Relics of Saints

Relics of Saints

The Problem: Most Christians deny that the relics of saints - their bones, the things they handled during their lives - could have any innate power from God.

The Truth: The bodies of the martyrs and saints and the objects that they handled contain within them the healing power of Jesus Christ, who shows honor to those who love Him by permitting them to imitate Him in all things.

Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

2 Kings 2:13-14 And he took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, "Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?" And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other; and Elisha went over.

Elisha uses Elijah's relic, the mantle, in order to work a miracle.

2 Kings 13:20-21 So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. 21 And as a man was being buried, lo, a marauding band was seen and the man was cast into the grave of Elisha; and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood on his feet.

The power of Elisha's relics prefigure the power of Christ, the new Elisha, who would display an even greater power over death.

Lk 8:43-48 And a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years and could not be healed by any one, and had spent all her living on physicians, 44 came up behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment; and immediately her flow of blood ceased. 45 And Jesus said, "Who was it that touched me?" When all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the multitudes surround you and press upon you!" 46 But Jesus said, "Some one touched me; for I perceive that power has gone forth from me." 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48 And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace."

Mk 6:56 And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or country, they laid the sick in the market places, and besought him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment; and as many as touched it were made well.

Christ's relics - his clothes, in this case - had healing power.

Acts 5:14-16 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and pallets, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Peter is the first New Testament person who was permitted to imitate Christ in this way.

Acts 19:11-12 And God did extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.

Then Paul was also given that honor. One might argue that no one told disciples to keep the relics of holy people, but neither did anyone tell them to throw the relics away. If we are supposed to
honor the members of the Body of Christ, then throwing away relics as trash would not do well in fulfilling the command, nor is it being good stewards of our resources.