Posted on 10/21/2002 9:04:51 AM PDT by jern
BREAKING: Archaeologists Report 1st Direct Evidence of Jesus
Can't find that in the Bible either. But, she was his mom. I''ll give her credit for that. She could have said no.
Anyway, the arguement of words follows...
Matt. 1:25 - this verse says Joseph knew her "not until ("heos", in Greek)" she bore a son. Some Protestants argue that this proves Joseph had relations with Mary after she bore a son. This is an erroneous reading of the text because "not until" does not mean "did not...until after." "Heos" references the past, never the future. Instead, "not until" she bore a son means "not up to the point that" she bore a son. This confirms that Mary was a virgin when she bore Jesus. Here are other texts that prove "not until" means "not up to the point that":
Matt. 28:29 - I am with you "until the end of the world." This does not mean Jesus is not with us after the end of the world.
Luke 1:80 - John was in the desert "up to the point of his manifestation to Israel." Not John "was in the desert until after" his manifestation.
Luke 2:37 - Anna was a widow "up to the point that" she was eighty-four years old. She was not a widow after eighty-four years old.
Luke 20:43 - Jesus says, "take your seat at my hand until I have made your enemies your footstool." Jesus is not going to require the apostles to sit at His left hand after their enemies are their footstool.
1 Tim. 4:13 - "up to the point that I come," attend to teaching and preaching. It does not mean do nothing "until after" I come.
Gen. 8:7 - the raven flew back and forth "up to the point that" [until] the waters dried from the earth. The raven did not start flying after the waters dried.
Gen. 28:15 - the Lord won't leave Jacob "up to the point that" he does His promise. This does not mean the Lord will leave Jacob afterward.
Deut. 34:6 - but "up to the point of today" no one knows Moses' burial place. This does not mean that "they did not know place until today."
2 Sam. 6:23 - Saul's daughter Micah was childless "up to the point" [until] her death. She was not with child after her death.
1 Macc. 5:54 - not one was slain "up to the point that" they returned in peace. They were not slain after they returned in peace.
Lemaire says the writing style, and the fact that Jews practiced ossuary burials only between 20 B.C. and A.D. 70, puts the inscription squarely in the time of Jesus and James, who led the early church in Jerusalem.
The ossuary's owner also is requiring Lemaire to shield his identity, so the box's current location was not revealed.
The owner of the ossuary never realized its potential importance until Lemaire examined it last spring. Hershel Shanks, editor of Biblical Archaeology Review, himself saw the box Sept. 25.
Lemaire told The Associated Press the owner wants anonymity to avoid time-consuming contacts with reporters and religious figures. The owner also wants to avoid the cost of insurance and guarding the artifact, and has no plans to display it publicly, he said.
How does it happen that the ossuary is in private ownership? How could the archeologists who discovered the artifact sell it to someone? I find that very strange. At least, I've never heard of such a thing. I always thought artifacts belonged to the country in which they were found. Was the artifact discovered on private property? Did someone commission a dig on their own property? This is weird.
Hey grump, well with all those spandex-clad St. Louis women around, I'm glad you can find something to smile about ;-)
The term brother can be used to designate step-brothers or cousins depending on language and culture and in the Bible it is frequent usage.
Oh, come on now. What do you call kneeling in prayer before a stone image and sacrificing substance to it? Veneration?
I'd be happy for you to pray for me; I need all I can get. Just don't pray to Mary; pray to God. Mary was just a tool, as are we all. 
They were speaking of Jesus, so the others are mentioned specifically in relation to him, not generally. In that case, it makes no sense to include non-brothers and non-sisters and call them siblings because the question at hand is the identity of Jesus.
Without the baggage of defending Mary worship, nobody would bother making these silly assertions. And it isn't just Mary that is worshiped, it is the worship of the Roman church itself. Otherwise it could admit that it goofed and some of these traditions are simply the subject of a fertile imagination and pagan incorporation strategies.
Admit it! Doesn't she just look like she is eyeing plate of "bicuits & gravy."
To others on this thread:
Not trying to make light of serious issue to you... But I think some of us are getting really bored with yor anti-Catholic postings.
Respectfully,
-grump
OK, but I cannot for the life of me figure out where you come up with all this stuff. Statues to pray to, counting beads, dead saints, gay priests, confess to sinning and do it again the next day because you've "been cleared.".
I guess that's why so many religions see the catholic church as the apostate church. It's a "mistery", that's for sure.
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