Thank you. We have stated what we believe and how we see things. I think there is really nothing much more producitve that we can say to each other, FK.
You really believe, in the most base way, that Mary served Joseph after she gave birth to Christ.
I believe that Mary loved Joseph, her husband ... who had stood by her faithfully.
*Ok, I'm gonna try my hand at this sola scriptura stuff. Unguided by the Church who wrote and canonised the New Testament, I will take a look at this Scripture and explain its obvious meaing...
And Jesus said: Somebody hath touched me; for I know that virtue is gone out from me. And the woman seeing that she was not hid, came trembling, and fell down before his feet, and declared before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was immediately healed. But he said to her: Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go thy way in peace.
*Ok, it is obvious what Scripture is telling us. Other than a Father, who refers to a young woman as "daughter?" We read in the Scriptures the woman had an issue of blood for twelves years. IOW, she prolly just started mensturating. "Twelve" is, obviously a reference to when she began her period, because "for" can also mean "since" accrd to some scholars.
Prolly, Jesus had a daughter out of wedlock and she was having a tough time with mensturation etc. but she didn't want to embarass Him publicly by identifying Him as her Father, and thereby jeopardising His Ministry, so she just touched His garment...
And, young women were supposd to stay outsiedde the camp when mensturating etc
Hey, that was easy. And fun, and iconoclastic...
What? You say that means that Jesus was a sinner? Well, whatever. It is there in Scripture and trying to deny the obvious is just foolish.
Besides, scholars of today know FAR more than the poorly educated, superstitious, women-hating Church back then... (name one of them who had a College Degree?..or Access to Strong's Dictionary)
Anyways,so what would it matter if Jesus had a daughter? It doesn't specifically say He fathered a child out of wedlock anyways. Prolly, He had maried (Magadalen?) secretly and exchanged vows quietly...In any event, Fathering a daughter was quite common for religious men of his age - even if he, or they, had sinned or not. Children were valuable and they were useful to care for you when you got old..
Besides, whether He was married or not, Jesus had a Daughter, obviously, He identifed her as such and yet He still died for our sins and God still accepted His Sacrifice and we are still Saved.
What is the big deal?
Let's just unite around that essential and agree to disagree about all of these nettlesome, and, face-it, inconsequential inessentials. They only separate us and make for long arguements...
Mary "served" Joseph in a "base way"? :) You really seem to have genuine disgust at the thought that Mary was a wife to her husband. Is your above indicative of your views of marital sex generally or only in this case?
We have given many verses that lean toward Mary bearing other children. The only responses I have seen were to discredit those verses. I have not seen any scriptural argument PROMOTING Mary's perpetual virginity. Perhaps there is a reason for that. :) As I read the scriptures, I only see marriage as being a positive and blessed institution. I do not see God approving of any sham marriages:
Matt. 19:6 : Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. (KJV)
I suppose the Apostolic interpretation of this verse would be that it doesn't say that God can't put it asunder. Or, that God can create a sham marriage if He wants to. I suppose that if God created it, He is free to wreck it also, but I don't see why He would have done this to people like Mary and Joseph.