Mary: Mother of God?

What Does the Bible say? ^ | 01/11/2012 | Bro. Lev Humphries,

[RnMomof7]

Mary: Mother of God?

This article is prompted by an ad in the Parade Magazine titled: "Mary Mother of God: What All Mankind Should Know." The offer was made for a free pamphlet entitled "Mary Mother of Jesus" with this explanation: "A clear, insightful pamphlet explains the importance of Mary and her role as Mother of God."

This is quite a claim, to say the least! Nowhere in the Bible is Mary said to be the mother of God. I touched on this subject in a series on "Mary Co-Redeemer with Christ" printed recently.

Question: If Mary is the Mother of God, Who, may I ask, is the Father of God? Does God have a Father, and if He does, Who is His Mother?

The phrase "Mother of God" originated in the Council of Ephesus, in the year 431 AD. It occurs in the Creed of Chalcedon, which was adopted by the council in 451 AD. This was the declaration given at that time: "Born of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God according to the Manhood." The purpose of this statement originally was meant to emphasize the deity of Christ over against the teaching of the Nestorians whose teaching involved a dual-natured Jesus. Their teaching was that the person born of Mary was only a man who was then indwelt by God. The title "Mother of God" was used originally to counter this false doctrine. The doctrine now emphasizes the person of Mary rather than the deity of Jesus as God incarnate. Mary certainly did not give birth to God. In fact, Mary did not give birth to the divinity of Christ. Mary only gave birth to the humanity of Jesus. The only thing Jesus got from Mary was a body. Every Human Being has received a sinful nature from their parents with one exception: Jesus was not human. He was divine God in a flesh body. This is what Mary gave birth to. Read Hebrews 10:5 and Phil 2:5-11.

Please refer to Hebrews 10:5 where we see. "...Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me."

The body of Jesus was prepared by God. In Matthew 1:18, "she was found with child of the Holy Ghost."

The divine nature of Jesus existed from before eternity, and this cannot be said of Mary Jesus never called her "mother". He called her "woman".

This doctrine deifies Mary and humanizes Jesus. Mary is presented as stronger that Christ, more mature and more powerful that Christ. Listen to this statement by Rome: "He came to us through Mary, and we must go to Him through her." The Bible plainly states that God is the Creator of all things. It is a blasphemous attack on the eternity of God to ever teach that He has a mother. Mary had other children who were normal, physical, sinful human beings. In the case of Jesus Christ, "His human nature had no father and His divine nature had no mother."

It is probably no coincidence that this false doctrine surrounding Mary was born in Ephesus. Please read Acts 19:11-41 and see that Ephesus had a problem with goddess worship. Her name was Diana, Gk. Artemis. You will not have to study very deep to find the similarities between the goddess Diana and the Roman Catholic goddess, Mary. It should be noted that the Mary of the 1st century and the Mary of the 20th century are not the same. Mary of the 1st century was the virgin who gave birth to the Messiah. Mary of the 20th century is a goddess created by the Roman Catholic Church. A simple comparison of what the Bible teaches about Mary and what the Roman Catholic Church teaches about her will reveal two different Marys. Mary is not the "Mother of God." If she were she would be GOD! There is only one true, eternal God. He was not born of a woman. Any teaching on any subject should be backed up by the word of God. If it cannot be supported by Scriptures, it is false doctrine.

[one Lord one faith one baptism]

so the human nature of Jesus didn’t survive?

the false teaching just gets deeper.

[editor-surveyor]

When you reply to a person, it is customary to address what they have posted. Why do you post to me things so unrelated to what I posted?

[one Lord one faith one baptism]

when Thomas put his finger in the side of Jesus, was that a mirage?

[Rashputin]

"The divine nature of Jesus existed from before eternity, and this cannot be said of Mary Jesus never called her "mother". He called her "woman"."

Well, I guess John just went into the trash can along with those portions of the OT the heretics don't like.

Joh 19:26  When Jesus therefore had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: Woman, behold thy son.

Joh 19:27  After that, he saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own.

Let the usual chorus of, "that's what Scripture says, but that's not what it means", begin because without revising, reinterpreting, misinterpreting, and ignoring, Scripture you cannot deny that Mary was the Mother of God without denying that Jesus Christ is God.

Of course, people who routinely call Jesus Christ a liar probably don't believe Jesus Christ as described in the New Testament is God anyway, they much prefer their Jesus Christ 2.0. Their version of Christ will gain control of the world by political and military means while they watch from the peanut gallery after snatching away all those who bought into the The Rapture of The Snowflakes Doctrine. At least that's what the "Sola Yourselfa" Snowflake Sect teach after deciphering their Jesus Christ 2.0 anti-Christ doctrine with their decoder rings and instructions from the books authored by the False Messiah Millionaires they follow. So, Pharisee canon, Pharisee view of both Christ and their Jesus Christ 2.0 Messiah which are not one and the same.

[CynicalBear]

>> i will put you down as another one who agrees with Joseph Smith that the Church was apostate in 431ad.<<

I certainly was the church at Rome that was apostate. The true church of Christ has never left Him.

[editor-surveyor]

>> “so the human nature of Jesus didn’t survive?” <<

.
More deliberate strawman posting!

His human BODY died, and his incorruptible body arose.

[lastchance]

There is nothing wrong with calling Mary the Mother of Christ the problem arose when Nestorious used it to promote his belief that Jesus is two distinct persons. The title Mother of God arose in answer to that heresy.

If it is not used to deny that Christ is one person fully divine and fully human the title is quite appropriate and not heterodox.

[narses]

“Nothing Mary gave Jesus survived.”

An age old heresy that has been refuted by Christians again and again.

[Al Hitan]

You are confusing yourself!

I'm not confusing myself, I'm asking you a question.

When Mary gave birth to Jesus, was He only Human or was He divine? It's a simple question and a simple answer will suffice, if you have one.

You’re trying to get something eternal to be born, and that is fallacy.

Is it a fallacy that Jesus is divine? Is it a fallacy that Jesus was born?

What did Elizabeth mean when she asked: "And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?"

[metmom]

At the particular judgment you will know whether you are going to heaven or to hell. At the General Judgment, EVERYONE will know whether you are a sheep or a goat.

I already know.

Romans 8:1-17

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

[one Lord one faith one baptism]

“true church of Christ has never left Him.”

where was this “true” church in 431ad?

did it’s members have any names or is it a figment of your imagination?

[wmfights]

Nice change in scripture there. Let’s look at what it really says.

Nice catch Brother.

[ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton]

You need to do whatever He tells you to.

And quit attacking his bride (the Church) and his mother.

Protestants like you remind me of children at the school yard...”Your mother wears combat boots”.

I used to be more antiCatholic than you. The Pope was the antiChrist.

But then the God lifted the blindness from my eyes.

[arthurus]

If Jesus Christ is not God then Mary was not the Mother of God. What verses in the Bible say that Jesus Christ is not God?

[D-fendr]

I assumed your beliefs, at least concerning Christ were orthodox as well, the same as tCatholic and most Protestant theologians.

[CynicalBear]

>>Wrong! - That is when he acquired his human body, but his divinity is from everlasting to everlasting; it had no beginning, nor will it have an end.<<

Technically you got me on that one. I was talking about the human body of Jesus received the divine nature at conception. Yes it had existed always but not in the body of Jesus on earth.

[CynicalBear]

>>And then there is the Apostles Creed. I wonder if these people say it?<<

Was no one saved prior to the Apostles Creed? Is scripture in error when it says that thousands were added etc?

[boatbums]

I really don't understand the almost hysterical responses every time Mary is discussed in any way OTHER than the way the Catholic Church has deemed truth. Most, when you get past the initial panic, will readily agree that, of course, Mary is not the mother of GOD, God, like she came before Him or is on the same level as Him or part of the "hypostatic" union of the Trinity. They will also accept that the Son of God has existed from eternity, that he always was, that he is the "I am", so that he had no birth in the sense of a beginning. That the Son of God became flesh, made man, God incarnate, is a major tenet of the Christian faith and no one here who is a Christian will deny that truth.

So, we agree that Mary was blessed among women and was chosen by God to bear the Son of God in his human form. I think we can even agree on that. Mary, also, is to be honored and is an example of the kind of trust and faith we should all endeavor to exemplify. She is a model of how Christians should behave - to never doubt God but to move forward in reliance that He keeps His promises. We love her as a sister in Christ, for she will be among us all as part of the Bride of Christ, the Church, His Body.

We can look at the writings of Luther, who recounted his early, Catholic, impressions of Mary as:

St. Bernard, who was a pious man otherwise, also said: ‘Behold how Christ chides, censures, and condemns the Pharisees so harshly throughout the Gospel, whereas the Virgin Mary is always kind and gentle and never utters an unfriendly word.’ From this he inferred: ‘Christ is given to scolding and punishing, but Mary has nothing but sweetness and love.’ Therefore Christ was generally feared; we fled from Him and took refuge with the saints, calling upon Mary and others to deliver us from our distress. We regarded them all as holier than Christ. Christ was only the executioner, while the saints were our mediators. (Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, 22: 377)

He also recollected, “Christ in His mercy was hidden from my eyes. I wanted to become justified before God through the merits of the saints. This gave rise to the petition for the intercession of the saints. On a portrait St. Bernard, too, is portrayed adoring the Virgin Mary as she directs her Son, Christ, to the breasts that suckled Oh, how many kisses we bestowed on Mary”![14] Luther concluded though, that even in St Bernard’s incessant praise of Mary as she directs the sinner toward Christ, Bernard left out Christ completely: “Bernard filled a whole sermon with praise of the Virgin Mary and in so doing forgot to mention what happened [the incarnation of Christ]; so highly did he… esteem Mary.” [15] Thus, young Luther partook in Mariolatry, but the mature Luther looking back saw only the excesses of medieval devotion and teaching on Mary. He saw that she had been adorned with attributes that only belonged to Christ. http://tquid.sharpens.org/luther_mary1.htm#_edn54

That is the danger I see for some - not all, of course - who stop making Jesus the center of their worship and faith, and they take their eyes off of him, sometimes not ever coming to the knowledge of the truth of the grace of God but fearing Him as a little child fears "Dad" and flees to "Mommy". I see that, in the goal of finessing the explanation of the Deity of Jesus Christ, the "Fathers" went too far and that is why today there is, IMHO, this ever-increasing interest and deference towards Mary that has overshadowed the glory that belongs to Christ, alone.

[G Larry]

Because then you contribute to the error of pretending Christ is not God, which sum and substance of the Mystery of the Trinity.

[lastchance]

Well there goes most of orthodox Christianity’s arguments against abortion.

Who the heck cares if a body is killed in the womb?