It is, despite your reflexive denials.
Prayers to the saints and martyrs are recorded on the walls of the Catachombs in Rome (the place where early Christians sought refuges from the persecutions). We have other early evidence that the practice existed in other parts of the Christian world. Both the Orthodox and Roman churches concur this is an ancient and widespread practice. (For an Orthodox perspective, see On the Intercession and Invocation of the Saints
) Your appeal to the OT misses the mark. Intercessory prayer proceeds from the belief that within the Body of Christ (the Church) there are some who are present with Jesus Christ in the Heavenly realm. That was not true during OT days.
And much the same can be said as the NT. Some of the earliest known examples of intercessory prayer were to the martyred apostles. Obviously, that practice didn't exist while the Apostles (they who composted the NT books) were still alive.
Not even the book of Hebrews with its details of the better covenant, and priestly functions, nor any other book, teaches prayer to created beings in Heaven.
Your reference to Hebrews only serves to underscore the historicity of the practice. Hebrews was one of the last books of the NT to gain universal acceptance. It's authenticity was dispute into the 4th Century. By that point in time, intercessory prayer was already an established (and seemingly non-disputed) practice.
No one around 300 A.D. was apt to look at Hebrews and find your "argument from silence." You again miss the mark.
Upthread, St. Ephraim the Syrian was cited as a supposed example of a Pre-Trib Rapture (though he was not the author of the document attributed to him). But he does speak on the present topic. From the cited source:
"Ye victorious martyrs who endured torments gladly for the sake of the God and Saviour; ye who have boldness of speech towards the Lord Himself; ye saints, intercede for us who are timid and sinful men, full of sloth, that the grace of Christ may come upon us, and enlighten the hearts of all of us that so we may love him.[vii]
Amen.
It is, despite your reflexive denials.
It absolutely is not despite your reflexive assertion to the contrary. Prayers to the saints and martyrs or any created beings are NOWHERE recorded on the pages of Scripture, which is the uniquely wholly inspired substantive body of Truth that the church doctrinally and prophetically (OT) began under, and added to, and which wholly inspired-of-God is the judge of various practices such as the Catacombs example.
Both the Orthodox and Roman churches concur this is an ancient and widespread practice. Which means that are wrong, as they are in a multitude of other things that the NT church did not manifestly believe .
) Your appeal to the OT misses the mark. Intercessory prayer proceeds from the belief that within the Body of Christ (the Church) there are some who are present with Jesus Christ in the Heavenly realm. That was not true during OT days.
Wrong. Intercessory prayer includes prayers to angels, as well as to Elijah and Enoch, but prayer to which the Holy Spirit nowhere records or sanctions by believers. Nor teaches that they are able to constantly hear all the prayers directed to them, which is a privilege and power only God is shown to have, which two-way communication between created beings required both to somehow be in the same realm, and was personal, oral and by visible heavenly beings.
. Some of the earliest known examples of intercessory prayer were to the martyred apostles.
Wrong, as your source is not that of the only wholly inspired substantive body of Truth, but it that of uninspired tradition and Catholic teaching, by which errors are perpetuated.
Hebrews was one of the last books of the NT to gain universal acceptance. It's authenticity was dispute into the 4th Century. By that point in time, intercessory prayer was already an established (and seemingly non-disputed) practice.
Irrelevant. Both men and writings of God are what they are regardless of the recognition or non-recognition by men. The words of God are the standard even before men recognize them. But OT itself provides for common soul recognizing both men and writings of God are being so, even in dissent from the magisterium, and thus it provides for a canon.
No one around 300 A.D. was apt to look at Hebrews and find your "argument from silence." You again miss the mark.
Irrelevant, for as is abundantly evidenced, they did look to what was written as the standard for obedience and testing truth claims, and oral preaching was established upon Scriptural substantiation, and nothing that was recognized as Scripture or would be testifies to or teaches prayer to created beings in Heaven.Which is inexplicable in the light of prayer being a most fundamental practice, and with prayer to created beings in Heaven being so greatly depended upon by Catholics.
Nor is my argument only based on silence where there should be revelation, as it also rests upon who Scripture teaches we are to prayer to (not such as "our mother who are in Heaven")./i>
You again miss the mark.
Upthread, St. Ephraim the Syrian...does speak on the present topic...intercede for us
Pious (I assume) Ephraim the Syrian was in error, as are all who do what no believer in Scripture manifestly did.