.Acts 9 and the Communion of Saints

[hazza590]

I was reading the Acts of the Apostles earlier and I noticed something that I thought could be an effective biblical tool for arguing for the Catholic view of the Communion of Saints. I would like to share it with you all.
For all you biblical scholars out there, you will know that Acts 9:1-9 deals with Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus. I would like to draw your attention to verses 4-5 (so get out your Bibles).
The verses read: ‘4 And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting;’

You may now ask yourself “Hold on, I don’t remember Saul doing anything to Jesus. Wasn’t Saul only persecuting Christ’s followers after His ascension?”

It is striking that Jesus identifies Himself totally with His followers under persecution. He didn’t say “Why do you persecute my disciple/followers.” He says “Why do you persecute ME.”

This to me, a biblical novice, seems to be a strong example of the Communion of Saints. It greatly reinforces the teaching that as believers alive in Christ, we are not separated from Our Lord. We constitute real parts of His mystical body to the extent that when we are persecuted, it is Christ Himself who is persecuted.

I have not seen these verses connected with the Communion of Saints before, so I was wondering if this interpretation is shared by anyone, and whether this could be a solid, biblical argument in defence of the Communion of Saints.

Thank you.

 

[OddBird]

I was wondering if this interpretation is shared by anyone

I’m not sure.

I may be wrong, but to me, the expression “Communion of Saints” refers more specifically to a sharing of spiritual goods, the idea of a continuity in communion between Heaven and earth, and the fact that saints in Heaven intercede for us.

I’d say Acts 9:4-5, at first sight, refers more to a union of the believers with Jesus – the fact that the community of the believers constitutes the body of Christ. IIRC, some commenters point out that there is probably much the same idea of a solidarity of Jesus with the suffering as in Matthew 25 (“Whatever you did/did not do for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did/did not do for me”).

 

[hazza590]

Aren’t Communion of Saints and the union of believers with Jesus just two ways of saying the same thing?

 

[Nicene]

The communion of saints refers to the church militant and church triumphant. The verses you cite refer to the “Body of Christ” where in catholic theology isn’t a metaphor or a body of believers but actually united to Jesus in one body. You’ll find more on the same theology from St Paul in 1 Cor. 12 and Eph 5 united most specifically in the sacraments of baptism and in particular the Eucharist through the Holy Spirit in the bond of peace.

Also found by Jesus in Mt 25 I. E. “What you did to these the least of my brothers, you did it to me”

Peace and God Bless
Nicene

 

[OddBird]

@Nicene said it. They are not the same thing.

I sensed from your OP that you were asking if you could maybe use these verses in an apologetic perspective. I think the idea that the believers are united with Christ in one body is not limited to Catholic theology, and you would find it in most Christian denominations.

The idea of a Communion of Saints, however, is not universally shared – specifically the idea of a community between the living on earth and the dead (the living in heaven), and the idea of the possibility of reciprocal intercession (of the saints for us, of us for the deceased). Acts 9 doesn’t tell much about this.

 

[hazza590]

Thank you all for your replies. You have helped me greatly.
God bless you!

 

[porthos11]

I have not seen these verses connected with the Communion of Saints before, so I was wondering if this interpretation is shared by anyone, and whether this could be a solid, biblical argument in defence of the Communion of Saints.

Thank you.

It is, but not so much of the Communion of Saints, but of the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ. Of course the Communion of Saints is a part of the whole mystery of the Mystical Body, but this is nothing new. The Church has always held this verse as one in support of that doctrine.

 

[hazza590]

It is, but not so much of the Communion of Saints, but of the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ. Of course the Communion of Saints is a part of the whole mystery of the Mystical Body, but this is nothing new. The Church has always held this verse as one in support of that doctrine.

Thank you for the clarification. I guess I am conflating the two terms, possibly because they overlap in some ways.

 

[Dan_Defender]

The problem is, the word ‘saints’ normally refers to those already in Heaven. While on earth, like those persecuted by Saul, they were still able to fall away and not become saints. So it would be argued not a communion of saints, but members of the Church Militant, and such members may or may not persevere to the end.