Why do you deny what the Holy Spirit says in scripture?
Acts 9:13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
Living in Jerusalem! NOT dead.
Acts 9:32 Now as Peter was traveling through all those regions, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda.
Livingt in Lydda!! NOT dead.
Acts 26:10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
Must have been living to have been put in prison!
Philippians 4:21 Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you.
Greeting LIVING saints!
Ephesians 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
More LIVING saints!!
1 Corinthians 1:2 to the assembly of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, with all those calling upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place -- both theirs and ours:
CALLED SAINTS!!!!
In Roman Catholic theology, the saints are in heaven. In the Bible, the saints are on earth. In scripture, everyone who has received Jesus Christ by faith is a saint. In Catholicism the hierarchy in Rome denies what scripture says. In scripture, saints are called to revere, worship, and pray to God alone. The Roman Catholic Church has corrupted what the Holy Spirit through scripture teaches.
They are both on Earth and in Heaven. Same as with Paul, who also wrote "called to be saints" on many occasions. I ask living people to pray for me as well. However, "the continual prayer of a just man availeth much" (James 5:16), and those tend to be canonized saints of the Holy Catholic Church. Coincidence? I think not.
Only by relegating Scripture to being a servant sentenced to be abused to serve Catholicism can one teach that in Scripture "saints" refers to a special distinct class of believers, who alone at death go to be with the Lord, while in reality all believers are called saints:
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. (Romans 8:27)
In Catholicism this would mean the Spirit only makes intercession for a special distinct class of believers.
Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. (Romans 12:13)
In Catholicism this would mean only a special distinct class of believers are to receive what Scripture elsewhere enjoins for all believers.
All the saints salute you. (2 Corinthians 13:13)
In Catholicism this would mean only a special distinct class of believers send greetings.
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (Ephesians 6:18)
In Catholicism this would mean only a special distinct class of believers are to be prayed for.
Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: (Philippians 1:1)
In Catholicism this would mean only a special distinct class of believers are addressed, not all the church.
Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you. (Philippians 4:21)
In Catholicism this would mean only a special distinct class of believers are to be greeted, not all the brethren.
All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar's household. (Philippians 4:22)
Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you. (Hebrews 13:24)
Likewise.
To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Colossians 1:2)
Texts such as this, which Caths use to support a distinction btwn saints and brethren, do no such thing, as using another term for reinforcement and fuller description of the same thing is common in Scripture, such as,
Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. (Psalms 22:23)
For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord? (Psalms 89:6)
And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. (Revelation 17:6)
And in Col. 1:2 above, "saints and faithful brethren," denote the same thing, but using using both terms provides a fuller description.
As for only one class of believers being fit and able to be with the Lord without suffering purifying torments in Rome's "Purgatory," this also is an invention, as wherever Scripture clearly speaks of the next conscious condition of believers after this life then it is with the Lord: (Luke 23:43; Acts 7:59; 1Cor. 15:52; 2 Cor 5:8; 1 Th 4:17; 1Jn. 3:2) The fact that Scripture teaches that every believer shall immediately be with the Lord for ever at His return is itself contrary to Purgatory. To God be the glory.
Meanwhile, the only postmortem suffering spoken of is that of suffering the loss of rewards, and thus the grievous shame of the Lord's disapproval, at the judgment seat of Christ, and which is at the return of the Lord, not commencing at death. (1Cor. 3:8ff) See here .
Meanwhile, the chastisement which works to make one more holy in character (Heb. 12) is done in this life, where alternatives to submitting to God can be made,
Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: (1 Peter 1:6-7)
Thus even Christ was made perfect through sufferings in this life, though not as attaining moral perfection, but by being tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)
One either dies in saving faith to be present with the Lord or one suffers in Hell and then the Lake of Fire.
All RCs can claim is some sort of "implicit support" for postmortem purification, but texts used for purgatory either refer to this life or to the lost, or the judgment seat of Christ.
Even the EO's tend to reject Rome's purgatory (though they have a theory of preparation)
Also, the Orthodox Church does not believe in indulgences as remissions from purgatorial punishment. Both purgatory and indulgences are inter-corrolated theories, unwitnessed in the Bible or in the Ancient Church, and when they were enforced and applied they brought about evil practices at the expense of the prevailing Truths of the Church. If Almighty God in His merciful loving-kindness changes the dreadful situation of the sinner, it is unknown to the Church of Christ. The Church lived for fifteen hundred years without such a theory. — http://www.goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith7076