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.
Mary and Jesus were there as they were attending a wedding. John 2:2 indicates Jesus was invited also, and His disciples.....it's a polite social thing to do.
Mary, along with John, and a number of others were at the cross for the obvious reason. If you really have to ask.
When all of the diciples abandoned him... denied him... Mary was always there, always faithful.
There is no account of Mary with Jesus in the Garden. We only have an account of her being at the cross on the day He was crucified.
As Catholics we aspire to be like Mary... because she was always doing the will of God and we can only hope to do the same,
I've already addressed this but will do so again.
As Christians we aspire to be like Christ.
Well, yes. I guess I do care.
I care that people who write on these threads are mean spirited and completely demean another person’s relationship with their God.
I cannot think of another thing that is more hurtful.
This site has become so intolerant of other views—even to the degree of what constitutes a conservative.
Personally, I don’t care what your affiliation is. I don’t care if you worship a holy monkey spinning on top of a pole. Our freedom from religion is a key point in the first amendment.
I wish more people understood that the way it was written. We should be free of of a state declared religion. In this forum, I think we should be free from the “Christians” who think they know better than other “Christ worshippers” because they did not like what the leaders did 500 years ago.
You can love your God. You can worship him always. Just don’t tell me what I “need” to do. Or try to explain what some translator wrote 500 years ago from texts that were translated three times before that, and written down hundreds of years after the facts.
The stories in the bible are good. The message is great. You all should try it once in a while, and spread a little love instead of rightful indignation.
Agreed. Why someone would stand so firmly with a group promoting such demonic doctrines can only be explained by God darkening their understandings.
Oh boy... I have it coming now. Right into the pit I go. This will go on my permanent record! Ha ha.
The Greek texts we have today are very reliable. The overwhelming majority of Greek scholars are of the opinion that we have today is what the early church had. So there isn't this nonsense you claim about the translator from 500 years ago and 3x translated texts. You display a lack of knowledge of the historical origins of the Bible. It is understandable...most people don't know it and fewer have attempted to study the Greek, much less the Hebrew.
Good thing you weren't around to influence Paul when he was countering the false teachings impacting the early church.
Permanent seems so......................permanent!
Nobody said it was necessary. The Catholic Church does not teach that Mary’s intercession necessary. We believe that her intercession might be more effective than another’s because you know she is His mom.... Just saying.
I guess you do not believe in miracles? I find it hard to believe though, since most of the Protestants I have known have more than their share of apocryphal stories of the power of prayer. It is extra-biblical, but it sure does help to have either seen or heard reliably of some powerful miracle. Now, I have many more stories to fall back on than most of you that help underpin my faith. Yes, yes bible alone, right? But miracles and hearings sure help. Well, folks, praying to Mary is powerful! So you go ahead and shoot it down on the basis of some claptrap analysis.
I will be content in what works!!
If Mary intercedes for Christians, how is it that she actually hears their prayers? Is she Omniscient or Omnipresent?
Are these Divine Attributes communicable?
The notion of Mary interceding for Christians is nothing more than Polytheism.
Have not heard an the angelic phone system? Haha. I’m only serious.
That’s fine with me, live and let live is a sensible attitude.
I do like to discuss doctrinal stuff, but some people get way too heated about it, on both sides of the debate. However, I think it is still worth discussing, because no progress will ever be made if people avoid the topic just to avoid the confrontations that come along with it.
For example, imagine the example of the Christian church as a married couple going through difficulties. We used to get along fine, then we had a split, couldn’t see eye to eye, and now we’re living in separate houses. If we are ever going to reconcile, we can’t avoid discussing the arguments that split us up in the first place.
Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us!
Posting scripture and showing what God really said IS love.
RE: May Jesus forgive the constant harping against His mother.
I wonder.... what does “harping” mean to you?
RE: May He forgive the mocking; the denial of her perpetual virginity
What is there to forgive? The Bible mentions her other children and even her daughters. The Gospel of Mark 6:3 and the Gospel of Matthew 13:55-56 mentions his brothers by name.
RE: the constant efforts to distract souls away from her, her virtues, her love, her suffering and all the merits received by her for her agreement to becoming the Mother of God.
Please don’t take this the wrong way, there is no attempt to take away the love and honor due her. This article simply questions the need to ask for her intercession.
RE: Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us!
Yes, that is the person to whom we must ask mercy from., Not any other human being.
I guess here comes another of those long knifes.
I love the story of the Transfiguration.
God said, This is my Beloved SON, hear ye him.
the disciples in tow wanted to build tabernacles for Jesus and two other CREATED beings.
That was God the Creator’s answer.
Mary was a lovely woman, that carried the seed of Christ but only Jesus Christ is Divine, no creature, even sanctified as Mary was to bear the Son of God is of the Divine Nature.
To distract believers from focusing all their veneration, adoraton, love and worship away from God’s Beloved Son to any creature is to err from the master plan that God designed from the beginning.
I think this plays into the thinking about the intercession of the saint.
Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.
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