Question
My son is discussing saints this week in Sunday School, and we tried to find on your web site Saint Christopher. Who he was and what he did, can you please help?
Answer
As to this, no, you will not find this type of information on my site. However, by sharing with you what the Bible says on the general subject of “saints”, it may help you, your son and others who read this understand more about the Bible instead of following the traditions of men.
In the New Testament, there is no “special” class of Christians called “Saints” that are exalted above ordinary Christians. This concept began to be widely held among Catholics sometime in the fourth century. They not only would exalt various dead “Christians” to a special level but they would also make statues of them and claim that they, along with Mary, the mother of Jesus, could especially intercede on behalf of ordinary Christians when it came to answering of prayers.
The New Testament teaches NONE of this! Rather, we see that saints are Christians. Anyone who becomes a Christian is a saint. The word simply means holy one or one set apart for service to God. Notice for example the passage below,
1CO 1:1 Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
1CO 1:2 to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:
To whom did Paul address this letter? He addressed it to all Christians (saints) in Corinth. They were living people who had become Christians. Acts 2:36-38, 18:1-8.
In fact, we are warned against exalting others by giving to them various titles and even going to the point of offering some form of adoration or worship to them. Matthew 23:6-12, Acts 10:25-28. We are to worship God and Him only. Instead of following error like this, we, when we find the truth, should renounce it and practice only those things which are written by the Holy Spirit.
By Gary Hunt
