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Should a Christian Pray for the Dead (Ecclesiastes 9:5)?
Prayers on behalf of the dead have no meaning, for nothing can be changed by
them. God’s Word shows that the dead no longer have any physical or mental
activity (Psalm 146:4; Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10). Each person who dies sleeps in
his grave in unconsciousness until the resurrection (John 5:28-29; Daniel
12:2; Job 19:25-26; 14:12-14; John 3:13; Acts 2:29, 34). Clearly, prayers
should be for the living while there is still hope of repentance, not for the
dead, who can do nothing.
Prayers for the dead are based on the false teaching that man possesses an
immortal soul. Some believe that at death a wicked person’s “immortal”
soul is tormented in hell. Friends and relatives then pray that the departed
“soul” be spared some of its suffering. However, the Bible says that the
soul itself can die (Ezekiel 18:4, 20; also, compare the last parts of
Genesis 2:7, 17). In addition, Solomon says the human spirit returns to God,
not to some place of punishment (Ecclesiastes 12:7; see Job 32:8). God
preserves the spirit until He can return it in the resurrection from the dead
when eternal judgment—to either eternal life or eternal death—is determined
(see Ezekiel 37:1-14; Revelation 20:14-15; 21:6-8). There are absolutely no
biblical grounds for the doctrine of the immortality of the soul.
God promises to resurrect those who have died before being called and offer
them salvation. This includes most of humanity! In the future, God will
resurrect to physical life the billions of people from all of earth’s
history who have not had their minds opened to the truth of God’s way of
life (Revelation 20:11-13). For the first time, these people will be able to
accept or reject God’s gift of eternal life. God’s Plan to convert humanity
is so much more hopeful and loving than the traditional belief of an
ever-burning hell as the destiny of those ignorant of Him and His Word!
可否為亡者祈禱
(一)聖經中明列為亡者祈禱的經文:
◎以利亞三次伏在孩子的身上，求告耶和華說：「耶和華─我的　神啊，求你使這孩子的
靈魂仍入他的身體！」列王紀上71:21
◎他們就把石頭挪開。耶穌舉目望天，說：「父啊，我感謝你，因為你已經聽我。我也知
道你常聽我，但我說這話是為周圍站著的眾人，叫他們信是你差了我來。」說了這話，就
大聲呼叫說：「拉撒路出來！」約翰福音11:41-43
(二)當有親人死亡時，我們會想念他，這時我們當然只能跟神說，我們想念他，而親人若
是基督徒，我們相信他在天上與父同在，當然也會希望上帝照顧他，及希望他在天上過的
好。而經上記著:
◎時候將到，如今就是了，那真正拜父的，要用心靈和誠實拜他，因為父要這樣的人拜他
。約翰福音4:23
所以我們也不能隱藏自己的想法，當然將想念及希望跟天父講。雖然知道他在天上一定過
的好。
(三)若死去的親人不是基督徒
經上記載:
◎他藉這靈曾去傳道給那些在監獄裡的靈聽，就是那從前在挪亞預備方舟、　神容忍等待
的時候，不信從的人。當時進入方舟，藉著水得救的不多，只有八個人。彼前3:19-20
所以，如果親人不信主，我們仍可以禱告，求神傳福音給家人聽。但禱告只是告訴神我們
的希望，主權仍然在神。
聖經又記載: 他們說：「當信主耶穌，你和你一家都必得救。」使徒行傳16:31
若我們信主時，親人都早已過世怎麼辦，或是胎兒在未出生前就死亡及那些尚不能分辨左
右手的孩兒死亡呢?
我們仍可以向耶穌禱告，把我們的祈求告訴耶穌。但主權仍在神。