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An Orthodox Apologia for the Intercession of Saints

Concerning the Orthodox Church’s teaching on the intercession of saints, heretics often argue that it is both idolatrous and unbiblical. When the Orthodox Christian is challenged on this matter, they are forced to respond to at least one of the following objections: ‘How could the saints hear your prayers if they are dead?’, ‘praying to saints is idolatry!”, “where is that in the Bible?”, & “the Bible says that there is only one Mediator between God and Man.”

It is important to note that the Holy Orthodox Church does not by any means disagree with the latter statement presented above, given that this comes directly from Divine Revelation itself (c.f. 1 Timothy 2:5, Heb 8:6, 9:15, 12:25, etc). Before we address the objections to the doctrine of the intercession of the saints, it is necessary to first define Christ’s role as the Mediator between God and man in detail.

To Bear Suffering Patiently

The world teaches that it is necessary to live a life of comfort; one free of struggle, hardship, and misfortune. It considers one that is free of these as having a ‘successful’ life, because suffering is viewed by it as being something completely alien to goodness. Because tribulations come in many different forms – be it poverty, hunger, famine, war, sickness, or death; those with a carnal mind either conclude that there must therefore be no God. Others suggest that if one does exist, that He is either too far from us or unconcerned with our condition, and therefore unloving.

On the contrary, Christianity views suffering with great joy and a sign of God’s love for us. When we suffer, especially for His sake, it is pleasing to Him, not because He is a monster who delights in torturing or punishing us for sin, but because through it we become partakers of His own suffering.

The Early Church Fathers: Were they Miaphysite?

A common misconception about the Oriental Orthodox Church is that it’s Christology is ‘Monophysite’, meaning, that She followers the erroneous teachings of Eutyches of Constantinople that Jesus’ humanity had disappeared into His Divinity.

On the contrary, the Church teaches that Jesus Christ is Fully God and Fully Man; but One Concrete and Composite Nature from Two. This form of Christology is known as ‘Miaphysitism’, which has its basis in the teachings of the Early Church Fathers.

Below is an explanation of our Church’s Christology is more detail by His Holiness Pope Shenouda the Third, followed by a Florilegium on this dogmatic teaching.