Posted on 03/24/2015 1:30:58 PM PDT by RnMomof7
It has been argued that “Mary is the creature closest to God. Moreover, while Christ is the mediator of all grace between God and creation, Mary is the mediator of all grace between Christ and humanity. Consequently, Mary is a powerful intercessor for all who turn to her” (see Zoltan, 1994, emp. added). The Bible clearly teaches that Mary is not Deity and should not be worshipped as such (see Pinedo, 2009). If she is not Deity, is she the closest human being to Deity? Does she play an active role in heaven, interceding for individual Christians? Does she make intercession for us in prayer or have an effect on our salvation?
When referring to Deity, the Bible mentions only the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; cf. Matthew 3:16-17; John 10:30; 17:21; Acts 5:3-4). Mary is never mentioned in that context. Further, the heaven where God and His angels reside (Deuteronomy 10:14; 26:15; 1 Kings 8:27,30) is not yet inhabited by human beings. Jesus said: “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man” (John 3:13, emp. added). These words represent the truth about all the people who have left this world (including Mary). No one is in heaven because heaven is reserved for all faithful servants of God since time began (cf. John 14:1-3). Not until after the Second Coming of Christ and the final Judgment will it become home for the faithful, both living and dead (Matthew 25:31-46;
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
The idea that Mary occupies a special place in heaven, close to the Son, is a tradition. It shows a lack of understanding concerning biblical teachings on the afterlife. In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus explained that the dead (saved and lost) go to a place called “hades” (16:23, Hebrew sheol)—a spiritual waiting place that separates the consolation of the righteous (referred to as “paradise,” cf. Luke 23:43) from the torment of the wicked. In hades, the righteous begin to taste part of the joy that awaits them in eternity, while the wicked begin to taste part of the suffering that awaits them. Hades is not the dwelling place of God; God dwells in heaven. Mary, along with Abraham and other faithful servants from the past, is waiting in hades until its dead are delivered up, when the Lord returns to judge each man and woman according to his or her works (Revelation 20:13). In this spiritual realm that precedes heaven, there is nothing that those who are there can do for those who are here (Luke 16:27-31).
Catholics have given the title of “Intercessor for the Saints” to Mary, although nowhere in the Bible is it applied to her. “Intercession” means “seeking the presence and hearing of God on behalf of others” (Vine, 1966, 2:267). There are only two areas in which Christians need intercession: salvation and prayers. If Mary is now, or ever has been, involved as “Intercessor for the Saints,” there should be ample evidence in Scripture.
Concerning salvation, the apostle Peter clearly stated that “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12, NASB). Of course, he was referring to Jesus Christ. Paul wrote: “[T]here is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). The Hebrews writer added: “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He [Jesus] always lives to make intercession for them” (7:25). Jesus is the one and only Mediator (Intercessor) between God and Man, and He lives to continually intercede for those who come to God.
But what about prayer? Does Mary intercede in the prayers of Christians? No, she does not. This intercession also belongs to Jesus. When teaching His disciples to pray to the Father (Matthew 6:9), Jesus did not teach them to pray to (or through) Mary. And yet, Catholicism created a prayer—the “Hail Mary”—to include the words “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death.” In John 14:13-14, Jesus declared: “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” (cf. John 16:24). Jesus is the only One Who can mediate or intercede in our prayers, since “[a]ll things that the Father has are [His]” (John 16:15). If all things that the Father has are the Son’s, then what is left for Mary?
The prerogative of intercession supposedly given to Mary also is argued from the fact that she “interceded” before Jesus on behalf of a family at a wedding in Cana because the wine was running out during the celebration (John 2:2-3). This simple, solitary, tiny thread of argumentation, lost in a loom of confusion, has been misused extensively by the supporters of Marianism. By going to Jesus with a request for help, Mary was not intervening on behalf of anyone’s spiritual needs; she only reported the situation to Jesus. Moreover, consider Jesus’ response: “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me?” (John 2:4). With these words, He emphasized that Mary’s concerns did not dictate His actions. Whatever He did in Cana that day would be according to God’s will, not because of human or motherly influences or desires.
If the situation recorded in John chapter two establishes Mary as the “Intercessor of the Saints,” what should we conclude from Matthew 8:5-13 and other passages that tell of similar circumstances? In Matthew chapter eight, a centurion “interceded” before Jesus for his servant who was in bed, paralyzed, and greatly tormented. Seeing the centurion’s faith, Jesus performed a miracle and cured the sick servant. Should we consider this centurion as the “Intercessor for the Paralytics, the Sick, and the Tormented”? Should any paralytic, or anyone suffering from physical or mental illness, pray to this man of great faith, asking him to intercede with God on their behalf? [The Bible further condemns the act of invoking the dead (cf. Deuteronomy 18:10-13; 1 Chronicles 10:13-14; Isaiah 8:19).] Neither this centurion, nor Abraham, nor Mary, nor anyone else—living or dead—can intercede before the throne of God in favor of the faithful Christian, except Jesus Christ Himself.
In Luke 1:47, Mary raised her voice and declared: “My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior” (emp. added). If she had a Savior, then she needed salvation. And, if she needed salvation, then she also needed the only Intercessor of salvation—Jesus Christ (Hebrews 7:25). Therefore, Mary’s condition was no different from every human being before or after her. She sinned (Romans 3:23), and she needed the only Intercessor who could make peace between her and God (2 Corinthians 5:18-19; Colossians 1:20). Just as Jesus “interceded” on behalf of Mary before He died to make sure her physical needs were met (John 19:26-27), He interceded on her behalf to make sure her spiritual needs were met. Mary cannot intercede for any Christian since she, herself, needed intercession.
Finally, although Christians are commanded to pray for one another (1 Thessalonians 5:25; Hebrews 13:18; James 5:16), Jesus is our only Mediator in prayer. Through Him our prayers are answered.
Pinedo, Moisés (2009), “Is Mary the Mother of God?” [On-line], URL: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/240077.
Vine, W.E. (1966), An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell).
Zoltan, Abraham (1994), “A Detailed Guide to Our Lady’s Rosary,” [On-line], URL: http://www.blessedtrinityorlando.org/rosary.html.
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Yes, catholics are confused about time, mistaken about intercession.
But Gnostic? If anything they are overly hung up on bodies, not denying them.
Materialistic.
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>> “and spout scripture.” <<
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Oh my! - We can’t be having that; someone might get it right.
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It is easy to toss a line of scripture that one thinks might be applicable.
But is that any more that what folks say about the rosary? Jesus himself warned about robotic repitition as merely being noise.
The ability to understand and put into practice is the key to learning. Merely repeating words without understanding is like cymbals clanging. (oops. I am spouting scripture!)
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The rosary, and similar chants are just noise, or as Yeshua called it “much speaking.”
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So aren’t people who simply repeat scripture without understanding or practice.
It’s just noise to my ears. (no, I am not Jesus.)
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>> “So aren’t people who simply repeat scripture without understanding or practice.” <<
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A common hobby of the Easy-Believer club here.
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You are correct about that. Whenever I see a response with blue text, bullet pointed, and hyperlinked without any context it just gets ignored.
That has been the traditional Catholic interpretation of that event. Every time Jesus addresses Mary as “Woman”, it is of great significance, as in the woman spoken of in Genesis, she who crushes the serpents head (Guadalupe).
The sword that Simeon prophesied would pierce her heart, that the thoughts of many might be revealed, happened at this moment. She was asked by the Savior of the world to be mother to the human race, who had just put her Son to death. Her heart was rent by this request. It is a profound mystery, the suffering of a perfect Christian, redeemed by Christ’s Grace in a special way, but not guilty of original sin or any personal sin. What is the value of that type of suffering when united with the saving passion of Her son?
How much love is due to Mary given Jesus Christ, Love Incarnate, is her Son? If you love Him with your whole heart, whole mind, whole spirit, and whole strength, if that love and intimacy is truly real and unreserved, how much love and respect does He expect of us with regard to HIs mother? Do you know the answer to this question? Can you afford to ask Him this question? What is your level of intimacy with Jesus Christ if you are ignorant of the answer to this question?
There is a prime example of the Catholic Church lies. It is NOT she who crushes the serpents head but it is He who does.
Genesis 3:15 and enmity I put between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; he (ה֚וּא )doth bruise thee -- the head, and thou dost bruise him -- the heel.'
Greek - ה֚וּא - He.
Greek - הִ֛וא - she.
Genesis 3:12 and the man saith, 'The woman whom Thou didst place with me -- she (הִ֛וא) hath given to me of the tree -- and I do eat.'
The Catholic Church has changed the gender of who it is that will bruise the serpents head. Why would you trust an organization that lies to you?
I am a Charismatic Jew. Yeshua is my Savior. I need no one else. If I was waiting for a loved one and they came through the door I would not be hugging and loving the door, I would be welcoming my loved one.
Yeshua, your mother is lower than a door. Not worthy of love. I suppose Saint Joseph is to be ignored also?
I don’t believe your charism is genuine. If it were, it would lead you into the love of the Holy Family.
Genesis was not written in Greek.
I am with St. Jerome on this one.
Ver. 15. She shall crush. Ipsa, the woman: so divers of the fathers read this place, conformably to the Latin: others read it ipsum, viz. the seed. The sense is the same: for it is by her seed, Jesus Christ, that the woman crushes the serpent’s head. (Challoner) -— The Hebrew text, as Bellarmine observes, is ambiguous: He mentions one copy which had ipsa instead of ipsum; and so it is even printed in the Hebrew interlineary edition, 1572, by Plantin, under the inspection of Boderianus. Whether the Jewish editions ought to have more weight with Christians, or whether all the other manuscripts conspire against this reading, let others inquire. The fathers who have cited the old Italic version, taken from the Septuagint agree with the Vulgate, which is followed by almost all the Latins; and hence we may argue with probability, that the Septuagint and the Hebrew formerly acknowledged ipsa, which now moves the indignation of Protestants so much, as if we intended by it to give any divine honour to the blessed Virgin Mary. We believe, however, with St. Epiphanius, that “it is no less criminal to vilify the holy Virgin, than to glorify her above measure.” We know that all the power of the mother of God is derived from the merits of her Son. We are no otherwise concerned about the retaining of ipsa, she, in this place, than in as much as we have yet no certain reason to suspect its being genuine. As some words have been corrected in the Vulgate since the Council of Trent by Pope Sixtus V. and others, by Pope Clement VIII. so, if, upon stricter search, it be found that it, and not she, is the true reading, we shall not hesitate to admit the correction: but we must wait in the mean time respectfully, till our superiors determine. (Haydock) Kemnitzius certainly advanced a step too far, when he said that all the ancient fathers read ipsum. Victor, Avitus, St. Augustine, St. Gregory, &c. mentioned in the Douay Bible, will convict him of falsehood. Christ crushed the serpent’s head by his death, suffering himself to be wounded in the heel. His blessed mother crushed him likewise, by her co-operation in the mystery of the Incarnation; and by rejecting, with horror, the very first suggestions of the enemy, to commit even the smallest sin. (St. Bernard, ser. 2, on Missus est.) “We crush,” says St. Gregory, Mor. 1. 38, “the serpent’s head, when we extirpate from our heart the beginnings of temptation, and then he lays snares for our heel, because he opposes the end of a good action with greater craft and power.” The serpent may hiss and threaten; he cannot hurt, if we resist him. (Haydock)
Wow! Great quote! Thanks!
What would you say the Catholic confusion about time is?
What would you say the Catholic confusion about time is?
Wow. Where do people like you come from. Sick.
Obviously that should have been Hebrew. Not sure why I don't notice that mistake.
It matters not what Jerome said. The Hebrew text clearly shows He and not she is who bruises the Serpents head.
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The same as the rest of the Churchian churches:
A total misunderstanding and rejection of Yehova’s teaching system about his time table for Earth, His “Appointed Times,” or “Feasts.”
They are the mandatory “shadow pictures” of all of his coming events, and the only way of “watching” as he has commanded that we do, to be ready for each of these unavoidable events as they arrive.
Without them, he comes “as a thief,” and we suffer great loss.
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>> “Yeshua, your mother is lower than a door. Not worthy of love.” <<
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Another example of the twisted mind of catholicism!
And they call people that reject this Satanic vomit “catholic haters?”
WOW!
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