Mary, Mother of God, The Greatest of all Her Titles

http://www.catholicchristiananswers.com ^ | August 12, 2015 | Jessie Neace

[NKP_Vet]

It is that time of week again, where we talk about the Mary, the Mother of God. This is definitely the single most important title that Mary has. If someone gets this wrong, then they get the Divinity of our Lord wrong, and that means the whole plan of Salvation is just messed up. So let us look at this most important title.

Theotokos, God-bearer in Greek, is what the council of Ephesus declared in 431. It specifically says this “If anyone does not confess that God is truly Emmanuel, and that on this account the Holy Virgin is the Mother of God (for according to the flesh she gave birth to the Word of God become flesh by birth), let him be anathema.” Now just that statement alone proves the early Church believed that there was Authority given to the bishops to decide sound doctrine, Mary was a Holy Virgin her entire life, and that She bore God. However, we only have time for one today.

Now many times we will hear non-Catholics tell us that this title is nowhere found in Scripture, explicitly at least. However, they cannot themselves find a Scripture verse that says that all doctrine and dogma must be explicitly proven in Scripture. I bet they can never find that. This is a trap they set up for themselves and it is a very unfair double standard that they expect us to meet, but they do not have to. However, on top of this double standard is if we used that same standard, then the doctrine of the Trinity is thrown out, since it’s not an explicit teaching, but instead is implicit in Scripture. This double standard seems to cause more problems that it’s worth wouldn’t you say?

Here is the cold hard truth of it though, all Christians rely on some Church Tradition, as well as Scripture, to validate their doctrines, whether they admit it or not. With that being said, Scripture and Tradition can never contradict one another. The Traditions of men can contradict the Word of God, but the Traditions God left us, through Christ, in the Holy Spirit, are binding upon us, as we are to hold fast to Traditions. So then, what is the real question? The real question is, Does Scripture contradict the teaching that Mary is the Mother of God, and is that doctrine found in Scripture at least implicitly?

Let us begin with Luke 1:43, where Mary visited Elizabeth. There Elizabeth exclaimed “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Because Mary was the Mother of the Lord, who is the Second part of the Holy Trinity, Mary is truly and rightfully called the Mother of God.

We also see in Isaiah 7:14 “Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which is interpreted God with us.” Jesus is God. He was God when He was in the womb, conceived, lived, died, buried, resurrected, in the Eucharist, and in Heaven. The Messiah, who is God, was to be born of a virgin, according to Scripture. God was born of a virgin, and it’s right there in Isaiah, who prophesied of Christ birth. That means both Old and New Testament support the Catholic Doctrine of the Mother of God.

However, this may not be enough for some non-Catholics. Some say that Elisabeth called Christ Lord, and not God, saying that Mary was only to give birth to the human child, the Lord Jesus Christ. So then the question becomes, does lord here mean divinity or just authority? Let’s look at the context.

First let us look at 1 Cor. 8:5, which states “Indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet to us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” St. Paul makes it clear that Jesus is the one True, Lord, as opposed to all the false ones, that the pagans who converted in Corinth were probably worshiping. So then, they would understand that Jesus is God. This holds true to the Jews who converted too, who would know Deut. 6:4 “Hear, therefore, o Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.”

So then that brings us back to Luke 1:43. Elizabeth calls Mary the mother of her Lord. The Mother…Mothers give birth to persons, not natures, let us remember that. Mary did not just give birth to the human nature of Christ, she gave birth to the person of Christ. Christ personhood is Divine, it is God the Son.

Then let us look at 2 Sam. 6:9 where the King, who was David says “How can the ark of the Lord come to me (being the ark of the covenant)” Then in 2 Samuel 616 we see King David leaping in the presence of the Ark, just as John the Baptist did. Then we yet again see another parallel, which says that the ark of the Lord abode in the house of Obededom the Gethite for three months (2 Sam. 6:11), and according to Luke 1:56 Mary remained in the house of Elizabeth about three months. Then, we see that the ark of the covenant carried three items, manna, the Ten Commandments, and Aaron’s rod. These are all types of things Christ are, the Bread of Life, Word made Flesh, and our true High Priest.

Even knowing all this though, there are still those who would deny that Mary is the Mother of God. So then we have to ask, who is Jesus Christ to them? If Mary is not the Mother of God, then who did she give birth to? Many would say it was an earthly human lord, not God. So then, what does that make Christ? If Mary did not give birth to God, then who did she give birth to? Was not Christ God when He was conceived?

If someone says Mary only gave birth to the person of Christ one of two errors, or both could happen, and that is the Denial of the divinity of Christ, and that one would have to say Christ is two distinct persons, and that he is not One. Both were considered heresy in the Early Church. Christ is one Person, with two natures, Divine and Human, which go together and are not separate of one another. If one denies that, the ultimately they are speaking about a different Christ, and St. Paul warns us about that problem, and to not to give heed to them (2 Cor. 11:4).

So then, some say that Mary is the mother of the Trinity if we take it that far, however, this is not true. Mary gave birth to the 2nd part of the Trinity, the 2nd Person, who is still God just not the Trinity. However, we must never forget that each Person in the Trinity shares the same Divine Nature and is fully God.

One thing some still point out is that Christ is eternal, so for Mary to be the Mother of God she would have to be God. However the Church does not say Mary is the source of the Divine Nature of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. To better understand this let’s look at humanity. Parents give birth to a person, however they are not the author of life, and certainly did not give the child it’s soul. Thus is true with Mary, she did not give Christ His Divine Nature, though she was the Mother of more than just the human form of Christ, because she gave birth to a person, who was God.

[Romulus]

Being a good Jewish woman, Elizabeth would never have dared to utter the tetragrammaton in full. She said Adonai, which translates Kyrios.

[ealgeone]

Heck no — and so what?

So if your priest comes along and says you must stand on your head to be saved.....you gonna believe it?

Without Scripture you have no way to determine if what is being said is true or not regarding salvation.

[vladimir998]

“You’re attempting to read something into the text that’s not there.”

Nope. Even Protestants get this: “Elisabeth confessed faith already in the person of Jesus, for she noted that Mary bore the God-man (mother of my Lord).” Footnote in The Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible for Luke 1:43.

It’s only the usual anti-Catholics who don’t get this.

[Romulus]

It was priests who told you what books make up the Bible. Or does yours have an apostle-authored Table of Contents?

[ealgeone]

Being a good Jewish woman, Elizabeth would never have dared to utter the tetragrammaton in full. She said Adonai, which translates Kyrios.

You might want to check your translation. She said Kyriou...specifically, "mother of the Lord of me"

Later in verse 47 Mary does use Theo (God)....does this make Mary not a good Jewish girl??

If you check, there are 1,327 occurances of the use of God or a derivative of in the NT.

Zacharias also used God in his prophecy in Luke 1:68 and 78.

[Rashputin]

Chapter and verse where Scripture says to throw out a portion of the Old Testament and to rely exclusively in personal interpretations of what isn’t thrown out.

[Romulus]

Mary is the BEST Jewish girl ever.

Now, how about some answers to my questions in #168? Got anything?

[ealgeone]

I've already answered....as the immaculate conception is not even Biblical you argument has no merit.

Now, how about you explain why catholics continue to persist is asserting this is true when catholic sources admit there is no biblical support for this false teaching??

[ealgeone]

Oh good grief.....the issue of priests in the NT has already been hashed in another thread. Suggest you search for it.

You will not find the word priest in the NT as used in connection with the NT church. So your argument falls apart.

You better watch out for the Klingons.

[Arthur McGowan]

There’s no ambiguity involved.

Mary is the mother of Jesus.
Jesus is God, the Second Person of the Trinity.
Mary is the mother of God, the Second Person of the Trinity.

[ealgeone]

I wonder sometimes why you and nkp_vet post these in the open forum if you anticipate there will be contrasting comments.

It makes you look like you're attempting to bait people.

Are you looking for a reason to run to the RM again as you like to do??

[Romulus]

There is plenty of biblical support for those who aren’t willfully blind.

Nor is biblical support necessary, as I’ve explained.

How can you place your faith in the bible, but refuse to believe in the Church that gave it to you? That is irrational.

Since you like to believe sacred texts in a vacuum, why aren’t you muslim? Why aren’t you Mormon?

To insist on the bible as the sole source of faith is unbiblical. How do you live with this contradiction?

[ealgeone]

Nope. Even Protestants get this: “Elisabeth confessed faith already in the person of Jesus, for she noted that Mary bore the God-man (mother of my Lord).” Footnote in The Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible for Luke 1:43.

So now this version of the Bible is acceptable to you?

Catholics never cease to amaze when you like to accept ECFs, Luther, etc. One day they're in....next day they're out.

Bottom line....you're reading something in the text that is not there.

[Romulus]

How many natures does Jesus have? How many wills?

I thought you claimed to know him. So tell me.

[Romulus]

Is it possible to be Christian without the Bible? How would you do that?

[Cvengr]

The Church never gave man, the Bible.

Those who seek to usurp authority from God, claim they have inherited authority directly from Him and nobody else can have fellowship with Him except through them.

Such is not the Gospel.

God provides His Word to man and has given us Scripture to understand Him more directly through faith alone in Christ alone.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

I posted that just as something I observed, and thought there might be some significance to it. From my own limited knowledge, and from a practical point of view, it seems that "Mother of God" and "Theotokos" is six of one, half-dozen of the other. A birthgiver is a mother. The key is to understand how that designation is intended, what it means for Mary's role, and what it means christologically. And we have the term showing up in "Axion estin": μητέρα τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν. I don't remember what musical piece the chanter was chanting when the bishop corrected him, but I'm thinking maybe it was something that had Θεοτοκος in the original text, not μητέρα τοῦ Θεοῦ, and the bishop wanted him to stick with the original.

[Romulus]

So you’re saying your faith is mediated through the Scriptures?

If the Church didn’t compile the Bible, where does it come from? Is it self-authenticating?

[ealgeone]

There is plenty of biblical support for those who aren’t willfully blind.

The Immaculate Conception from catholic encyclopedia online:(http://www.catholic.org/encyclopedia/view.php?id=6056)

No direct or categorical and stringent proof of the dogma can be brought forward from Scripture.

You are in disagreement with Catholicism's own admission on this topic.

Nor is biblical support necessary, as I’ve explained.

How can you place your faith in the bible, but refuse to believe in the Church that gave it to you? That is irrational.

The early NT church did yes....not the roman catholic church as there is no evidence of the rcc in the New Testament.

Since you like to believe sacred texts in a vacuum, why aren’t you muslim? Why aren’t you Mormon?

To insist on the bible as the sole source of faith is unbiblical. How do you live with this contradiction?

Jesus often said, "it is written". The Bereans searched the Scriptures to confirm what they were hearing is truth. John wrote in two places he had written down information so we'd know it was true. There is ample evidence of relying upon the written Word in both Old and New Testaments.

Do you even know why the early church put the NT canon together? One of the reasons was false teaching that was creeping into the church through such writings as the Protoevangelum of James (145 AD). You may be familiar with this writing. It was the earliest to talk about Mary being a perpetual virgin.

That the rcc has never included this as part of the canon, even though they had a chance at Trent, should tell you all you need to know about this book.

Same with the Didache. Never included.

Same with Clement....never included.

Perhaps it is you who should be the Mormon....they don't rely upon the Bible as their sole source of authority either. Perhaps you'd like to start using the Book of Mormon....maybe the Koran....maybe Hindu teachings....maybe something from the Church of Oprah??

[ealgeone]

Is it possible to be Christian without the Bible? How would you do that?

Wrong question....would you know Christ without the Bible?