Let’s see what the Bible says about this.
The practice of praying for the dead dates back to the Old Testament. Thus, in the Scriptures we read that on the occasion of the death of a loved one or relative, the Jews had a custom of fasting. “And they took their bones, and buried them under the oak of Jabesh, and fasted seven days” (1 Samuel 31:13); “And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword” (2 Samuel 1:12). Fasting, naturally, is unthinkable without prayers.
In the second book of Maccabees it is written as follows: “Then Judas, taking an army with him, went to the city of Adullam, and since the seventh day was approaching, they purified themselves according to custom and celebrated the Sabbath. The next day those who were with Judas went, as duty required, to transfer the bodies of the fallen and lay them with their relatives in the tombs of their fathers. And they found under the tunics of each of the dead things dedicated to the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbade the Jews: and it became clear to everyone why they fell. So they all glorified the righteous Judge, the Lord, who reveals hidden things, and turned to prayer, asking that the sin committed may be completely blotted out; and the valiant Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves from sins, seeing with their own eyes what happened through the fault of the fallen. And when he had collected according to the number of men, up to two thousand drachmas of silver, he sent to Jerusalem to offer a sin offering, and he did very well and piously, considering the resurrection; for if he had not hoped that those who had fallen in battle would rise again, it would have been superfluous and vain to pray for the dead. But he considered that an excellent reward was prepared for those who had died in piety – what a holy and pious thought! – Therefore he offered a propitiatory sacrifice for the dead, that they might be released from sin” (2 Macc. 12:38-45). Although this book is classified as non-canonical, non-canonical books were also read in the early Church. Even the Apostles sometimes turned to the apocrypha. Thus St. Jude writes: “When Michael the archangel argued with the devil about the body of Moses, he did not dare to bring a reproachful judgment, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you’” (Jude 9). Nowhere in the canonical books of the Old Testament is this dialogue between Michael the Archangel and the devil narrated. It is mentioned only in the apocrypha “The Dormition of Moses”. And also: “Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy angels to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly among them of all the deeds that ungodly sinners have spoken against him’” (Jude 14-15). The apostle refers to the apocryphal book of “Enoch” (1:9). Apostle Peter also refers to the Jewish tradition recorded in the Book of Enoch. According to the story in this book, before the flood, created spirits came down to earth to tempt people and teach them magic and sorcery. For this, they were chained in the dark abyss of the underworld. The story arose as a commentary on Genesis, chapter 6. Peter writes: “For if God did not spare the angels that sinned, but bound them with chains of hellish darkness, and delivered them over to be reserved for judgment…” (2 Pet. 2:4). And Apostle Paul did not neglect the Jewish traditions, naming the Magi, Jannes and Jambres (2 Tim. 3:8), who opposed Moses, indulging Pharaoh (Ex. 7:11). These names are absent from the canonical books of the Old Testament. Moreover, the same Apostle Paul did not disdain even clearly pagan sources, when those sources did not contradict the truth: “One of their own poets said, ‘The Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, slothful bellies.’ This testimony is true” (Titus 1:12).
In other words, we should not neglect the study of non-canonical books. Although it is impossible to equate them with canonical ones, it is also unwise to reject them completely. Thus, carefully examining these books, we can fully recognize as a fact that the Jews prayed for the dead and brought sacrifices of propitiation for them, as is narrated in the Second Book of Maccabees (We emphasize that at this point we are talking only about the fact that events took place, and not about whether the behavior of the Jews was pleasing to God).
Another non-canonical book says the following: “O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, hear the prayer of the dead in Israel and of their sons who have sinned against You, who have not obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, therefore this calamity has come upon us” (Baruch 3:4). Based on this text, even a skeptical critic must agree that in Old Testament times the Jews (though not all, since there were also “Sadducee”-minded individuals) believed that those who died in sin were crying out for mercy.
Furthermore, the Jews had a practice of giving alms for the dead: “Let the mercy of giving be to everyone living, but do not withhold mercy from the dead” (Sirach 7:36). And also: “Distribute your loaves at the graves of the righteous, but do not give to sinners” (Tobit 4:17). Thus, from the above texts we see that many Jews believed that giving alms could somehow have a beneficial effect on the state of deceased souls. Again, let us stipulate that we are not yet occupied with resolving the question of whether this belief was true. Now we are only talking about what took place. Now it is high time to turn to the canonical books. Do the inspired books confirm the beliefs of the Jews? This is what Moses says: “I have not eaten of it in my sorrow, nor separated it in uncleanness, nor given of it for the dead” (Deut. 26:14). The prophet is talking about tithing. He instructs the Jews not to give for the dead from the tithe, but from ten parts of the produce of the land it is permissible. Thus, the Holy Scripture also confirms the idea that the Jews remembered the dead. Moses knew about the customs of his fellow believers and did not accuse them of “paganism.”
But here is what another prophet of God, Jeremiah, writes: “And the great and the small of this land shall die… and they shall not mourn for them, nor torment themselves, nor cut their hair for them. And they shall not break bread for them for sorrow, to comfort them for the dead; neither shall they give them the cup of consolation, to drink for their father and their mother” (Jer. 16:6-7).
Jeremiah was also familiar with the practice of commemorating the dead. And, like Moses, he does not criticize his fellow tribesmen for their custom of breaking bread for the dead. Moreover, from the above text it is clear that breaking bread for the dead brought some consolation to those breaking it, and the cup drunk consoled, in some way, the drinker. That is, it was not just a rite, but a kind of sacrament, during which something happened in the afterlife. The Jews accepted this change in the afterlife with their deceased relatives by faith, which is why they were comforted. Let’s try to put together another sequence of actions of the Jews when someone died. So, having received news of death, David grabbed his clothes and tore them (2 Samuel 1:11). Then – fasting, crying and prayers for the deceased (2 Samuel 1:12). Then – a propitiatory sacrifice for sin was brought (2 Macc. 12:43). Then – alms were given on behalf of the deceased (Sir. 7:36; Deut. 26:14). And then – the breaking of bread for the deceased and drinking from the cup (Jer. 16:6-7). However, it should be clarified that it was not permissible for the Jews to pray for all the dead. Thus the priest Eli, admonishing his corrupt sons who were turning the Israelites away from faith in the Lord, said: “If a man sins against another, then shall they pray to God for him; but if a man sins against the Lord, then who shall intercede for him?” (1 Samuel 2:25). And the Lord says to Jeremiah: “But do not pray for this people, nor offer up a prayer or petition for them, nor make intercession before Me, for I will not hear you” (Jer. 7:16). And again: “And the Lord said to me, Though Moses and Samuel stand before Me, My soul will not turn toward this people; let them go away from My presence, drive them away” (Jer. 15:1). And John the Theologian writes: “If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not unto death, let him pray, and God will give him life, that is, to those who commit a sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he should pray for that. All unrighteousness is sin; but there is a sin not unto death” (1 John 5:16-17). Well, the Lord Himself said: “Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven men… neither in this age, nor in the age to come” (Matthew 12:31-32). That is, there are sins against God, and there are sins against one’s neighbor. Although every sin, including that against one’s neighbor, is a crime against the Commandments of God, however, in the eyes of God, sin is not the same as sin. And the fact that forgiveness is possible for sinners beyond the grave (those who have sinned not to death, i.e. not against God, but only against their neighbor), was clearly revealed to us by the Merciful One Himself, saying: “in this age” and “in the future” age. But blasphemy against God will not be forgiven even beyond the grave (i.e. in the future age).
And what does the Christian tradition say on the topic that interests us?
In the most ancient rite of the liturgy, the authorship of which, according to tradition (which was recognized by all the Fathers of the early Church), is attributed to the first bishop of Jerusalem, the Apostle James, we find a prayer for the departed: “Lord, God of spirits and of all flesh, remember the Orthodox (here the term “Orthodox” has a non-denominational meaning), whom we have remembered, and whom we have not remembered, from Abel the righteous to this day; give them rest in the dwellings of the living, in Thy Kingdom, in the delights of paradise; in the bosom of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, our holy fathers, from whence sickness, sorrow, sighing have fled, and where the light of Thy face visits and always illuminates.” (Taken from the works of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, 4th century). A critic may dispute the authenticity of the authorship of the rite of this liturgy, whether this creation truly belongs to the Apostle James of Jerusalem, but he cannot but acknowledge as a fact that already in the first century there was a liturgy during which prayers for the dead were offered (even if the rite of this liturgy was not composed by the Apostle James, but by one of the other pastors of the Church). For the early Fathers of the Church there was no doubt that prayers for the dead originated from the Apostolic Tradition. Here is how St. John Chrysostom: “It was not in vain that the apostles legislated to perform the commemoration of the departed before the Terrible Mysteries: they knew that there is great benefit from this for the departed, a great blessing.”
Objection: Isn’t it said in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) that in the afterlife between the righteous and the unrighteous “a great gulf is fixed,” so that those who want to go over to the righteous cannot do so?
This parable does not at all contradict the practice of praying for the departed. Yes, indeed, there is no repentance beyond the grave. There is only remorse. Whoever is overtaken by death suddenly, not giving him the opportunity to reconcile with God and with people, he, having parted with the body, can no longer correct his mistakes, fall at the feet of those he has offended, and ask for mercy… But this does not mean that he cannot be pardoned at all. For the Lord Himself said that pardon beyond the grave is possible (Matt. 12:31-32). And He promises to Moses, saying: “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy; I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion” (Rom. 9:15). But it is not in the power of the deceased himself to change the situation beyond the grave. If during life, by the long-suffering of God, he had the power to cross that “great abyss”, then beyond the grave nothing depends on him personally.
