There is also ONE God, and yet there are three divine persons.
There is also ONE body (1 Cor 10:17), and yet many members.
Our praying and interceding for others is not incompatible with Jesus being the ONE mediator between man and God, so long as our prayers to God are *through* Christ. That is also true of the Apostles (just look how often they acted on behalf of Christ to others, and prayed to Christ on behalf of others). It is also true of those whom Christ, through the Apostles, gave authority through the sacrament of ordination, all the way down to the present. Their activity in their priestly role is not mutually exclusive with that of Christ's, but rather is the very means Christ Himself has appointed through which we are to receive Christ's forgiveness.
As long as one thinks of mediation as mutually exclusive, one will misinterpret the verse in italics above, and mischaracterize the Catholic position.
-A8
I'm sorry, but I don't find that authority to give anyone sacrament of ordination ANYWHERE in the New Testament. That is man's teaching, not God. As it has surely already been pointed out on various threads to all of you who are catholic, no authority exists for priests in the organization of the church. Jesus is our high priest who makes intercession for us (Hebrews chapters 7,8 and 9). One such passage is very clear:
HEB 7:23 And the former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers, because they were prevented by death from continuing,
HEB 7:24 but He, on the other hand, because He abides forever, holds His priesthood permanently.
HEB 7:25 Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
And again in Hebrews chapter 9, the Lord says
HEB 9:11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation;
HEB 9:12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
HEB 9:13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh,
HEB 9:14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
HEB 9:15 And for this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, in order that since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
And in Revelation, He says
REV 1:6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
So, when you've written
As long as one thinks of mediation as mutually exclusive, one will misinterpret the verse in italics above, and mischaracterize the catholic position.
you are incorrect in saying that mediation as a function can be extended to men because the scripture says, distinctly, that there is one mediator between man and God, Christ Jesus. If there were others, it would have said Jesus is "one of", "the best" or something to that effect to indicate plurality of mediators.
Yes, we should pray for others just as the Apostles did. But can the Apostles forgive others sins? We can't forgive others their sins but we can pray for them and lift them up to God but we can't forgive them of their sins.