Posted on 08/17/2015 6:07:35 PM PDT by 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.
Your unbiblical insistence on man made doctrines makes me sad.
Thank you for finally admitting that God made Mary the Mother of God.
So can you prove to anyone when God fully indwelt Jesus? we have Bible passages which indicate it was at the Baptism performed by John the Baptist. God did not make Mary the Mother of God, He made Mary the Mother of Jesus. And all we humans this side of the Rapture can see of God is where He intersected our 4D Universe in the person of Jesus. [John 14]
The Holy Spirit is our guide, not some dead guy. I never knew Luther, but I do know Jesus!
Seems like a lot of heat and light, but no truth seems to be coming from these Roman Catholic cultists. It's all about their false religion, not our relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, and led by the Holy Spirit!
Hebrews 12: 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
I was wrong. Thank you for correcting me — she DID conceive Him.
Saying Protestantism has nothing to do with Luther is like saying Islamic terrorism has nothing to do with Islam.
Nice try. (the only comparison here being disassociation...not terrorism.)
“The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.”
Anyone who says that Jesus Christ was not the Second Person of the Trinity (Who existed from eternity) from the moment of conception in the womb of Mary is not a Christian.
“And who am I that the MOTHER OF MY LORD should come to me,” said St. Elizabeth to Mary when Mary was about a week pregnant.
“And who am I that the MOTHER OF MY LORD should come to me,” said St. Elizabeth to Mary, when Mary was about a week pregnant.
Now, this comes straight out of the gospel of St. Luke. Who wrote the gospel of St. Luke? GOD! Correct?
So St. Luke reports that Elizabeth—herself speaking under the influence of the Holy Spirit, because her BABY leapt in her womb when she heard Mary’s voice—called Mary “the mother of my Lord.”
And WHO is this “Lord”? GOD! Correct?
So the gospel calls Mary the “mother of [the] Lord,” which is EXACTLY equivalent to “Mother of God.”
Are you going to continue to contradict the word of God, the gospel, the Scriptures, by refusing to call Mary “the mother of God”?
LOL....this got deleted ......
I dont want to be in line and hear “so...which one of you was talking crap about my mom”
Too funny and too close to home I guess.
When are you going to stop asserting Mary was the Mother of God the Father?
“When are you going to stop asserting Mary was the Mother of God the Father?”
...About the same time Hell freezes!
To the Roman Catholic cult, a simple Jewish girl can become like God, as Co-remptrix and mediators!
It’s a cult. They don’t need no stinking Scriptures, as long as their leaders tell them that black is white!
“Saying Protestantism has nothing to do with Luther is like saying Islamic terrorism has nothing to do with Islam.”
I just love the credit men give to men, while ignoring the work of the Holy Spirit. That is the reason Roman Catholicism is nothing different from other cults, only larger and older. They want to credit everything to their group.
BTW, did you know there were other people who disagree with the cult from Rome?
Romans 1: 18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
That would be "The Catholic Supply Company of St. Louis," and this would be superstition.
There's nothing wrong with asking St. Joseph to pray for you, in order to sell your home. But burying his statue crosses into superstition. The listing eventually gets around to saying that:
Selling a home or know someone who needs a little help? Ask St. Joseph! He's helped thousands! This best-selling home sale kit includes one 3.5" plastic statue and laminated prayer card for prayer as he's buried in your yard. For centuries people have prayed to St. Joseph for his help. In more recent times it has become common practice to bury a St. Joseph statue to help sell your home. While customs vary, we have found that it is your faith and prayers that matter the most, not where or how you bury the statue. Pray to St. Joseph daily and witness the power of prayer!And this company is not owned by or affiliated with the Church.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.