24/08/2026
๐๐ข๐ ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐โ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ก๐๐ฆโ๐๐จ๐ง ๐ช๐๐ข ๐ง๐ข๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ง๐ข ๐ฉ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ ?
The Question the Defence of Relics Has Not Yet Answered
I have read the Catholic explanations.
I understand the distinction between worship and veneration.
I accept that Catholics do not describe what they are doing as worshipping bones.
So let us remove that accusation completely.
Now the harder question remains:
๐ช๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ง ๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ฃ๐ข๐ฆ๐ง๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐ง๐ข ๐ฉ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ก๐ง๐ฆ?
Please do not answer too quickly with 2 Kings 13:20โ21.
I believe that passage.
โAnd Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.โ 2 Kings 13:20โ21 (KJV)
A dead man touched Elisha's bones and revived.
That proves the miracle.
But where is the veneration?
Nobody came seeking Elisha's bones.
Nobody bowed before them.
Nobody kissed them.
Nobody carried them in procession.
Nobody invoked Elisha.
Nobody instructed Israel to preserve them for devotional use.
Nobody established a practice around them.
In fact, the man's contact with the bones occurred while his burial party was fleeing danger.
So I ask again:
๐๐ข๐ช ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐'๐ฆ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ข๐จ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐'๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐'๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐ง๐ข ๐ฉ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ?
The text does not make that move.
We do.
And if we make the move, we must show our authority for making it.
๐ช๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฃ๐๐จ๐'๐ฆ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ?
Again, let Scripture speak:
"And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.โ Acts 19:11โ12 (KJV)
Absolutely true.
But read Luke carefully:
โ๐๐ข๐ ๐ช๐ฅ๐ข๐จ๐๐๐ง ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ.โ
God acted.
Paul served.
The objects were used.
Where does the Church venerate them?
Where does Paul command their preservation?
Where does anyone bow before them?
Where does anyone kiss them?
Where does Paul teach that objects associated with departed saints should thereafter become objects of religious veneration?
And Paul was still alive.
Therefore Acts 19 proves something magnificent:
๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐จ๐๐ข๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ.
It does not, without another biblical premise, prove:
๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐จ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ก๐ง๐ฆ.
Those are two different propositions.
Where is the Scripture connecting them?
That is the missing bridge.
๐๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ฆ ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ ๐ช๐๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ก๐
There actually was an object in Scripture that:
God commanded.
Moses made.
God used.
Miracles occurred through it.
It was the bronze serpent.
Yet Scripture later says:
"He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.โ
2 Kings 18:4 (KJV)
Notice carefully.
Its supernatural history did not authorize Israel to turn it into an object of continuing religious devotion.
I am not saying burning incense to the bronze serpent and Catholic relic veneration are identical acts.
I do not need to make that claim.
The biblical warning is already sufficient:
๐๐ข๐'๐ฆ ๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ก ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐๐ฆ ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐ก ๐ง๐ข๐ช๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ง ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ง.
Therefore saying,
โGod worked through Elisha's bonesโ
does not answer the question,
โWho authorized the Church to venerate Elisha's bonesโor anybody else's?โ
๐ก๐ข๐ช ๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ช๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ง๐ข ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ง.
This is where the question becomes even more serious.
After Christ came,
after the Cross,
after the Resurrection,
after the Ascension,
after Pentecost,
and throughout the apostolic witnessโ
๐ช๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก?
Show me Jesus teaching it.
Show me Peter teaching it.
Show me Paul teaching it.
Show me John teaching it.
Show me an apostolic church practising it.
Show me Christians gathering around Stephen's remains to venerate them after his martyrdom.
Show me the apostles preserving James's remains for devotional veneration after Herod killed him.
Show me Paul instructing churches to preserve the remains of departed ministers.
Show me the apostolic instruction.
Not because I have already decided that Catholics are idolaters.
But because Christian practice requires Christian authority.
And this is precisely where the question becomes unavoidable.
๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ฆ ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฆ๐ง๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ง, ๐ช๐๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐๐ฆ?
If the answer is:
Sacred Tradition.
Then say so.
That would at least locate the real disagreement.
But then Elisha's bones and Paul's handkerchiefs should not be presented as though they themselves establish the Catholic practice.
They do not.
They establish divine use of material things.
The additional propositionโ
therefore the Church may religiously venerate the bodily relics of departed saintsโ
must obtain its authority from somewhere else.
So where?
That is the question.
๐๐ก๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ช, ๐ ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฆ, ๐๐ข๐ก๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ก ๐ค๐จ๐๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ข๐ก.
I am African.
Suppose an African Christian says:
โI don't worship my departed ancestors. I honour them.โ
Suppose he continues:
โThey are not gods.โ
Suppose he says:
โI know God alone deserves worship.โ
Suppose he insists:
โMy outward gestures must be interpreted according to what I mean by them, not according to what you think they mean.โ
At that point, merely saying,
โBut Catholic veneration is different,โ
is not enough.
I am not claiming the two practices are identical.
I am asking something much more difficult:
๐ช๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐๐ก๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐จ๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ข๐ก๐ฆ ๐ช๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐จ๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก ๐ข๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ฅ?
Show me the criterion from Scripture.
If โthey are alive unto Godโ is the answer, Scripture says:
โFor he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.โ Luke 20:38 (KJV)
Wonderful.
I believe it.
But that establishes their life unto God.
Where does it establish our devotional approach toward them or their remains?
Again, the bridge is missing.
๐ง๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ก๐ง๐๐ฆ๐ .
I refuse that framework.
Catholicism must bow to Scripture.
Protestantism must bow to Scripture.
Pentecostalism must bow to Scripture.
African Christianity must bow to Scripture.
And if something I believe cannot survive Scripture, I must drop it too.
"For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.โ
Romans 11:36 (KJV)
Everything originates in God.
Everything comes through Him.
Everything terminates in His glory.
Therefore neither antiquity, ecclesiastical authority, cultural familiarity nor sincere intention can substitute for the question:
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐?
So I return to the photograph.
The skull is not actually my deepest concern.
The bishop holding it is not my deepest concern.
Catholic terminology is not my deepest concern.
Authority is.
And until the missing biblical bridge is supplied, the questions remain:
God used Elisha's bonesโbut who told the Church to venerate them?
God used Paul's handkerchiefsโbut who told the Church to venerate objects associated with departed saints?
Where did Christ teach it?
Where did His apostles establish it?
Where did the apostolic churches practise it?
And finally:
๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ฃ๐ข๐ฆ๐ง๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฆ๐ง๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ง, ๐ช๐๐ข ๐๐๐ฆ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐ง๐ข ๐๐๐ ๐๐ง ๐ง๐ข ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ง'๐ฆ ๐๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐?
That is the question I respectfully place before Catholic priests, bishops, theologians, and every Christian who believes the practice can be defended from Scripture.
Please show us the missing biblical bridge.
If Scripture establishes it, we should submit to Scripture.
If Scripture overturns something we inherited, we should submit to Scripture.
Christ's Church belongs to Christ.
And what belongs to Christ must ultimately be governed by Christ.
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