Funny. Saw all kinds of mess about Mary...none about me.
which, I gotta tell you, is a relief, since Christ is the only intercessor foe man.
Hoss
Of course you didn't. You weren't reading the part about the kingly priesthood of all the saints.
since Christ is the only intercessor foe man.
I think you meant fo' man. Fo' sho'? :-)
It helps to read on either side of the text one which one is relying:
1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. 3 This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.I think Paul says that we are "in Christ", that we are a new creation. It is neither we on our own toot or Mary on HER own toot who can possibly serve as mediators of any kind. But to be in Christ, to be vivified with his spirit (because we have died in him and the natural tendency to death of rebellious flesh has, in some sense, come to its deathly conclusion) is to share in his ministry. That is why there is also a ministry of reconciliation which is given to at least some because they are in Him.
He is the one mediator. We are in Him. We share in his mediating work.
Because we forget this, we end up sounding foolish and say things like, "Prayer works," which by themselves sound magical. It is God who works. He worked in and through Jesus. And now that we are in Jesus, He works in and through us, not through our merits or indeed anything that is ours, but through the merits, the very being, of the slain and risen God.
That's how I see it. Otherwise all talk of human mediation, whether of Mary or of you, is silly. But when you, being in Christ, say, "I'll pray for you," that's some powerful stuff.