Saints

Who are "the saints" (Acts 9:41)?
Christians

Which Christians?
All Christians

Aren't saints the few exceptionally devout and pious Christians?
In the Bible, "saints" refer to Christians, not to a subset of Christians.

Don't saints intercede for us to God?
The Bible says God intercedes for the saints: "Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God" (Romans 8:27). And we (saints) also intercede for each other: "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:17-18).

Don't you have to die and be in heaven to become a saint?
The Bible says there were saints living in Jerusalem: "But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem" (Romans 15:25-26). There were saints living in Ephesus: "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 1:1). There were saints living in Philippi: "Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons" (Philippians 1:1). And there were saints living in Achaia (Greece today): "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia" (2 Corinthians 1:1). All of these saints were very much alive and still on earth when mentioned above. You become a saint when you become a Christian.

Then why do some religions designate and revere certain people as "saints" and tell others to pray to them?
To try to boost its legitimacy and status, not unlike Communist regimes designating and lionizing "heroes" of the regime, but also to boost its revenues.

How does having saints boost revenues?
For example, different diseases (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, cancer), occupations (e.g., pawn brokers, arms dealers, gamblers), and other human issues each have an assigned "patron saint," who supposedly specializes in that domain and can lobby God for you, but they must be enticed to lobby for you. Walk into one of their places of worship, and you will find people buying candles and walking around to place and light them in front of images of the patron saints whose influence they seek. More patron saints means more candles to be purchased, which means more money for their "church."

Should the pope be designating certain dead people as saints?
People who support this practice and claim Peter to have been the first pope should be told that the Bible says Peter merely "came ... to" (Acts 9:32) or "called" (Acts 9:41) people who were already saints. The Bible never says Peter or anyone else picked certain Christians to be saints. Moreover, Peter wasn't the first pope and Jesus sternly forbade calling anyone on earth a spiritual "father," let alone "Holy Father": "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven" (Matthew 23:9).

And what was the repercussion of raising Tabitha from the dead?
"Many believed on the Lord" (Acts 9:42).