Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: oj@gvax.cs.cornell.edu (Orlando Johnson) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Do dead saints interact with us? Message-ID: Date: 9 Jan 91 08:41:29 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Cornell Univ. CS Dept, Ithaca NY Lines: 28 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu [Barry Olson wrote about prayers to saints, speculating that such prayers end up in the hands of fallen angels, since the saints themselves are unable to respond. --clh] When Paul addresses the churches in the New Testament, he calls them Saints. So the members of God's church are clearly Saints. In Revelation, it is stated that the Saint's will be resurrected at the return of Christ. Paul believed that he would be changed in the twinkling of an eye when Christ returned (assuming he would be alive when Christ returned). Therefore, there are live and dead saints who will be included in the first resurrection. My understanding of dead is dead and no one can overcome this unless God resurrects them as he did Christ. There is scripture which states that the dead know nothing. Also God inspired the words that "The wages of sin is death and the Gift of God is eternal life." It is not likely that anyone will receive eternal life if they have not earned it, contrary to the popular myth of pagan religions of burning in hell forever. The only hope anyone has for life is in the same manner as Christ who was the first of many (firstfruit). Praying to dead people who have no power over life and death will not do anyone good .