3:16. All scripture, inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice:
All scripture...Every part of divine scripture is certainly profitable for all these ends. But, if we would have the whole rule of Christian faith and practice, we must not be content with those Scriptures, which Timothy knew from his infancy, that is, with the Old Testament alone: nor yet with the New Testament, without taking along with it the traditions of the apostles, and the interpretation of the church, to which the apostles delivered both the book, and the true meaning of it.
communicating with the dead is strictly forbidden (Deuteronomy 18:10)
18:10. Neither let there be found among you any one that shall expiate his son or daughter, making them to pass through the fire: or that consulteth soothsayers, or observeth dreams and omens, neither let there be any wizard,
18:11. Nor charmer, nor any one that consulteth pythonic spirits, or fortune tellers, or that seeketh the truth from the dead.
Note: any one that seeketh the truth from the dead. It is clear that this refers to attempts to obtain information from the spirits of the dead through their own power, and certainly does not refer to asking other members of the Body of Christ to pray for us. I dont know why this is so hard for protestants.
Specifically any example of praying to worm food (It is very offensive to refer to other members of the body of Christ as worm food. Are you really a Christian?) or them praying for us.
Corinthians
12:11. But all these things, one and the same Spirit worketh, dividing to every one according as he will.
12:12. For as the body is one and hath many members; and all the members of the body, whereas they are many, yet are one body: So also is Christ.
12:13. For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether bond or free: and in one Spirit we have all been made to drink.
12:14. For the body also is not one member, but many.
12:15. If the foot should say: Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body: Is it therefore not of the Body?
12:16. And if the ear should say: Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body: Is it therefore not of the body?
12:17. If the whole body were the eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?
12:18. But now God hath set the members, every one of them, in the body as it hath pleased him.
12:19. And if they all were one member, where would be the body?
12:20. But now there are many members indeed, yet one body.
12:21. And the eye cannot say to the hand: I need not thy help. Nor again the head to the feet: I have no need of you.
12:22. Yea, much, more those that seem to be the more feeble members of the body are more necessary.
12:23. And such as we think to be the less houourable members of the body, about these we put more abundant honour: and those that are our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
12:24. But our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, giving to that which wanted the more abundant honour.
12:25. That there might be no schism in the body: but the members might be mutually careful one for another.
12:26. And if one member suffer any thing, all the members suffer with it: or if one member glory, all the members rejoice with it.
12:27. Now you are the body of Christ and members of member.
Now, you show me the scripture where it says that members of the body of Christ are severed from that body at their carnal death.
If I am wrong please straighten me out because I want to get it right, I only ask that you do so using Gods Word and not mans.
Sola scriptura is not scriptural.
1) Someone praying for us is not mediating, it is entreating. These are 2 separate things that need to stay very separate. It would seem to me that Catholics want other mediators.
You seem to be trying to read all kinds of things into the word mediate. If we ask another member of the body of Christ to pray for us, it is entreating if he is still in his body, but mediating if he has returned his soul to God. Sorry, but I cant detect the slightest scintilla of logic or reason in that.
2) Saints who have passed on and are no longer with us but are in Christs presence are off limits to us according to Gods Word.
As I showed above, this is not the case. The Bible just doesnt say that.
I wonder how you get around Matthew Chapter 17.
17:1. And after six days Jesus taketh unto him Peter and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart:
17:2. And he was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun: and his garments became white as snow.
17:3. And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with him.
17:4. And Peter answering, said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
17:5. And as he was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them. And lo a voice out of the cloud, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him.
Deuteronomy 18 doesnt say For the Lord abhorreth all these things, and for these abominations he will destroy them at thy coming **unless** it is Jesus who is speaking with members of the body of Christ who have shuffled off this mortal coil.
If it is speaking with saints that God abhors, then Jesus is doing something that God abhors. Is that possible?
Of course not. Ergo, the passage doesnt refer to legitimate communication with saints in Heaven, such as asking them to pray for us; it refers rather to séances and ungodly things like that in which people attempt to use their own abilities to get information from the spirits of the dead without Gods sanction. Quod erat demonstrandum.
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.