Criticisms of Saint Intercession: The Practice is Not Described in the Bible

Criticisms of Saint Intercession: The practice of Saint Intercession is not described in the Bible 

Now, a claim such as “addressing the dead is not depicted in the Bible” is quite an absolute statement. If there is, in fact, a verse somewhere that includes an address of the those in heaven, people who oppose Saint intercession should at least grant that it is a biblical option for those who choose to practice it. 

It turns out that the angels are directly addressed in the Bible. 

We read in Psalm 103:20: 

Bless the LORD, O you His angels, you mighty ones who do His word. 

Now, one could argue that addressing the angels in the book of Psalms is poetic, with no theological implication to be implied. Indeed, we also read in Psalm 148:2-3 another invocation of angels but also of inanimate objects: 

Praise Him, all His angels, praise Him, all His host! Praise Him, sun and moon, praise Him, all you shining stars! 

But remember, if the claim was that there is no example whatsoever in the Bible of directly addressing someone in heaven, these verses alone, make that false. These verses should mean that people who don’t practice Saint intercession at least accept that those who do are not being anti-biblical when they do so. 

The Faithful Departed Are Addressed  in the New Testament! 

What if the Bible itself gave us an example of addressing, not just the angels, but the blessed departed of our faith? 

Read the following from the Book of Revelation 18:20, which describes the scene after the destruction of Babylon: 

Be glad over her, O heaven, O saints, apostles, and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her. 

This a clear example in the Bible advocating a direct address, not of angels poetically, but of the faithful dead of the Church. The parallel between “O heaven” and “O saints, apostles, and prophets” makes it unmistakable that this passage is depicting a direct address to the departed heroes of our faith. 

So, far from providing absolutely no evidence whatsoever that those in heaven should be directly addressed, the Bible does provide examples of the practice.