-— The poor woman was married for at LEAST 12 years after Jesus’ birth and STILL Jospeh did NOT consummate the marriage?
Really???-—
When told that she was to give birth to a child, she didn’t reply, “That wouldn’t be surprising, since I am young and will soon be married.”
What does the Bible record her as saying?
Other early documents and Tradition confirm her perpetual virginity.
Protoevangelium of James 4, 7 [A.D. 120]
“And when she was twelve years old there was held a council of priests, saying, ‘Behold, Mary has reached the age of twelve years in the temple of the Lord. What then shall we do with her, lest perchance she defile the sanctuary of the Lord?’ And they said to the high priest, ‘You stand by the altar of the Lord; go in and pray concerning her, and whatever the Lord shall manifest to you, that also will we do.’ . . . [A]nd he prayed concerning her, and behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him saying, ‘Zechariah! Zechariah! Go out and assemble the widowers of the people and let them bring each his rod, and to whomsoever the Lord shall show a sign, his wife shall she be. . . . And Joseph [was chosen]. . . . And the priest said to Joseph, ‘You have been chosen by lot to take into your keeping the Virgin of the Lord.’ But Joseph refused, saying, ‘I have children, and I am an old man, and she is a young girl’”...
Finally, it is fitting that the womb that bore Christ did not bear other children. (The Ark of the Covenant was a type for Mary).
Your document 'confirms' NOTHING!
FITTING?
How arrogant!
...and so?
Are there other "early" documents that you also adhere to?
Is THIS one?
Papal Condemnation (Sentence) of Galileo
(June 22, 1633)
I'll assume not.
Now, you explain this:
Καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἐκεῖθεν, καὶ a ἔρχεται εἰς τὴν πατρίδα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀκολουθοῦσιν αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ. καὶ γενομένου σαββάτου ἤρξατο [ διδάσκειν ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ] · καὶ a οἱ πολλοὶ ἀκούοντες ἐξεπλήσσοντο λέγοντες· Πόθεν τούτῳ ταῦτα, καὶ τίς ἡ σοφία ἡ δοθεῖσα b τούτῳ, καὶ c αἱ δυνάμεις τοιαῦται διὰ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ d γινόμεναι; οὐχ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τέκτων, ὁ υἱὸς a τῆς Μαρίας [ καὶ ἀδελφὸς] Ἰακώβου καὶ b Ἰωσῆτος καὶ Ἰούδα καὶ Σίμωνος; καὶ οὐκ εἰσὶν αἱ ἀδελφαὶ αὐτοῦ ὧδε πρὸς ἡμᾶς; καὶ ἐσκανδαλίζοντο ἐν αὐτῷ. (Mark 6:1-3)
The use of the words: adelphos and adelphē are IMPORTANT because of the CONTEXT. Even though the words can have different meanings, here they mean "siblings". You must interpret scripture with scripture. Otherwise, your hermeneutics is flawed. (2 Tim 2:15)
Here is the ESV:
He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.
You really need to READ and STUDY (the Bible) more than you LISTEN (to fables.) Otherwise, you are on a path to destruction. You can't serve two masters. This is true for you, me, and everyone else here.
When told that she was to give birth to a child, she didn’t reply, “That wouldn’t be surprising, since I am young and will soon be married.”
What does the Bible record her as saying?
How can it be since I AM a virgin?
She says NOTHING about remaining a virgin? The only prophecy that was made about the condition of His mother was that Jesus would be born of a virgin, and that happened when Mary gave birth to Jesus.
There is NO prophecy that states that Mary would ever remain a virgin, or needed to remain a virgin.
Once Jesus was born and that prophecy was fulfilled, Mary fulfilled the role for which God chose her and she was free to married and have a normal relationship with Joseph, which included having sex.
And Scripture clearly states that Joseph took Mary AS HIS WIFE but did not know her (have sex) until AFTER she had given birth to Jesus.
There is and was absolutely no reason for Mary to remain a virgin.
Other early documents and Tradition confirm her perpetual virginity.
They *confirm* nothing.
They may state it, but Scripture, being God breathed, states otherwise and says that Mary had other children and Joseph had sex with her after Jesus birth.