الشفاعة

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} ... الأربعة والعشرون شيخاً أمام الخروف ولهم كل واحد قيثارات وجامات من ذهب مملوءة بخورا هي صلوات القديسين { (رؤ8:5)

تعترض الطوائف البروتستانتية على شفاعة القديسين بقولهم أن السيد المسيح هو شفيعهم الوحيد معتمدين على قول معلمنا بولس الرسول: "لأنه يوجد إله واحد ووسيط واحد بين الله والناس الإنسان يسوع المسيح" (1تي5:2) وللرد على هذا الاعتراض يلزم أن نوضح مفهوم الشفاعة، ثم أنواعها، وأخيراً الرد على تساؤلات حولها.
Interssion:
I) Redemtive Intercession:
1) Belongs only to Christ.
2) He intercedes for our forgivness though His redemptive work (iNcarnation, Crucifexion, Death, resurrection, asscension to the heavens, and sending the Holy spirit).
3) "Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. " Romans 8:27

II) Supplicative Intercession:
1) The intercession of all the saints, and angels, and most of all St. Mary, the Mother of God.
2) It is only praying for us and asking God on our beha, "And pray for one another" (St. James 5:16).
3) St. paul used to ask peple to pray on his behaf, "Pray for us" (2nd Thes. 3:1, Hebrews 13:18).
4) " Praying alwyas with all prayer and supplication.... for all the saints and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly" (Eph 6:18-19).
5) The intercession of our father Abraham for Sodom and Gomorah (Gen. 18:23-32).
6) the story of our father Abraham and abimalek the king (Gen. 20:1-7).
7) Lot intercession to the angels not to destroy the city of Zoar (Gen. 19:18-22).
Jacob called on the angel's intecession for blessing (Gen. 32:26).
Moses interceded for his people brfore the Lord God of Abrham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exodus 32:22-13).
9) Moses interceded ofr Miriam his sister (Numbers 12:10-13).
10) Samuel intercede for his peolpe till God saved them from the Palestininas (1st. Sam. 7:5-12).
11) Job interceded for his three freinds (Job 42:7_9).
12) David interceded for his people (2nd Sam. 24:17-25).
13) Archangel Micheal interceded for Jeursalem (Zecharaiah 1:12 -16).
14) Arcangel Raphael interceded for Tobaiath (Tob. 12:17).
15) " And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand....(Revelation 8:2-4)
16) Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty four priests fell dwon before the Lamb, each having harps and incensors full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints" (rev 5:8).
17) God got angry with Solomon and declared that he would dib=vide his kingdom but not in Solomons time for the sake of his father David (1st Kings 11: 62-63).
18) God said, "For I will defend this city, to save it for My own sake, and for My servent David's sake" (2nd Kings 19:34).
19) the Psalmist said, " For your servent David's sake, do not turn away the face of Your anointed" (Psalm 132:10).
20) God accepted the intercession of Moses on behaf of His people (Exodus 32:11-14).
21) When the plague was spreading between the people Moses ordered Aaron to make atonment for the people and God accepted the intercession (Numbers 16:47-48).
22) Elijah interceded for the son of the widow of Zarephath (1st Kings 17:21).
23) Samuel intercession on behalf of the people of God (1st Samuel 12:23).
24) St Pul intercede for Onesiphours (2nd Timothy 1:16).
25) st. John asks us to pray and interced for the sinners (1st. John 5:16).
26) St. Paul asks the believers to interced of his behaf (Rom 15:30).
27) St. Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, commands all to, "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving thanks be made for all men. For kings, and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior" (1st. Timothy 2:1-3)