Editing Intercession of saints (section)

== Biblical basis ==
===Intercession of the living for the living===
According to the [[Epistle to the Romans]], the living can intercede for the living:

"Now I ([[Saint Paul|Paul]]) beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me" ([https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+15:30 Romans 15:30]).

Mary intercedes at the wedding at Cana and occasions Jesus's first miracle. "On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, 'They have no more wine.' 'Woman, why do you involve me?' Jesus replied. 'My hour has not yet come.' His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever he tells you{{'"}} (John 2:1–5).<ref>{{Cite web |title=John 2:1–5 NIV – Bible Gateway |url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+2%3A1-5&version=NIV}}</ref>

When God was displeased by the four men who had attempted to give advice to the patriarch Job, he said to them, "My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly" (Job 42:8).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Job 42:8 NIV – Bible Gateway |url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job+42%3A8&version=NIV}}</ref>

[[Moses]] says to God, {{"'}}Forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.' The Lord replied, 'I have forgiven them, as you asked{{'"}} (Numbers 14:19–20).

The elders of the church can intercede for the sick people. "Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven" (James 5:14–15).

===Intercession of the living for the dead===
{{See also|Prayer for the dead}}
Some interpret [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Timothy+1%3A16%E2%80%9318&version=NIV 2 Timothy 1:16–18] to support prayer for the dead: "The Lord give mercy unto the house of [[Onesiphorus]]; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me. The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well."

The [[Deuterocanonical books|deuterocanonical book]] [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Maccabees+12%3A43-46&version=DRA 2 Maccabees 12:43–46] speaks explicitly about the prayer of the living for the dead: "And making a gathering, he sent twelve thousand drachms 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."

===Intercession of the dead for the living===
Early Christians derived some of their views from Judaism. "[A]t least some Jews in the first century believed that the angels in heaven were praying for those on earth and presenting their prayers to God. Those in heaven—Onias, Jeremiah, and the angels—were intimately involved in what was happening on earth."<ref name="Farley">{{Cite web |last=Farley |first=Fr Lawrence |title=Praying to the Saints |url=https://www.oca.org/reflections/fr.-lawrence-farley/praying-to-the-saints |access-date=2023-04-27 |website=www.oca.org}}</ref> In Luke 15:7 Jesus says that those in heaven rejoice when a sinner repents. In Hebrews 12:1, the author refers to them as a "cloud of witnesses". According to Fr. Lawrence, "It was part of the Church's faith in the first century that those in heaven interceded for those on earth."<ref name=Farley/>

[[Thomas Aquinas]] quotes Revelation 8:4: "And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the saints ascended up before God from the hand of the angel."<ref name=scannell />

Both those for and against the intercession of saints quote [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job+5:1 Job 5:1]: "Call if you will, but who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn?"

Christ's parable of [[the rich man and Lazarus]] in [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+16:19-31 Luke 16:19–31] indicates the ability of the dead to pray for the living.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ncregister.com/blog/darmstrong/4-biblical-proofs-for-prayers-to-saints-and-for-the-dead|title=4 Biblical Proofs for Prayers to Saints and for the Dead|website=National Catholic Register|access-date=2020-02-16}}</ref>

The intercession of the dead for the living is shown in [[Chapters of 2 Maccabees|2 Maccabees 15:14–17]]; an intercession on behalf of Israel by the late high priest [[Onias III]] plus that of [[Jeremiah]], the prophet who died almost 400 years earlier. "And Onias spoke, saying, 'This is a man who loves the brethren and prays much for the people and the holy city, Jeremiah, the prophet of God.{{'"}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Intercession of the Saints—Revealed |url=https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/intercession-of-the-saints-revealed |access-date=2023-09-09 |website=[[Catholic Answers]]}}</ref>