The Saints, the Unsaved, and Life or Destruction

                                                              

                                                             I. Introduction 

So far, I have demonstrated that the Roman Catholic late Medieval of Purgaorry is unbiblical. In this ost, U wish to discuss such topics as the Treasury of Merits.                                 

                                 II. The Treasure of Merits, Indulgences, and Relics

To many of the medievals, we may be in Purgatory for ten years, centuries, etc. Our time depends on the amount of venial sins that we brought with us at death. 

Scripture is very clear that some sins are worse than others (Galatians 4: 10, Galatians 18: 20-21, Exodus 2: 23, and James 5: 4), though whether or not this means that some Christians will go to a place called ''Purgatory'' has been especially controversial in Christian history. 

The Late Medieval view of Purgatory coincides with how the Medievals understood Heaven and Hell. To many of the theologians in the second half of the Middle Ages, saints are also distinct from the believers on earth. Thus, All Saints' Day was for affirming those the church now proclaimed to be in Heaven while All Souls' Day was about the Christians suffering in Purgatory. We, the Medieval theologians believed, are the church in this world. Thus, the church, they believed, is in three places right now. 

Obviously, neither All Saints' Day nor All Souls' Day are mentioned in Scripture, but are the concepts behind them Biblical? Are some Christians in Purgatory, while others are in Heaven, and others are on earth? In my previous post, I believed that I had demonstrated Biblical evidence against Purgatory as a place. Now, let us examine whether or not the ''saints'' are those in Heaven, while we hear, are worthy yet of that title. 

Many Evangelical Christians who object to the idea of Catholic saints, will point to 1 Corinthians 1: 2. Here, Paul called the Corinthians saints in Christ? Does this not imply then, that Christians on earth are also saints are are those now in Heaven? 

A major problem arises with this Evangelical claim, however. 

If we are to use the reasoning in 1 Corinthians 1: 2 that Paul calls the Corinthians saints and therefore, all Christians are saints, then we would also have to conclude that everyone in the church is saved as the Apostle John when addressing the churches in Revelation 1: 9, speaks of them sharing in the Kingdom with him? If Paul's affirmation of the Corinthians as saints means all Christians on earth are saints and not just those of the Corinthian Church, then we would also have to believe that when John speaks of the churches in Revelation sharing in the Kingdom, this means that everyone in every visible church now goes to Heaven (the letters of the New Testament were to the visible churches after all, not the invisible church. As evidence of this, the New Testament details church officers in Titus 1 and 1 Timothy 3). 

Because of this, it is more consistent to say that Paul the Apostle and John, the author of Revelation, were inspired by God with special knowledge of those mentioned in their letters of these Christians persevering until the end. 

Whether or not all Christians are saints or not, is not an issue addressed in Scripture. Greek Orthodox Christians refer to the Christians in this world as saints as well as those in Heaven. The point I'm making here, however, is not to say that Christians on earth aren't saints, but rather, that the Evangelical arguments against Roman Catholic belief in only the Christians within Heaven, being described as saints. 

The Book of Revelation, however, does describe those in Heaven as saints (Revelation 5: 8) and it nowhere describes everyone in Christianity as saints. Because those in Heaven have fought for truth and perceived unit the end, (Matthew 24: 13-14), and that salvation is not a one-time incident (Mark 16: 16, 1 Peter 3: 21, Acts 16: 31). 

I can see reasons why both Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholics have their own perspectives on the saints but I see the Evangelical arguments against the Roman Catholic view, to be weak. Now, let us return to the topic of purification. 

Unlike the Eastern Orthodox view of purification after death, the late Medieval Roman Catholic concept of Purgatory requires belief in Purgatory as a place, a place in which people are suffering even as they are added by our prayers. The Eastern view also doesn't claim that purification amounts to a certain frame, whereas the Medieval view of Purgatory asserts that a person may last there for centuries, and indulgences and prayers for the dead may avail them out of Purgatory. 

I also need to mention that the concept of indulgences is totally unknown in Scripture. In fact, indulgences are far more unbiblical than is Purgatory itself and it was primarily the abuse of indulgences that inspired Luther's criticism of Roman Catholic practices in his Ninety-Five Thesis in 1517. 

For those that do not know what indulgences are, they are permissions from the church that we share in the Treasury of Merits, the concept that the works of Christ and the saints are given to us so that we fight and overcome evil (more on the treasure merits later in this post). 

Indulgences are not only found nowhere in the New Testament, but they were unknown for most of church history. They became heightened during the Crusades and after, as Papal Supremacy continued to grow in political influence. 

Some Christians, however, will often equate indulgences with relics but the two are not the same. While many of the saints at the time of the Reformation were fake, some of them may very well have been real. A case of Biblical support can actually be made for relics as Exodus 29: 37 speaks of others being blessed by the tomb of a Hebrew. Likewise, Paul not only healed others in Acts 19: 11-12 but his handkerchiefs were distributed to others so that they would be given healing. 

It would be an assumption to say that no relics of the saints or the apostles specifically were true at the time of the Reformation. Today, we share ancient artifacts from thousands of years ago. It is likely then, that the Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox Church may very well have preserved holy relics from the first-century church. If they were mistaken, there was no substantial loss at them being mistaken, If they were right, however, others were blessed by the presence of holy relics. 

Even if one believes that the power of relics was only for Paul the Apostle in Acts 19: 11-12, some of his relics would likely have been preserved fifteen hundred years later. If anything, we have more reason to believe that the churches preserved these Christian artifacts than that all of the them are false. Thus, the person who decrees all relics as false is actually the one making assumptions between about Scripture and Church history. 

Many of the same Evangelicals who accept the claims of archaeologists about preserving artifacts of the ancient world are the same evangelicals who look with complete skepticism at any relics that the Roman Catholic Church may very have preserved from the apostles. Why do they trust archeologists (even secular ones) over the claims of local churches of the past two thousand years? 

Unfortunately, some Evangelicals (and especially fundamentalists) are quick to dismiss everything about Roman Catholicism. This has led them to question everything about Catholicism, no matter how much of Catholicism was embraced centuries after centuries before the Protestant Reformation. 

Ironically, some of these same Evangelicals don't question the authenticity of the Bible, when for many centuries, it was reserved in the monasteries and churches of both Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox. If they believe the Roman Catholic Church corrupted church practice and taught all wrong theology, then they may also very well believe that the church corrupted Scripture (all of which are strange and ludicrous claims). 

Questioning the claims of Roman Catholicism on certain theological issues is significantly different than claiming that everything about Roman Catholicism is and has always been completely corrupt. Whatever one thinks of the theology of relics, the history behind them is clear that they were important to many Christians throughout history and are practiced and found in Scripture (Act 19: 11-12). 

This isn't an issue of stretching something from Scripture but even one verse in Scripture is enough to teach sound doctrine. The concept of relics is Biblical, as detailed in Acts 19: 11-12, and therefore, there ought to be no moral objections against them (so long as people aren't led into implications of false theology). Relics weren't invented as was Purgatory (as a place) in the second half of the Middle Ages. Saint Ambrose of Milan, a fourth-century father, for example, knew of the practice of relics in the church. 

Relics aside, however, indulgences are unbiblical, as are many of the propositions that Rome has put forward in the past concerning Purgatory.

Now, what about the treasury of merits? Do we really gain benefits from Christ and the now perfect Saints in Heaven? If so, would this not contradict belief in justification by faith alone?

Actually, if the treasury of merits is true, that Christ gives us the good works of the saints, then we believe this helps sanctify us whether or not we are justified by Christ. 

But wouldn't the concept of the Treasure of Merits take away from Christ as having all glory and us having nothing?

We need to define what is ''glorious.'' Oftentimes, Calvinist people claim that God is glorious by simply measuring His glory by his wrath and not his grace. This, though is not Biblical.

Furthermore, Scripture nowhere says that God alone is glorious. Ephesians 1: 18-21 actually explicitly affirms that the saints have are glorious. They are glorious because of the grace and love of the Creator. This is not about a low view vs. a high view of God when Ephesians 1: 18-21 is very clear, that the saints of Christ are glorious. If anything, those who deny the glory of the saints are the ones of having a low of view of God, as they deny the plain teachings of Scripture and replace it with the thoughts of man. 

Thus, there are no Scriptural grounds against the Treasury of Merits. However, I will soon demonstrate Scriptural grounds for believing in it. First, let us see some of the roots of the concept in the ancient church before appealing to the principal authority, the Scripture itself. 

Some Church Fathers implied the treasury of merits in their speech. One of them was one of the most respected Greek fathers in church history. 

The Greek father, John Chrysostom, seems to have recognized some sort of treasury of merits, in which Christians grow each other in sanction through mutual good works: 

''"The wisdom, the will, the justice of Jesus Christ, requireth and ordaineth that his body and members should be companions of his sufferings, as they expect to be companions of his glory; that so suffering with him, and after his example, they may apply to their own wants and to the necessities of others the merits and satisfaction of Jesus Christ, which application is what is wanting, and what we are permitted to supply by the sacraments and sacrifice of the new law."

UI Here, Chrystom demonstrates that that saints give good works to others. He does not believe, as many modern Evangelicals do, that this is impossible. 

Much more, of course, could be said about the topic of justification and that is too great of a topic to mention in one small post. However, the main point to remember here, is that even if justification is by faith alone, one can believe that we as the church inherit the grace of both Christ and the Heavenly Saints on our behalf. 

Do the saints actually help us grow in faith? If we look only to Scripture alone, we see that they do. 

In 2 Maccabees 15: 14, Jeremiah, the former prophet, ne ceased from the earth, prayers for the Hebrews still within the realm of time. Even for those who don't accept this book as canonical, 2 Maccabees testifies to Jewish practice and custom, which should say something about those who question the saints praying on our behalf. 

Perhaps even more important, though, is that the saints in Heaven pray for those on earth in both Revelation 5: 8 and Revelation 8: 3-4. 

There are many aspects of the Christian faith which are a mystery. For example, how aware of the saints in Heaven of the events within current history? One if not mysterious, however, is the saints in Heaven do intercede on our behalf. Now whether or we not we should invoke them in our prayers directed toward God Himself, is another topic for another time. 

                                                          III. Conclusion

The Bible teaches that we are purified before entering Heaven (Revelation 21: 8). An understanding of this, will further help us all understand the New Heavens and New Earth in the following post. 

The Western idea of Heaven is us escaping from evil here as we give up on what God created. The eastern idea of Heaven, however, which is also the traditional view of Heaven, is that Heaven is not an actual place so distinct from this earth. No indeed, God shall restore this earth to the perfect Eden