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The form of canonization used by the Pope: “In honor of the Blessed Trinity, for the exaltation of the Catholic Faith and the growth of Christian life, with the authority of Our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and Our Own, after lengthy reflection, having assiduously invoked God’s assistance and taken into account the opinion of many brothers of ours in the episcopate, we declare and define “x” to be a saint, and we enroll him in the Catalogue of the saints, and we establish that in the whole Church he should be devoutly honored among the saints.  In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

 

This is of course a self-delusion and a preposterous deceit practised on those who do not read their Bibles. In the Bible all who believe the gospel and are baptised into Christ are saints. A saint is one who is separated or set apart. The title applies to all who have put on Christ.

 

Acts 9:13... how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
Acts 9:32... he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda.
Acts 9:41... when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.
Acts 26:10... many of the saints did I shut up in prison...
Romans 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints...
Romans 8:27... he maketh intercession for the saints...
Romans 12:13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
Romans 15:25 But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints. 26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem... 31... that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints;
Romans 16:2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints...
Romans 16:15 Salute... all the saints which are with them.
1 Corinthians 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
1 Corinthians 6:1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? 2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
1 Corinthians 16:1 Now concerning the collection for the saints...
1 Corinthians 16:15... (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)
2 Corinthians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:
2 Corinthians 8:4 Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.
2 Corinthians 9:1 For as touching the ministering to the saints...
2 Corinthians 9:12... supplieth the want of the saints...
2 Corinthians 13:13 All the saints salute you.
Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Ephesians 1:15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
Ephesians 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Ephesians 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
Ephesians 3:8  Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints...
Ephesians 3:18 May be able to comprehend with all saints...
Ephesians 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Ephesians 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Philippians 1:1 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 4:21 Salute every saint in Christ Jesus...
Philippians 4:22 All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar’s household.
Colossians 1:2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse...
Colossians 1:4... the love which ye have to all the saints,
Colossians 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
Colossians 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
1 Thessalonians 3:13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God... at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
2 Thessalonians 1:10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe... in that day.
1 Timothy 5:10 Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints‘ feet...
Philemon 1:5 Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints;
Philemon 1:7... the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.
Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love... in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
Hebrews 13:24 Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints...
Jude 1:3... contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

 

Conspicuous by its absence is any reference to the canonisation of dead saints or prayers directed to them. Such a doctrine is not found in the Bible. The second part of this Papal nonsense requires those who are ‘made’ saints to be alive and well in heaven. The Bible says that when men die they return to dust.

 

The Bible makes this quite clear:

 

Genesis 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Psalms 104:29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.

Ecclesiastes 3:20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

In death we have no conscious existence; our thoughts perish.

Psalm 146:4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

In death there is no remembrance; no giving of thanks.

Psalm 6:5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?

Men who do not understand the purpose of God remain dead forever.

Proverbs 21:16 The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead.

The dead know nothing, their love, hate and envy are perished and they can have no further influence on anything done on the earth.

Ecclesiastes 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

 

To look at the 'mechanics' involved.

 

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

 

Man = dust plus breath = living soul (Hebrew 'nephesh').
 
It follows that - Man minus breath = dead soul

 

From this we see that Souls die. The Bible knows nothing about 'immortal' souls.

 

Numbers 19:11 He that toucheth the dead body (nephesh – soul) of any man shall be unclean seven days.

 

Numbers 35:30 Whoso killeth any person (nephesh – soul), the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person (nephesh – soul) to cause him to die.

Souls die because they sin.

Ezekiel 18:4... the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

 

The only way a man can 'survive' death is by being raised from the dead, having his sins forgiven and being given eternal life. We ‘sleep in the dust’ until the day of resurrection. We do not live again until raised from the dead, judged worthy and given eternal life. Many will be raised from the dead to be rejected and die again.

 

Isaiah 26:19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

Daniel 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Luke 14:14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

John 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Acts 24:15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

Romans 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

1 Corinthians 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

Philippians 3:11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

Those that die in Christ are said to ‘sleep’.

Acts 7:60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

1 Corinthians 15:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

1 Corinthians 15:18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

 

The hope of the gospel is resurrection from the dead to eternal life. Eternal life is not something we already possess. Without resurrection we have no further existence. Those that are made saints by the Church are asleep in the dust and cannot make intercession for us. Neither do we need intercession by a ‘saint’ or for that matter a 'priesthood' which is equally spurious.

 

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

 

The Church is astray from the Bible and under a strong delusion. This apostasy has existed since the fourth century and is precisely that prophesied by Paul.

 

2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

 

The Church has ever been full of ‘signs and lying wonders’ ('miracles' are required before a 'saint' can be 'made') and will continue in its role as ‘Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the earth’ (Revelation 17:5) until it is destroyed ‘with the brightness of his coming’.

 

I hope this helps.
Glenn Smith