With all the incredible individuals in the "Old Testament", some who actually "walked with God", the seventy elders who ascended Mt. Sinai, who "saw God" and then ate and drank in His presence, Moses who set the whole ball rolling for the nation of Israel, the prophets like Mica and Ezekiel who spread God's word.....none of them are ever referred to as "saints". Why?
Why don't Christians refer to Saint Moses, Saint Aaron, Saint Abraham or Saint Issac?
Just wondering....?
2007-06-12 09:12:29 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
In 38 minutes I've gotten 16 EXCELLENT answers that are helping me get a grip on this question.
Are you guys all conspiring to make it REALLY, REALLY hard to choose a "Best Answer" ? ? ?
Keep 'em coming ! :-)
2007-06-12 09:59:37 · update #1
One of the lessons to be learned from Judaism is that we are NEVER to make a human into a god. All the characters in the "old" testament have failings. We learn from all those dysfunctional families that all of us are to practice self-control and are to be held accountable for our own actions. There is NO vicarious atonement in Judaism! Each of us face our maker -- we are accountable for our own sins.
.
2007-06-12 09:21:32 · answer #1 · answered by Hatikvah 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Christians do believe in Saints, but in a different since than Catholics. Saints are believers justified by Christ. It is not really a title like it is in the Catholic church, it just means a believer. Also, it does not have the same connotations as a person who lived a real exceptional life as in the Catholic Church.
The Saints the Catholic church are talking about are people who have been canonized and officially declared a "Saint" by the church's higher government in Vatican City.
Your question. Those who believe on Christ can be justified only by believing on him. In the O.T. the atonement of Christ was not yet available to the faithful. Therefore because of sin that could not be atoned for, they were not saints. It is part of the New Covenant with Christ.
Not to say the faithful of the O.T. perished, they didn't they were just not saints, they are now, though, because of the work of Christ, but they are not recognized as such by any church government on Earth. They were not saints back in O.T.times, that is why they were never referred to that way.
2007-06-12 09:18:50 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are many holy people in the Old Testament, who served God well and who are no doubt saved. These people, by definition, are saints as are all people who have been saved and are in heaven. However, Old Testament people are not canonized saints, that is they are not included on the Church's official list of saints, because the Christian Church only canonizes Christians. Not Moses or Abraham. Not Ghandi.
2007-06-12 09:24:20 · answer #3 · answered by PaulCyp 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
¬Saints were invented by the Christians. The Old Testament is entirely Jewish. Saints simply did not exist during the times that the Old Testament was written. The only Christian part about the Bible is the New Testament.
2007-06-12 09:16:55 · answer #4 · answered by BitterSweetDrama 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
None in the new either; these titles were simply added on by the leaders of the Church! Check the original Greek and you won't see any such thing as "Saint Matthew" but only Matthew, Marc, Luke, John, etc. in Greek of course... I have a Greek bible here and there is no "saint" this or that... just holy which means "clean".
God says we must be holy 'cause He is holy!
Edit!
I just checked my bibles at Deutoronomy 33: 2 and not one of them says "saints". What sort of Bible is that person using that would say saint, there??? I'd like to know!
2007-06-12 09:18:27 · answer #5 · answered by Terisina 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
becuz, saints aren't defined by Catholics the way The bible talks about them. Saints are all Christians. Furthermore, saints are mentioned in the Old Testament.
Psalm 16:3
As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.
Psalm 30:4
Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name.
Psalm 31:23
Love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full.
2007-06-12 09:17:45 · answer #6 · answered by chainsdestroyed 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
""And He came with ten thousands of saints;" Deuteronomy 33:2.
"He will guard the feet of His sants, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness." 1 Samuel 2:9.
"Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His," Psalm 30:4
There are close to 40 references to saints in the O.T.
2007-06-12 09:18:00 · answer #7 · answered by Fish <>< 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are saints. Just check here: http://www.catholic.org/saints/angel.php
The concept of a saint wasn't conceived until around NT times, so that's it's used more frequently when referring to those characters.
2007-06-12 09:16:45 · answer #8 · answered by Drake the Deist 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i did no longer understand that old MJ followers have been mad on the hot MJ followers. the place did you right here this? i would not say that i replaced right into a extensive fan, yet i do no longer thoughts particularly some his track. regardless of each and every thing that as quickly as on together with his existence (stuff all of us understand and stuff we are able to in no way understand) the guy replaced right into a musical Genius. He broke maximum of limitations together with his track and could stay in my thoughts because of the fact the King of father and not the rest.
2016-10-07 09:17:28 · answer #9 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Saint is an abstraction, God just sees men as men.
2007-06-12 09:15:44 · answer #10 · answered by syntheticaeroplane 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋