Need help finding verse!

[Bonnie]

I’m looking for a verse that is (I think) in one of St Paul’s letters. He tells the one who receives the letter to pray for a person. I seem to remember reading that there is good reason to believe that the person is dead, so it supports praying for the dead.

Anyone know what that verse might be? And where I could find the argument that it supports praying for the dead?

Thanks in advance!

 

[pray4peace]

Maccabees 12:40-46 is one that the Catholic Church refers to.

Here is a great link from Catholic Dictionary on prayers for the dead and why we believe in it:

newadvent.org/cathen/04653a.htm

I hope this helps.

 

[Todd_Easton]

As indicated in the link provided by pray4peace, St. Paul prays for Onesiphorus in 2 Timothy 1:16-18. Onesiphorus, spoken of only in the past tense, seems to have died.

 

[Bonnie]

That’s what I was looking for. Thanks to both of you!

 

[Harmony1988]

There is another one.

Romans 8:35-39

It mentions that who shall separate us from Christ? Not angels, nor demons nor death itself. Thus if we can pray for the living, we can pray from the dead since we are not separated from Christ’s love even in death, as Christ is greater than death, so the communion of people still exist even after death.

And since angels and demons are beyond death too, they can’t separate us either, so this passage is a strong indication that prayers for the dead is biblical, more so than Maccabees.