Posted on 04/05/2007 11:10:10 AM PDT by MarkBsnr
Fundamentalists are sometimes horrified when the Virgin Mary is referred to as the Mother of God. However, their reaction often rests upon a misapprehension of what this particular title of Mary signifies, and what the Protestant Reformers had to say regarding this doctrine.
A woman is a man’s mother either if she carried him in her womb or if she was the woman contributing half of his genetic matter or both. Mary was the mother of Jesus in both of these senses; because she not only carried Jesus in her womb but also supplied all of the genetic matter for his human body, since it was through her—not Joseph—that Jesus "was descended from David according to the flesh" (Rom. 1:3).
Since Mary is Jesus’ mother, it must be concluded that she is also the Mother of God: If Mary is the mother of Jesus, and if Jesus is God, then Mary is the Mother of God. There is no way out of this logical syllogism, the valid form of which has been recognized by classical logicians since before the time of Christ.
Although Mary is the Mother of God, she is not his mother in the sense that she is older than God or the source of her Son’s divinity, for she is neither. Rather, we say that she is the Mother of God in the sense that she carried in her womb a divine person—Jesus Christ, God "in the flesh" (2 John 7, cf. John 1:14)—and in the sense that she contributed the genetic matter to the human form God took in Jesus Christ.
To avoid this conclusion, Fundamentalists often assert that Mary did not carry God in her womb, but only carried Christ’s human nature. This assertion reinvents a heresy from the fifth century known as Nestorianism,
(Excerpt) Read more at catholic.com ...
I suppose you could make a similar arguement that since the Holy Spirit resides in us we are God.
To deny this is to fall into the heresy of nestorianism.
I wouldn't want to confirm or deny such arguement. It is speculation either way.
“My goodness, what part of loving your Christian brother are you exhibiting in your response to what was a very lighthearted post on my behalf. Sister, you really might want to check your attitude. Please???”
Did you perhaps miss the first gazillion threads on this exact same topic where the exact same thing has been explained over and over again?
Oh yes, thanks! I need to post mine up there, too.
“..I’ll take you one more.. Mother is far more than just someone who carries a child.. A mother is the heart that raises the child, a mother is the nurturer, a mother gives more than physical life, a mother gives a part of her own soul to her child...”
excellent!
I also cannot find examples of Jesus referring to Mary as “mother of my human nature”.
nor do I recall Elizabeth referring to Mary as “mother of the human nature of my Lord”
If Elizabeth can say “mother of my Lord” - then durnit - so can I!
“I suppose you could make a similar arguement that since the Holy Spirit resides in us we are God.”
nice try but no dice.
We are made in the image of God - he welcomes into His family, and thus the Holy Spirit is invited to reside in us.
There has been only one person who was “overshadowed” by the Holy Spirit to such a degree that the Word became man and united his Divine nature with his physical nature in his womb.
This is a singular event in history. She carried him, she bore him - she is His mother.
Elizabeth called her “mother of my Lord”, and so do I.
Sure, there are the occasional fringe groups - there are always exceptions. And I'm not even sure AWM's usage should be read in the way many are reading it. My primary objection was to the article's use of the adverb "often" in regard to Fundamentalists, i.e.
To avoid this conclusion, Fundamentalists often assert that Mary did not carry God in her womb, but only carried Christ’s human nature.
“As a matter of fact this is the first non-political related thread I have ever read at Free Republic. I’m sorry if taking an opportunity to share my understanding of scripture came as such an offense to you.”
in that case I do apologize.
Stick around long enough and you will see threads like this are beating a dead horse.
and yes...I am bit cranky and not very patient after dealing with stomach flu for 3 days...:)
Evidentially Gerstner asked the question to his seminary students: “raise your hand if you disagree with the following; Mary is the mother of God.”
He then announced to the entire class that those with their hands raised were all heretics.
whoops!
not “his” womb of course...make that “her womb”
it’s awwwfulll isn’t it?
:->
Yes..
I’m just glad God looks at our hearts and not all this dogma stuff.. No matter what you believe in this case, God knows the intentions behind your belief.
If Jesus was God from the moment of his conception, and Mary gave birth to God then yes, she is the mother of God. But she didn’t contribute his God nature, only his man nature. As long as she is the birth mother to a person who was fully God and fully Man at the same time, she is his mother, no matter what part she contributed.
Saying she’s the mother of only the man side of Jesus is saying that only the man part of Jesus was there at his birth. Did you mean that?
Blunt but effective. I like it.
ok - got it.
I could be wrong, but I doubt we will be given a test on doctrine when we die - but we certainly will be tested on how well we loved.
"Since the holy Virgin brought forth corporally God made one with flesh according to nature, for this reason we also call her Mother of God, not as if the nature of the Word had the beginning of its existence from the flesh" (Council of Ephesus, 431 AD)
Biblical Basis
The Bible says that Mary is the Mother of Jesus (Acts 1:14) and that Jesus is God (Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1; John 20:28). Therefore, Mary is truly the Mother of God the Son according to the flesh. In Luke 1:43, the Holy Spirit inspires St. Elizabeth, Mary's relative, to say of her "and whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord (meter tou kuriou mou) should come to me?" Since the New Testament uses the title Lord (Kurios) to ascribe deity to Jesus, the biblical Marian title "Mother of my Lord" is equivalent to "Mother of God". Jesus is not a mere human lord, but the LORD God; and Mary is His human Mother in the Incarnation.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.