Should Christians Pray For the Dead?

here are few doctrines so couched in man made tradition and superstition as the Roman Catholic belief that by praying for the dead, it will benefit these departed souls, or that they may also intercede for those in this world is some way. They use the secular or extra-biblical book of maccabees in an attempt to justify this teaching, but it clearly contradicts the Holy scriptures. But because of these ideas that proliferate some Churches, many Christians have asked, "What about prayer for the dead?" Is it something that faithful servant of God should partake in? The answer is, absolutely not! This belief is not only a totally unchristian idea, but it is in many ways downright Pagan. Is God's loving kindness declared to anyone after their souls are in the grave, that they might receive blessings or our prayers for them answered? Some have said yes, but God says no.

Psalms 88:10-12

• "Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah.
• Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?
• Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?"

Psalms 6:4-5

• "Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies' sake.
• For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?"

Moreover, why would we need their intercession for us from the grave? Did not Christ atone for "all" of our sins? Is He not the ultimate intercessor, who, by His suffering, redeemed us from all unrighteousness? So if we were saved before we died, then according to God's word we do not come into any condemnation whatsoever. And if we were not saved when we died, then the judgment is already appointed unto us. This judgment is not something which can be plea bargained down to something less that we can handle, it is divine justice which must be meted out. It is the full wrath of God which His righteousness demands. It is not only unbiblical to attempt to negate this, but it is illogical for a Christian to conclude that man should pray for those who have died, yet in their sins. For if they have any stain of sin yet to be purged at death, then after death is no opportunity to change the judgment thereof.

Hebrews 9:26-27

• "For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
• And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"

Revelation 20:13

• "And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works."

This is the righteous justice of God that takes place at The Last day! The dead will come out of the grave and be judged according to their works. If they have the stain of sin from their life, they will be justly condemned of God, according to their works. No amount of praying either for or to them in the grave will help them. They are reserved in silence, waiting for this white throne judgment to be given according to their labors on earth. Not according to our prayers for them afterward. Hebrews chapter 9 informs us, it is appointed unto men to once to die, and then we are judged. It doesn't get much clearer than that. There is nothing in God's word that states otherwise, and yet the Roman Catholic documents deny this most basic of Christian truths:

Ecclesiastes 9:4-6

Hebrews 2:3

• "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great Salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;"

Matthew 8:21-22

• "And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
• But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead."

• "And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
• Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God."

2nd Corinthians 5:8-11

• "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
• Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
• For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
• Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences."

Another theory of this Church is that, if man is assisted by prayer after this life is over, this is the result of the things he had done in the body, and therefore, these good works of others, are actually his. This is extremely convoluted and more than that, begs the question. Even if it were true (which it isn't, because it's not things "he" did in his body), it still fails to answer the fundamental question of payment for his bad works. In other words, what about his sin? No one is going to heaven for his good works, they go because of the good work of Christ. But unless one has been saved in this life, made righteous by the work of Christ, then he is destined for hell as judgment for his works on earth. That is a fundamental tenet of true Christianity. For a man's works, whether good (in Christ) or bad, follow Him. We must all stand before God to account for those works. The praying for someone after death cannot change a man's works, nor give him repentance unto salvation.

Revelation 14:12-13

• "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
• And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them."

John 3:5-6

• "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
• That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."

The implication of the doctrine of intercession after death is that man can be born again, even after physical death. Again, this is an idea without any foundation in God's word. And if he is born again in this life, then he needs no prayers after death, for according to God's word, he is perfect, without blemish, without spot, having been washed clean in the blood of the Lamb. The unsaved are kept in store, reserved unto the 2nd resurrection, and the judgment, at The Last Day

2nd Peter 2:9

• "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished."

So should Christians pray for the dead? Though these men attempt to mix apples and oranges, there is quite a bit of difference between burying and honoring the memory of the dead, and praying for, to, or with those dead! Clearly, not only does this doctrine hold claim to being able to help the dead, but that the dead can help the living. Just how the dead can help us, when (by their own admission), the dead themselves (supposedly) need our help, is yet another illogical and contradictory conclusion of this convoluted teaching. Of a truth, when your assumptions are unbiblical, your conclusions will be unbiblical. But when you do not assume, but abide by the word of God as supreme authority over the Church, your conclusions will be based on solid foundation.

Psalms 115:17-18

• "The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.
• But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the LORD."

Ecclesiastes 9:4-5

• "For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
• For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten."

• "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest."

Why would those who live on earth pray to "another" intercessor and make a mockery of God's Chosen Vessel who intercedes on man's behalf? Is the Lord's arm so short that it is so ineffective as intercessor, we need the dead?

Isaiah 59:16

• "And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought Salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him."

• "But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
• Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."

Romans 8:26-27

• "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
• And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God."

Some Roman Catholics are uncomfortable with their own phraseology, and so they insist that they pray "with" the saints, and not "to" them. However, if one is communicating, or attempting to seek out or pursue the dead in any way, they are by very definition, practicing Necromancy. This is the heathen religious tradition and practice, which is customary in nearly all pagan religions.

Deuteronomy 18:9-12

• "When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
• There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
• Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a Necromancer.
• For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee."

1st Samuel 28:3

• "Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land."

• "And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
• Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor."

Nevertheless, some remain unmoved by all these precepts. I had one person reluctantly confess, "OK, OK, there is no mandate for this, but what is really so wrong with praying for the dead?" My answer is, Everything! First of all, it is a testament to our ignorance of the truth of God's word. Second, while the Roman Catholic books may say it is a holy and proper thought to pray for the dead, scripture condemns it by telling us that after death, is the judgment. We cannot change the judgment of a man who has died. It is our job to tend to the living! Third, God condemns this practice by telling us in no uncertain terms that the dead know nothing and are in silence. Fourth, God tells us that it is in this life that man must be warned, must repent and be purged of every sin by the Lord. In the next age, it will be a time of judgment. And fifth, this doctrine denies that the wages of sin in this life is death, and makes the wages of sin, Purgatory instead.

Further, unless there is some community of life between the dead and the living, then no one is assisted by the prayers of one for the other. But no community between the dead and the living exist, therefore, neither the suffrages or prayers of the living, nor the suffrages or prayers of the dead, profit one or the other. As so vividly illustrated by our Lord in His parable of Lazarus and the Rich man. He who hath an ear, let him hear:

Luke 16:20-31

• "And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
• And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
• And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
• And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
• And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
• But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
• And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
• Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:
• For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
• Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
• And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
• And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."

Romans 10:17

• "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

James 5:15

• "And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him."

James 5:20

• "Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins."

Jesus Christ does not need help from anyone as an alternative intercessor. Not Mary, not Saints, not Christians, nor our dearly departed friends and relatives. Therefore there is no good, nor need in praying for or to the dead. For we cannot change the destiny of anyone once they have died. That moment seals the fate of that person. Whether as a saved man, absent from the body, and present with the Lord (2nd Cor. 5:8), or to be absent from the body, and in silence and having no consciousness again until the second resurrection and judgment.

And so before anyone prays for another deceased loved one, or Saint, they should face the very pertinent facts of God's word. These are unbiblical traditions of men, not the word of God, and are borne out of man's humanism, and his leaning unto his own understanding. God's word never calls for praying for the dead, nor does God imply that it does any good. On the contrary, God's word illustrates that it is against God's will, as his decision has "obviously" been made. Not a sparrow falls to the earth without God's say so. His will for us is that we feed His sheep, and attend to the living.

Therefore, let us go forth with renewed vigor to honor God with more than mere words and traditions. Let us go forth praying for the living, and serving the living God by worshipping Him in spirit and truth. For superstition and pagan rituals involving the dead, are the way of the unrighteous, not the way of the Godly. The heart of the righteous honor God by honoring His word. Honoring tradition or the commandments of men, over God, is going the way of the Scribes and Pharisees.

Matthew 15:8-9

• "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
• But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

We humbly pray that the Lord, who is Gracious and merciful above all, would give us the wisdom to discern His truth, and the strength to turn away from all unrighteousness in these doctrines of men.

Amen!