2. Prayers for the departed. — The possible refer- ences to prayers for the departed in the NT taken by themselves are ambiguous, nor is it easy to deal with this subject without reference to authors who wrote outside the limits of this Dictionary. But there is one reference, which may be fairly said to prove the existence of this practice during the first half of the 2nd century.
The epitaph of Abercius (Avircius Marcellus), who was bishop of Hierapolis in Phrygia Salutaris c. A.D. 160, includes: 'Let every friend who ob- serveth this pray for me.' This is confirmed by the evidence of Tertullian, de Corona, 3 (written c. A.D. 211): 'We ofi'er oblations for the dead on the anniversary of their birth.' And again (c. A.D. 217), in de Monogamia, 10, Tertullian describes a Chris- tian widow as one ' who prays for his [i.e. her hus- band's] soul, and requests refreshment for him in the meanwhile, and fellowship in the first resur- rection, and she oft'ers [sacrifice] on the anniver- saries of his falling asleep.'
There are also many such references in the in- scriptions of the Catacombs, some of which may be assigned to the 2nd century. And there is a con- tinuous tradition of such prayers in the ancient Liturgies, in which prayers are offered for those who rest in Christ that they may have peace and light, rest and refreshment : that they may live in God (or in Christ) : that they may be partakers of the joyful resurrection, and of tlie inheritance of the Kingdom of God.
It is clear that such intercessions date from the beginning of the 2nd cent., and that they represent quite faithfully the general tenor of the teaching of the Apostolic Church on the Future State. Without
labouring the point we may say that they support the inference that Onesiphorus was dead when Paul prayed for him (2 Ti l'«-'8) : ' The Lord grant unto him to find mercy of the Lord in that day.' The Apostle mentions Ins household in P" and 4'", but says nothing of Onesiphorus himself.
The reference in 2 .Mac 12""" to sacrifices ollered for the dead by Judas Maccabieus may be taken to prove thiit prayers for the dead were not un- known in our Lord's time. 15ut the author speaks in an ajiologetic way, as if the act of Judas were not a common practice. And the Sadducees who controlled the Temple services did not believe in any resurrection, so we cannot suppose that they would have ai)pro\ed of such prayers.
The central thought of the Apostolic Church with regard to their relationship to tlie faithful dep.arted is summed up in the Epistle to the Hebi'ews (I'J--"^) in the words : ' Ye are come . . . to the spirits of just men made perfect,' also described (12') as 'a great cloud of witnesses.' They are living and they are interested in both our faith and conduct, and the least response of our loyalty to them will naturally find expression in our prayers for their peace and progress.
LlTRBATCRE.— W. E. Chadwick, The Pastoral Teaching oj St.. Paul, Edinburgh, 1907 ; F. E. Warren, The Litnriiy and litlual of the Ante-^icene Church, London, 1S97; A. J. Worlled'gre, Praijer, do., 1902; G. BuU, Serm. iii. (= Worts, 7 vols., Oxford, 1846, i. 77); H. M. Luckock, After Death: Testimony of Primitive TimfS^, London, 18ti2 ; S. C. Gayford, Future State, do., 1903 ; J. Ussher, An Answer to a Challeufie made by a Jeauite in Ireland, do., 1631 ; G. H. S. Walpole, The Gospel o.f Hope, do., 1914. A. E. BURN.
PRAYER FOR THE DEAD.— See Prayer.
PREACHING.— The essential nature of apostolic preaching is expressed in the two main words used throughout the NT : Kr/pvaaetv, ' to proclaim as a herald ' (K?pu|), and evaYyMieiv, 'to tell good tidings' (evayyi\wv, 'the gospel'), both of which are translated 'to preach.' Sometimes the full expression KripiaffeLv rb svayy^Xtov , 'to proclaim the gospel ' (Gal 2^, 1 Th 2'), occurs, v.'hile emyyM^eiv frequently characterizes the content of the good tidings, specifically as 'the gospel' (rb eiayyi\iov, 1 Co 15', 2 Co 11', Gal 1"), or more variously as 'Jesus Christ' (Ac 5«), 'peace' (Eph 2"), or ' the word ' (Ac 15^^). Other expressions, such as 'proclaim Christ' (Karay-ffKhuv Xpio-rix, Ph P"-) and ' testify the gospel (Siafiaprvpeadai rb fvayyiXiov) of the grace of God (Ac 20^), help to make clear that preaching was primarily the proclamation of good tidings from God, the heralding of Jesus Christ as the Saviour of men.
To get back to the NT standpoint it is necessary to rid one's mind of the preconception that preach- ing was giving a sermon or delivering a discourse elaborated in accordance with certain recognized homiletical canons. Still less was it the detailed exegesis and exposition of a so-called text or isolated passage of Scripture, such as prevailed in the synagogue preaching. "That the message was often supported by quotations from the OT is not doubted ; but the apostolic preaching did not con- fine itself to appeals to Scripture. It was rather the spontaneous, authoritative announcement of a truth felt to be new to the experience of man, and explicable only in the light of the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as Saviour of men.