-— even though the Bible only states that Mary was a virgin at the time of her conception of Jesus and goes no further than that and there is the fact that Mary had a husband and Jesus had brothers and sisters -—
Mary is ENGAGED to Joseph when Gabriel tells her, “You will bear a child...”
Mary doesn’t reply, “well, I AM getting married, after all.”
No. She asks, “How can this be?”
Interpret this as you like. Luther has given you permission. But Sacred Tradition interprets this as reflecting Mary’s vow of perpetual virginity. I will go with the Teaching of Christ’s Church, “the pillar and foundation of truth.”
“If he will not listen to the church, treat him as a pagan or tax collector.” —Jesus
The word for “brothers and sisters” can also mean cousins.
Jesus and Paul COMMEND celibacy IN THE BIBLE, if that carries any weight with you.
Suggest you read 1 Timothy 3:1-7 for a thorough job description for service in the priesthood coming straight from Paul.
-—Mary is ENGAGED to Joseph when Gabriel tells her, “You will bear a child...”
Mary doesn’t reply, “well, I AM getting married, after all.”
No. She asks, “How can this be?”-—
Except that Gabriel says to Mary in 1:31 that “you will conceive IN THE WOMB.” Women don’t conceive in the womb, and what Gabriel says is a Greek construction only used that one time as far as I can see, and I have looked. I’d be happy to post more of what I found out about it, if you’d like. If what is meant then is conceiving without sexual relations, then Mary would phrase her question in the terms for that which God’s Word uses, asking how she would conceive without knowing a man.