Is there any connection between Christians still living on earth and those already deceased?
We, Christians still living on earth, have the closest connection with our brethren who have departed to the Lord: God was pleased "that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him" (Eph. 1:10). Thus, we and the dead are one family, and the Head of our family is Christ.
Is there not a great difference between living and deceased Christians?
The Apostle Paul answers this thus: "For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living" (Rom. 14:7-9). Therefore, in Christ there is no difference between the dead and the living: all Christians constitute the body of Christ, all are brothers, obliged to love one another and care for one another.
How should the love of Christians for one another be expressed?
Mainly in prayer. "Pray for one another," says the Apostle James (James 5:16). And the Apostle Paul instructs: "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" (Eph. 6:18), i.e., for all Christians.
But perhaps this speaks of prayer to God only for those Christians who are still living on earth?
The Lord makes no such division, because God "is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him" (Luke 20:38).
Do deceased Christians need the Church of Christ to offer prayers to God for them?
Undoubtedly, they do.
What causes this need?
It is caused by the fact that they are people, and as people, are not free from shortcomings (Job 4:17-19), and none of them, dying, could say: "I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin" (Prov. 20:9; cf. Luke 17:10; James 3:2).
What basis can there be for propitiating God for the sins of deceased people?
The Apostle John explains that Christ "Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world" (1 John 2:2). It is to this Propitiator, the coming Judge, that Christians turn with prayers for the forgiveness of the sins of their brethren in faith.
Can it be thought that these Christian prayers will be heard?
It can, for the Savior Himself said that Christians "always ought to pray and not lose heart" (Luke 18:1). The Savior also says to true believers: "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you" (John 15:7).
But perhaps Christ does not have the power to alleviate the lot of greatly sinful (James 3:2) Christians who have passed into the afterlife?
The Lord has full ability and power to do this, because He Himself said of Himself: "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth" (Matt. 28:18). If so, then the Savior has the power to alleviate the lot of those who have sinned with sins not unto death.
Do sectarians reason correctly when they argue that one cannot change a person's fate in the afterlife, referring to the Lord's words in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus?
No, they do not. In the cited parable of the rich man and Lazarus, it is indeed said that there is no crossing from hell to paradise, but this is said not about New Testament people, but about Old Testament people, about what was before, and has now been abolished.
About what time does the parable of the rich man and Lazarus speak?
About the Old Testament time, i.e., about the time before Christ the Savior accomplished the atonement.
From where is this evident?
From the Lord's words, it is evident that then the law of Moses and the prophets were in effect: "They have Moses and the prophets," He says of the people of that time (Luke 16:29). The Savior Himself explained in the same 16th chapter of the Gospel of Luke that "The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it" (Luke 16:16). That it is not the law of Moses that reigns now is also said in the Gospel of John: "For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17). The law of Moses was "our tutor to bring us to Christ" (Gal. 3:24), "for Christ is the end of the law" (Rom. 10:4).
How, then, to explain the Lord's words that a great gulf is fixed between hell and paradise, so that those wishing to cross from hell to paradise cannot do so (Luke 16:26)?
These words of the Lord are quite true: there was no crossing from hell to paradise until the time when our Savior Himself crossed that gulf. The Lord says in the Apocalypse of Himself: "I have the keys of Hades and of Death" (Rev. 1:18). By His death on the cross, He broke the eternal bars (bolts) that held the captives, i.e., opened the doors of hell. "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water" (1 Pet. 3:18-20).
Who are these disobedient spirits to whom Christ preached?
These are the contemporaries of the patriarch Noah. Before the flood, people became very corrupt, so that "every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Gen. 6:5). The Lord commanded the righteous Noah to call them to repentance for one hundred and twenty years (Gen. 6:3), while Noah himself built the ark. And since the people did not repent of their corruption, the Lord commanded Noah to enter with his family into the built ark, and brought a flood upon all. None of the disobedient people remained alive on the earth; all perished in the water. But when the water flooded them, they remembered Noah's preaching and repented; however, it was impossible to avoid punishment, and they could not bear fruits of repentance. They were in the prison of hell and awaited God's mercy. It was to them that the Savior came "by the Spirit" at the time when His flesh, put to death on the cross, lay in the tomb. Our Church sings of this event thus: that Christ was "in the tomb bodily, in hell with the soul, as God"...
Did the Savior indeed bring out from hell into the blessed life of God the spirits who were in the prison and awaited Him with faith?
Yes, He did, "for," says the Apostle Peter, "for this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit" (1 Pet. 4:6). Therefore, the Apostle Paul also says of the Old Testament people that "they should not be made perfect apart from us" (Heb. 11:40).⁹ Thus, a transition from the life of hell to the life of paradise (according to God) is possible. And if sectarians reject it, it is only because they "do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God" (Matt. 22:29).
Can it be proved that the Lord indeed descended to those abiding in the life of hell?
This is convincingly proven by the Apostle Paul when he says that Christ "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men." Now this, "He ascended"—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?" (Eph. 4:8-9).
What do sectarians think about the state of the dead?
They consider that all who die immediately after death receive full recompense for their life.
Can it be thought, as the sectarians do, that the souls of departed people now receive full and final recompense for their life on earth?
Such a notion is unreasonable and unfounded. If the afterlife state of people were finally determined immediately after their death, then the Last Judgment, which the Lord predicted, would be completely unnecessary. But the Savior said that the Last Judgment will certainly take place, and then everyone will be given their due: sinners will go into "everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life" (Matt. 25:46).
Must all people appear at the Last Judgment, or perhaps believers will not go to judgment?
All people, every single one, will be at the Last Judgment, for, says the Apostle, we must all "appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad" (2 Cor. 5:10).
How then do sectarians say that they will not be subject to judgment, because it is said: "He who believes in Him (the Son of God) is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:18)?
The sectarians "are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God" (Matt. 22:29). In the cited place from the Gospel of John, the Savior speaks of the fact that those who sincerely believe in Him will not be subject to punishment, while those who do not believe in His Divinity will be condemned. But that judgment will be for both the righteous and the sinners is evident from the words of the Apostle Peter: "For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now 'If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?'" (1 Pet. 4:17-18). Let the sectarians not think that after death they will go straight to paradise; there will be a judgment on them yet!
If the parable of the rich man and Lazarus does not reject prayers for the dead, then what is its true meaning?
The main thought of the Lord in the parable is that if people on earth do not want to listen to the law of God, then nothing will correct them: even if someone rises from the dead, they will not believe then either.
How can it be proven that the main thought of the parable is precisely this?
To prove it, one needs to examine the parable itself and some events that occurred after it was spoken. The Pharisees did not want to believe Christ, although everything He said and did was in accordance with the law of Moses and the predictions of the prophets about the Messiah. The Pharisees wanted to recognize only what pleased them, and therefore they lived not according to the law of Moses, but according to their own desires. So the Savior says in the parable that such people will not be changed by anything: if they do not listen to the law of God, then even if someone rises from the dead, they will not believe. In the parable, the Lord shows the ungodly rich man and the pious poor man. He does not name the rich man at all, but gives the poor man a name—Lazarus. Then the Lord depicts the afterlife fate of both. The rich man in torment learns that there is no help for him, and pitying his brothers, who were still living on earth, begins to ask Abraham to send Lazarus as a messenger to them for admonition. But Abraham answered this request: "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them... If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead" (Luke 16:29, 31). Many at that time said that they would only believe a risen dead man, and many repeat the same now; likewise, some sectarians say that they do not wish to pray for the dead, and that, perhaps, they would pray if someone from the other world said that prayer for the dead is beneficial. But the Savior directly explains that whoever does not listen to the Scriptures will not believe even one risen from the dead. And so that no one would doubt the Lord's words, Christ proved this in deed. In the parable, He named the poor man Lazarus, and some time later raised Lazarus from Bethany.
What happened? Did the enemies of Christ begin to believe in Him after He raised a four-day dead man?
No, they did not believe. Learning of the raising of Lazarus, the enemies of the Lord, having consulted among themselves (John 11:45-52), "from that day on they plotted to put Him to death" (John 11:53). Thus, by the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the Savior explained and predicted that whoever does not listen to the Scriptures will not recognize even a risen man as a reliable witness and will not believe him. The Lord says nothing here against prayers for the dead.
What should we ask the Lord for in our prayers for the dead?
The same as we ask in our prayers for the living: we should ask for the Lord's mercy towards the dead and for the grace of God, cleansing their souls and granting them a blessed state.
Did believers in the true God pray for the dead?
Prayers for the dead existed already in the Old Testament. From the life of the people of Israel, we learn that after one battle, Judas Maccabeus prayed on behalf of the whole community of God for the fallen soldiers: "And on the next day, those with Judas went, as the custom was, to carry away the bodies of the fallen... And they found under the coats of each one of the dead things consecrated to the idols of the Jammites, which the law forbids the Jews... So they all blessed the just judgment of the Lord... And turning to supplication, they prayed that the sin which had been committed might be wholly blotted out... And making a gathering, he sent twelve thousand drachmas of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the dead, thinking well and religiously concerning the resurrection (for if he had not hoped that they that were slain should rise again, it would have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead). And because he considered that they who had fallen asleep with godliness had great grace laid up for them. It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins" (2 Macc. 12:39-45).
In the Bible, another similar example is given, namely, the prophet Baruch prayed for the dead, saying: "O Lord Almighty, God of Israel!... Do not remember the iniquities of our fathers" (Bar. 3:4-5).
Also, the wise Sirach says: "Give graciously to all the living, and do not withhold your kindness from the dead" (Sir. 7:33).
What to answer the sectarians if they say that they do not believe the Maccabean books, because these books are non-canonical?
We must ask the sectarians, where in the Word of God is it said that the Maccabean books are not good? And that they are called non-canonical, this is how the ancient Orthodox Church called them, before the devil invented modern sectarian foolishness. But the Church always recognized the Maccabean books as correct books, telling about the life of the Jews long before the coming of the Lord, and the 85th Canon of the Holy Apostles commands to recognize the Maccabean books.
What does the word "apocryphal" mean, as the sectarians like to call the Maccabean and other non-canonical books?
The designation "apocryphal books," translated from Greek, means "hidden books." The ancient heretics gave this name to the forged books composed among them, in order to better persuade others that these books were not newly composed, but only unknown, as being hidden.
Our non-canonical books are not at all apocryphal, because all false books, such as, for example, the Gospel of Peter, the Gospel of Thomas, the Dream of the Theotokos, and others, were rejected by the Church.¹⁰
Can confirmation of prayers for the dead be found in the canonical books?
Such confirmations exist.
In Deuteronomy 26:14 it says: "I have not eaten any of it (the tithe dedicated to God) when in mourning... nor have I removed any of it for an unclean use, nor given any of it for the dead." (Deut. 26:14). Consequently, it was possible to set aside from one's remaining property for the commemoration of the dead.
Did the holy Apostles pray for the dead?
Yes, they did. The Apostle Paul, in gratitude to his disciple Onesiphorus, who faithfully served him, prayed for his still-living family thus: "The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus" (2 Tim. 1:16). We see that the Apostle does not mention Onesiphorus himself; a few words later, the Apostle Paul prays for Onesiphorus himself, evidently already deceased: "may the Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day" (2 Tim. 1:18).
Exactly so, now the Orthodox Church prays for the dead, asking for them "the mercy of God from Christ, the immortal King and our God."
Was there a commemoration of the departed in the Church's divine service from the first days of the existence of the Church of Christ?
Undoubtedly, there was. In the Liturgy of the Apostle James, which is still celebrated annually in Jerusalem on the day of memory of this Apostle of the Lord, October 23rd, there are prayers for the dead; exactly so also in the Liturgies of Basil the Great and John Chrysostom, which are constantly celebrated among us.
The Apostle James taught Christians to pray for the dead thus: "O Lord God of spirits and all flesh, remember the Orthodox whom we have mentioned, from the righteous Abel to this day; do You give them rest... in Your kingdom, in the delights of paradise, in the bosom of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, our holy fathers, whence sorrow, pain, and sighing have fled away, where the light of Your countenance is seen, and the unceasing light shines." The prayers of St. John Chrysostom and Basil the Great are very similar to the one set forth.
What other proofs do we have that Christians always had prayers for the dead?
This is proved to us by the monuments of the first centuries of Christianity. In the Roman catacombs, where Christians buried their dead from the first days of Christianity, there, above their graves, inscriptions are made in which Christians express their prayers to God for the dead. Here are some inscriptions found there: "O Lord, may the soul of Venus never be darkened. Sweet soul of Antonia, may God refresh you. O God, refresh your soul! Lord, I beseech Thee, may he see the light of paradise. Rest in peace. Eternal light to you, Timothy in Christ." On the tomb of those who died by fire, there is this inscription: "May He refresh us, may He give us coolness, to whom all things are possible." Such are the inscriptions on the tombs, proving that Christians always had prayers for the dead.
Here is another proof from history. In Hierapolis, a stone is preserved to this day, miraculously brought from Rome at the wish of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Abercius, who died around 167 AD. Under this stone, the Equal-to-the-Apostles Abercius is buried, and on the stone are engraved words of the saint in which he asks the whole synod to pray for him. If Christians had no prayers for the dead, then the Equal-to-the-Apostles bishop would not have bequeathed them.
Thus, the prayers of the Church for the dead go back to the first days of Christianity.
And the sectarians can prove neither from Scripture nor from history that there was ever a time when the Orthodox did not pray for the departed. Such a time never existed.
Is the forgiveness of sins possible in the future life?
It is possible, but not for all sins. For "sins leading to death" (1 John 5:16) or mortal sins, the general name for which is "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit," there can be no forgiveness either in this age or in the age to come. The Savior says thus: "Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come" (Matt. 12:32). It is clear from this that some sins may be forgiven in the "age to come," while others will never be forgiven.
What is blasphemy against the Son of Man, which can be forgiven?
This is the repeated violation of God's commandments, accompanied by the person's correction, i.e., a state when a person, having sinned, does not remain unrepentant. "All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death" (1 John 5:17). With such ordinary falls, says the Apostle James, "we all stumble in many things" (James 3:2). And if these sins were not forgiven either in this age or in the age to come, then no one would attain the life of paradise.
What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which can never be forgiven?
This is a clear, conscious resistance to the truth of God, a stubborn rejection of the Orthodox faith of Christ, which the "Holy Spirit" guards (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7-15). Such resistance to the truth can be seen in the sectarians, who madly oppose the truth of God and thereby insult the Spirit of God, who teaches this truth. The sectarians reject, for example, prayers for the dead, although the Holy Spirit teaches to pray for those who have departed into the afterlife, and by this they clearly oppose the Spirit of God, and this "will not be forgiven them, either in this age or in the age to come."
Why can sectarians not justify themselves with the words of Scripture that "No man can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him" (Ps. 49:7)?
First of all, this speaks not of prayer, but of deliverance from death. As the further words of the psalm clarify: "For the redemption of their souls is costly, and it shall cease forever—that he should continue to live eternally, and not see the Pit" (Ps. 49:8-9). Indeed, no one delivered man from death, except the God-Man Jesus.
Furthermore, if the sectarians understand the words of the psalm—"No man can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him"—in the sense that one cannot pray for the dead, then let them not pray for the living either, because it is impossible for a man to redeem the living either. Yet the sectarians pray for the living, and if so, then one cannot see in the words of the psalm a denial of prayer for the dead.
May Christians, after prayer for the dead, hold memorial meals?
Yes, because the custom of arranging memorial dinners is very ancient. The prophet Jeremiah speaks as of unfortunate ones of those people who after their death remain without commemoration. "Both great and small shall die in this land. They shall not be buried; neither shall men lament for them, cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them. Nor shall anyone break bread in mourning for them, to comfort them for the dead; nor shall anyone give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or their mother" (Jer. 16:6-7).
What questions can lead the sectarians to admit the necessity of prayers for the dead?
First of all, we must ask the sectarians about their relationship to their brothers living on earth: "Do you love your brothers living in this world?" They will say: "We love." "How is love for them expressed?" They will say: "We wish our brothers well, help when we can, and pray to God for them." If the sectarians so love their brothers still living here, then let them say: do they continue to love them after they have passed into the afterlife? They will say that they love them. Then we must ask the sectarians: how is your love for the deceased expressed? They no longer eat bread, they do not need money, your material help is not required. How, then, do you express your love for your departed ones? The sectarians have nothing to answer, because they cannot express goodwill towards their deceased brothers without prayer, and they also do not want to pray, therefore, the love of sectarians for their brothers ceases with the latter's death.
From this it is evident that the sectarians do not have the faith of Christ, the Christian concept of relationships with the dead. The Word of God says that Christian "love never fails" (1 Cor. 13:8), it will never cease, "but whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away" (1 Cor. 13:8). Therefore, among Christians, love for brothers can never end, even if these brothers have passed into the afterlife. And indeed, in our Orthodox Church, love is never interrupted: when our brothers live here, we express our love for them in goodwill and prayer for them; we, without interrupting our love for them, continue to wish them well and pray for them even after their departure to the next world. Among the sectarians, however, love is not Christian, not according to the Word of God: it is interrupted at the hour when those whom they love die. This is a poor, worthless love.
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