot fathom, about where she (and possibly many others) got such mistaken ideas from. But the unfortunate possibility remains that even many members within the orthodox fold may be entertaining such baseless ideas. I am personally aware of the pains that the clergy take to define the strict boundaries of the well intended practice of Intercession. But the rigidly twisted ideas continue. My own error, though momentary, was an example of exactly that premise.
Moreover, at some places, people of other faiths come and pray wherever they see a shrine or an image of a ‘holy man (or woman)’. Such people have no qualms about seeing the saints as gods, because of their definition of the term ‘God’. Their faith allows it, or rather, encourages it. We cannot blame such people of other faiths for such expressions of their devotion. Nobody (who knew better) has clarified to them and presented a right explanation. From my experience, I imagine that members of such churches may smile smugly that ‘outsiders’ have come to ‘their’ shrine, seeing it as a commendation, a certification of their church or their (patron) saint, or possibly of Christianity. They seem ignorant of, and disinterested in, what has actually transpired. Without proactive correction, the ‘outsiders’ will know no better. But then, aren’t many of the ‘insiders’ also needlessly on the same boat of error?
Yes, the clergy do preach about the technical and theological boundaries. But having such questionable practices is the root of other problems, which only seem inevitable in due course of time.
I may not be able to change the teachings within a denomination. But I surely can protect myself from the consequential spiritual harm by desisting from such clearly dangerous practices. My withdrawal may raise questions (and eyebrows); and it has noticeably happened. But this gives me a chance to tell others of what I see as a clear error. It may not always cause everyone else to follow my example. But that is the least I can do. After realising that Intercession has so many pitfalls, my continuing to do it would be suicidal; and I causing others to do it would be like (spiritual) murder. Besides all the other aspects that trouble me, Intercession also poses the very present danger of presenting many ‘gods’ to the ignorant and careless. I do find Mtw 18:6 threatening. Intercession is certainly not an attractive idea.
(6) Rock bottom
God promised the promised child to Abraham and Sarah when they both were biologically incapable of childbearing. God parted the Red Sea when the Israelites were desperately and helplessly trapped between the Sea and a harsh enemy. God picked a shy, humble, reluctant Saul as the first ever king for His chosen people. Numerous such examples show that God begins His work in us whe n we are totally spent and out of options.
When king Ahaziah sends messengers to consult Ekron’s god (2 Kings 1:3-4), God tells Elijah to ask them if there is no God in Israel. On many other occasions, God takes His hand of blessing away from Israel, and mockingly tells them to go to the foreign gods that Israel seemed more devoted to. As long as there is another source that we may turn to, God keeps away. He is sovereign, absolute, and perfect. He has shown many times that He wants us to call on Him and Him alone for help. He wants us to call on Him for everything, not just for the bigger problems, or certain kinds of matters that ‘others cant handle’. He is all in all, and wants (rightly and rightfully) to be treated so. By this principle, we are only harming our own case by approaching others, even departed souls, for help. We are only keeping God away. As mentioned earlier, I am all for people praying for each other. That is exactly what church and fellowship are for. That is what the Bible teaches. Abraham, Moses, and Job (and others) were alive when they interceded for others.
Whether the liturgy explicitly states that or not, asking departed saints for intercession causes us (however unintentionally or unknowingly), to give at least part of the credit, thanks, glory, for the ‘favours received’, to those saints. As quoted earlier from Isaiah, God is emphatic that He will NOT share His glory with ANYONE else.
Thus, by approaching anyone else, we are blocking God’s help. For a God who says “come to Me” (Mtw 11: 29-30), “Call on Me..” (Psa 50:15), “…I will answer you..” (Isa 65:24), to me, personally, it is an insult, a rejection, more than anything else, to turn to any other source for help, however innocuous or well meaning it may seem to us.
(7) Honour
One of the reasons given in favour of Intercession is to honour and remember the fathers, pioneers, teachers, saints and all others, who have contributed to our being where we are in the faith. Heb 13:7 is quoted in this context. Yes, we must not forget to be thankful for all that we have gained or learnt from our predecessors and those who have ‘gone before us’. The role and value of the prayers of many, whom we may not even have known personally, should not be downplayed. True, we need to be mindful and grateful for all that. Such intentions are absolutely noble and exemplary.
In Acts 14:11-13, we see people in Lystra making a terribly wrong response to miracles performed through Paul and Barnabas declaring them to be gods, avatars. The people just wanted to showed their appreciation and gratitude for the healing of a crippled man. But their response swung to an unacceptable level, and Paul showed his disapproval in vv15-18. A similar incident happens with Peter in Acts 10:25-26, and with Paul in Malta (Acts 28: 6). There are a few other examples (as Rev 22:8-9) of people being overwhelmed at the presence of angels and responding in (effective) worship. The angels correct the men by saying that God alone is to be worshipped.
By communicating with departed saints, by involving them in our prayers (actively, deliberately, conspicuously), we may not have intended to worship them. As mentioned earlier, we do, however, run the risk of crossing that line, and doing the forbidden, however innocently or unintentionally. This risk is the smaller point; I wish to make a larger point below.
In eastern and pantheistic religions, there is hardly any line to demarcate boundaries for legitimate respect and honour. Love, respect, adoration, reverence, and worship blur into each other. Besides, no zone is seen as a ‘no fly zone’, and every form of honouring anyone or anything is acceptable. In fact, the more numerous the objects of reverence, the greater is the apparent piety of the devotee. Moreover, pantheism sees everything as physically being god anyway.
Closer home, we see a culture that worships the guru with guru puja and has no qualms in placing the guru on a pedestal higher than that of ‘god’. (Seeing the guru as another god may quell any disquiet about that conflict). Brides are told to treat their husbands as pati Parmeshwar. Children are taught to literally worship their parents (whether dead or alive). But the Bible does not allow for such flexibilities or liberties; it is very clear and unrelenting about keeping us away from worshipping anything or anyone other than God. There are lines that we must not cross.
As seen in the Acts passages mentioned above, our reverence, respect, and desire to honour someone should not cross over into dangerous territory. While bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to their land (2Sam 6:6-7) Uzzah only wanted to prevent the Ark from toppling when the oxen stumbled. He had no time to call for help, to ponder on the alternatives; he had to react (or be still) in that fraction of a second. Yet, God struck him dead. Peter showed his love for Jesus by saying that he would not allow Jesus to be killed. Far from being rewarded, Peter got a sharp rebuke (Mark 8:32-33). Peter gets pulled up again in Jn 13:8 for displaying what he thought was love and reverence for the Son of God.
Our right intent may not always lead to the right response in God’s eyes. Prov 14:12 warns us not to be led too much by our own reasoning and intellect.
What Heb 13:7 tells us, is (to me) a call to remember the teachings, instructions, examples, warnings and lifestyles of our spiritual fathers. We must value their presence and prayers in our lives, yes. But I fail to see how and why this should lead us to proactively interact and communicate with the departed saints in our prayers. The departed saints may, or may not, be active, praying for us, or participating in worship with us. That is completely besides the point. Whatever the saints may or may not be doing, what they may be able or unable to do, should not have anything to do with our own intent, effort, initiative, actions. Let things happen whichever way “on the other side”, as per God’s wisdom and ways. Let us curtail ourselves to this side of the curtain, and not flirt with lines, which if crossed, may give reason to some, to suspect it to be necromancy or even occult. This is certainly not what Heb 13:7 calls us to do.
In my own view, such transgressions not only fail to honour the ‘dearly departed’, but actually dishonour them by dragging them into our indiscretions and trespasses. Apart from all the other unhappy fallouts of such practices like Intercession, it causes the names, lives, and memories of very precious predecessors to be used for things that are not only misguided (in intent and methodology), but also lead to unpleasant consequences.
The claim that this practice (like many others) has been done for years has no merit in itself. Doing a wrong for long years does not make it right. That may in fact make it worse. I would rather go by the Biblical correctness of it rather than its antiquity or prevalence. A wrong turn must be corrected at the earliest, and not stuck to for the sake of loyalty or allegiance. Being right in God’s sight is far more essential than any other consideration of tradition, heritage or human loyalty.