Jesus communicated with the dead in the transfiguration. Does that mean he was a necromancer?
Jesus also never said, “don’t abort your children”, or those words thereof in scripture. He never says, “don’t beat your wife”. He never says, “homosexuality is sinful,” Arguments from silence are rather unpersuasive.
Arguments starting from the premise, Jesus never said X, generally all fit this form.
>>Jesus communicated with the dead in the transfiguration. Does that mean he was a necromancer?<<
That was a very unique event in several way. First, Jesus did not pray with them. He talked with them. Second, it is clearly described as something almost like a physical portal to another dimension (to use 21’st century sensibilities. It is suggested with these statements:
“And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.”
“And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.
3And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. “
This was a singularly spectacular an unique event. It does not discuss prayer or our instructions to pray. Rather, it is a description of a transfiguration of Christ. It is as though God was giving the disciples a glimpse of His abilities. The MOST important part of the transfiguration event is this:
“While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”
And the events that preceded that would certainly give it credibility. ;)
>>Jesus also never said, “don’t abort your children”, or those words thereof in scripture. He never says, “don’t beat your wife”. He never says, “homosexuality is sinful,” Arguments from silence are rather unpersuasive.<<
Yes, but when one is advocating praying to dead people INSTEAD OF Christ (who we ARE instructed to pray to), I need some scripture instructing me to do so. Actually, I take back the “yes” part. The Bible clearly teaches that the dead sleep until the resurrection, where the dead in Christ rise first. So according to the Bible, one that prays to the dead is praying to one who is sleeping.