Test All Things
It is my effort in this article to give concise and accurate information concerning the Historical and Biblical accounts to whom is known as The Virgin Mary. It is my intent to bring into light an accurate historical view of "The Virgin Mary's" personality and lifestyle and the biblical role she played. Growing up a Roman Catholic in Albuquerque, New Mexico I often prayed to "The Virgin Mary" as a Mediator, but as a historical character I really had no insight of what she was really like what she had said and what she had done. In fact aside from giving birth to Our Lord and Savior I really did not know who "The Virgin Mary" really was. It is hard to comprehend having a relationship with someone you never knew. In fact what if we were able to go back and interview some of the closest friends and family of perhaps a loved one that has passed on into eternity, perhaps a Great Grandfather or Great Uncle or Aunt I could assure you the understanding of that relative would become more well rounded and interesting. One of the oldest and definitely the most accurate of these interviews concerning "The Virgin Mary" is in fact The Holy Bible. I encourage Roman Catholics to be vigilant and hold fast to what is true and "Test all Things..."( I Thessalonians 5:21) as we review the the life of Mary. "If you abide in my word, you shall be my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free" Jesus (John 8:32).
As we begin to read one of the earliest and concisely recorded descriptions of "The Virgin Mary" in the first Chapter of Luke (1:26-35). We begin to read that a virgin named Mary had found favor with God ( Luke 1:30) and the virgin came to be with child by the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:31-35). The "virgin" Mary admits in (Luke 1:38) her obedience to God as a servant and assumes God's command to bear the responsibility of a child. As we continue on to Mary's Magnificat or Mary's Song (Luke 1:46-55) and interesting context is shown, Mary admits her sinful nature by stating " My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior". Now I would like for us to pause for a moment to reflect on an interesting point. If Mary was sinless as the Roman Catholic Church claims then why did the "virgin" Mary state she needed a Savior?
In fact the Roman Catholic Church did not even enter Mary's alleged sinlessness into Roman Catholic dogma until 1547 A.D. Now this is not to say that Mary is any less of a person than what she has already stated herself to be, but what it does say is that Mary is a person with the same sinful nature as you and myself in need of a Savior. This is not to say that Mary was not highly favored in the regard of giving birth to our Lord, she was. Blessed is not a religious title; but it speaks of the "Privilege" given to Mary by God. To better understand this we need to once again turn to scripture for confirmation. The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans alone, mentions nine times in four verses (Romans 3:9-12) the universality of sin (Mary included) ( "all," two times; "no one," four times; "not even one," two times; "together," once ). Another point to view is that of the Gospel of John, which was written between A.D.50 and A.D.70. Now in ( John 19:26-27 ) John had taken in Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and cared for her just as Jesus had asked. As we look at the Apostle John's other writings ( 1 John 1:8-10 ) which was written between A.D. 85 and A.D. 95 John makes an interesting statement, " If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we say acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all iniquity. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." Having said this, the truth would not have been in John by publicly announcing that all are sinners, and forgetting Mary which was not the case. "For there is no distinction, as all have sinned and have need of the glory of God." Romans 3:23.
Mary's Impermanent Virginity:
In the first Chapter of Luke (1:26-35) we review that a virgin named Mary had found favor with God ( Luke 1:30) and the virgin came to be with child by the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:31-35). The "virgin" Mary admits in (Luke 1:38) her obedience to God as a servant and assumes God's command to bear the responsibility of a child.
Now according to (Deuteronomy 22: 23-24) under Jewish law Mary was subjecting herself to possibly being stoned to death in public, this would come after being rejected by her Fiancée Joseph whom was a righteous man ( Matt 1:19). Joseph being considered righteous was also to remain obedient to the Lord and was also converged by an angel in (Matt 120:-25). Whom instructed this righteous man of God to take Mary as his wife and not divorce her. Also in his obedience we read that " And he did not know her till she brought forth her firstborn son". Two main word's in this verse I would like to point out till and firstborn. Till is more commonly used today as until, So Joseph kept his wife a virgin until she brought forth her Son Jesus. The implication is clear. And it was to be her firstborn not "onlyborn", this raises a question.
Was Mary indeed a "Perpetual Virgin" as the the Roman Catholic Church teaches? Though the bible makes no reference what so ever as to the eternal preservation of Mary's virginity or "virginal integrity involate" (273) a doctrine based upon Thomas Aquinas' "Traditional and Philosophical considerations." Here are four reasons that Thomas Aquinas provided as to why this false doctrine is considered fitting.
-Since Christ is the only begotten son of the father, it was "becoming" 275 that Christ should also be the only begotten Son of his mother. -Intercourse with Joseph would have "desecrated" 276 the virginal womb of Mary. This would have been an insult to the Holy Sprit, whose shrine was her womb.
- It would have been below"the dignity and holiness" 277 of Mary to forfeit her miraculous virginity by carnal intercourse with Joseph. Such an act would also show that she was ungrateful or not content with being the mother of Jesus.
- It would have been "extreme presumption" 278 for Joseph "to have attempted to violate" 279 Mary, whom he knew had conceived by the power of the Holy Sprit.... Aquinas concluded, "We must therefore simply assert that the mother of God, as she was a virgin in conceiving Him and a virgin in giving Him birth, so did she remain a virgin ever afterwards" 280. Not only is this doctrine false and unbiblical it contradicts all that God has created and sanctified and is blasphemous. Here are the biblical reasons. In (Genesis 1:27-28) we read "......Male and Female he created them." "God Blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it." Not only did God bless them he commanded them to be fruitful and increase in number. Then we read in (Genesis 1:31) "God saw all that he had made and it was very good." Then again in (Genesis 2:24) "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh". As we begin to shed light from Scripture we begin to see that the divine intention for a husband and wife was monogamy, by forming an inseparable and consecrated union of which "one flesh" is both a sign and an expression in the marriage. It could only stand to reason that Joseph and Mary having found righteousness and favor in the eyes of the Lord, should have been all the more blessed and united in their marriage by the very God that loved them and created all things good.
The Roman Catholic Church teaches:
Mary was preserved from all stain of original
(The Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception) Romans 3:23)
Mary "the All-Holy'" lived a perfectly sinless
[490-492]
Mary was a virgin before, during , and after
The Bible Teaches:
Mary was a descendant of Adam and was
sin from the instant of her conception. born into sin (Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12
Mary was a sinner; God alone is holy
life [411,493] (Luke 18:19; Romans 3:23; Revelation 15:4)
Mary was a virgin until the birth of Christ the birth of Christ [496-511] (Matthew 1:25) Later she had other children
(Matthew 13:55,56; Psalm 69:8)