Comments on: Why do Catholics still call Mother Mary a virgin?

By: Daver

Daver — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:30:12 +0000

Virgin Mary is always
Exodus 13:2,12 - Jesus, who is sometimes called the "first-born son of Mary. But "first born" is a common Jewish expression meaning the first child to open the womb. It has nothing to do with children's mother.
Exodus 34:20 - under the Mosaic Law, the "first-born son had to be sanctified. "First born" status does not require a "second" born.
Ezekiel. 44:2 - Ezekiel prophesies that no one passing through the gateway through which the Lord entered the world. This is a prophecy of the perpetual virginity of Mary. Mary remained a virgin before, during and after the birth of Jesus.
Mark 6:3 - Jesus was always referred to as the "son of Mary, not" a "son of Mary. Also "brothers" in theory could have been children of Joseph who was a previous marriage dissolved by death. However, it is likely, perhaps most true, that Joseph was a virgin, as were Jesus and Mary. As such, it embodies the true Holy Family, totally devoted to God.
Luke 1:31,34 - the angel tells Mary that "will" design (using the future tense). Mary told her: "How is it possible?" Mary's response demonstrates that she had taken a vow of virginity for life because they have no intention of having sex with a man. If Mary had no such vow of lifelong virginity, her question would make no sense at all (so we can assume he knew how to conceive a child). She was a virgin consecrated as the church was an acceptable custom of the time.
Luke 2:41-51 - in a quest to find Jesus, and Him in the temple, there is never any mention of other siblings.
John 7:3-4, Mark 3:21 - we see that the young "brothers" were advising Jesus. But this would have been very disrespectful to devout Jews if they were biological brothers of Jesus.
John 19:26-27 - Jesus would have been unthinkable to commit the care of his mother to a friend if he had siblings.
John 19:25 - The following verses show that James and Joseph are Jesus' brothers and not their cousins: Mary, the wife of Cleophas is the sister of the Virgin Mary.
Matt. 27:61, 28:1 - including Matthew refers to Mary, the wife of Cleophas as "the other Mary."
Matt. 27:56, Mark 15:47 - Mary the wife of Cleophas is the mother of James and Joseph.
Mark 6:3 - James and Joseph are called "brothers" of Jesus. Therefore, James and Joseph are Jesus' cousins.
Matt. 10:3 - also called James the son of Alphaeus. " This does not disprove that James is the son of Cleophas. The name may be for Alpheus Cleophas Aramaic or Greek name was James and Saul (Paul), and Mary remarried a man named Alphaeus.
Jesus' "brothers" (adelphoi)) = Cousins or Kinsmen
Luke 1:36 - Elizabeth is a relative of Mary. Some Bibles translate kinswoman as "cousin", but this is an improper translation because in Hebrew and Aramaic, there is no word for "cousin."
Luke 22:32 - Jesus tells Peter to strengthen his "brothers." In this case, it is clear to see Jesus "brothers" to refer to the other apostles, not his biological brothers.
Acts 1:12-15 - the reunion of Jesus "brothers" amounts to about 120. That's a lot of "brothers." Half brother relatives in Hebrew.
Acts 7:26, 11:1, 13:15,38, 15:3,23,32, 28:17,21 - these are some of many examples where "brethren" does not mean that the relationship of blood .
Rom. 9:3 - Paul uses "brethren" and "family" interchangeably. "Brothers" of Jesus does not prove Mary had other children.
Gen. 11:26-28 - Lot is the nephew of Abraham ( "anepsios") / Gen. 13:8, 14:14,16 - Lot is called Abraham's brother (Adelphe). This shows that despite a Greek word for cousin is "anepsios" Scripture also uses "Adelphe" to describe a cousin.
Gen. 29:15 - Laban calls Jacob is "brother" even though Jacob is his nephew. Again, this shows that the brother or cousin media relations.
Deut. 23:7, 1 Chron. 15:5-18, Jer. 34:9, Neh. 5:7 - "brethren" means relatives. Hebrew and Aramaic have no word for "cousin."
2 Sam. 1:26, 1 Kings 9:13, 20:32 - here we see that "brethren" can even be an unrelated (not blood), as a friend.
2 Kings 10:13-14 - King Ahaziah of 42 "brothers" were actually their relatives.
1 Chron. 23:21-22 - Eleazar's daughters married their "brethren" who were actually cousins.
Neh. 4:14; 5:1,5,8,10,14 - these are examples of "brothers", which means "cousins" or "relatives."
Tobit 5:11 - Tobías Azarias asked to identify himself and his people, but still calls him "brother."
Amos 1: 9 - brotherhood can also mean an ally (where there is no blood).

By: Pastor Billy

Pastor Billy — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:30:12 +0000

Pastor Billy says: this question is all wrong, the question should be why do not most Protestants still believe that all prophets taught about the original protester eternal virginity of Mary as the Christian Church has done so until the day of today 2000 years later?
see my yahoo 360, Luther, Calvin, Zwingli and Wesley later we all believed and taught his new creation of the Protestant congregations that Mary was not only Mother of God, but also eternally virgin.
Catholics still eternally virgin named Mary, because there is nothing to prove otherwise, not on tradition or the Bible. Many times people try to use the script for another answer, but always having to do it out of context.
http://www.catholic.com/library/Brethren see …
for a deeper answer to your question.

By: Church Music Girl

Church Music Girl — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:30:12 +0000

Official Catholic teaching that Mary was a virgin forever. Stating that the teaching of Biblical passages which refer to Jesus' brothers and sisters are misnomers language, the language used in the original texts did not connote a relationship of blood.
* Crickets *
No, I do not buy that. I understand that the title "Our Lady" because she gave birth to Jesus without having sex first. For me, tend to refer to as the "Virgin". (This is one of the topics on which I respectfully disagree with my religion.)

By: andrew a

andrew a — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:30:12 +0000

The so-called immaculate conception …. She is the mother of Jesus !!!… WOW! Whoopee! Big deal! She is a sinner like the rest of us.

By: Valerie

Valerie — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:30:12 +0000

Catholics call Mary the virgin mother and because:
1. Conceived Jesus Christ through spiritual strength from the Holy Spirit and not through intercourse. Therefore, Jesus was a virgin birth.
2. When Joseph was married to her, Joseph was an older man and had children by a previous marriage. At the time of Jose de Jesus reaches adulthood and is out of the picture and the presumption of death.
3. The brothers of Jesus mentioned in the Bible could have been the sons of Joseph, the first marriage or other close relatives. This is supported by many ancient manuscripts.
4. When Jesus was dying on the cross says to Mary "Behold your son" referring to the apostle John. The Bible tells us that from that day Mary was taken into the house of the apostle. Why Jesus gave his mother to a disciple and not the sons of Mary? This would have been unheard of in the first century. This passage means that the early church took Mary as a mother would. Mary is the mother of the Church.
5. Christians are called to imitate Christ. Christ is our spiritual brother, his mother becomes our mother, and her father is in heaven, "Our Father in heaven."

By: Adam's Rib

Adam's Rib — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:30:12 +0000

A good Jewish wife having sex with her husband. Mary did not remain a virgin after Jesus. Most scholars admit that there were at least two sisters and four brothers. However, Catholics have their own agenda.They say when the Bible contradicts their teachings, their doctrines are correct.

By: Sister blue eyes

Sister blue eyes — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:30:12 +0000

My understanding is that they believe that Joseph and Mary never knew one another.
With respect to the brothers and sisters, I * think * that is to believe they were the sons of Joseph's first wife.

By: DougLawr

DougLawr — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:30:12 +0000

Catholics know, because the Catholics were there with her during her life, and Mary had no other sons or daughters.
So St. John in charge of their care, at the foot of the cross. There was nobody else.
Those who really believe they can interpret the words of Scripture without reference to truth, to believe whatever they want to believe.
Catholics know that Mary was a virgin before, during and after the birth of Jesus, and today remains a virgin, and totally devoted entirely to God.

By: ED SNOW

ED SNOW — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:30:12 +0000

Is not this the carpenter's son? It is not called his mother Mary and his brothers, Jacob, Joseph, Simon and Judas. MATT 13:55-56.

By: Giggly Giraffe

Giggly Giraffe — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:30:12 +0000

496 From the first formulations of faith, the Church has confessed that Jesus was conceived solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, affirming also the corporeal aspect of this event: Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit without human seeds. The Fathers see in the virginal conception the sign that truly was the Son of God who came in a humanity like our own. Thus, St. Ignatius of Antioch at the beginning of the second century says:
You are firmly convinced of our Lord, who is truly of the race of David according to the flesh, Son of God according to the will and power of God, truly born of a virgin. . . really was nailed to a tree for us in his flesh under Pontius Pilate. . . who really suffered, as he is truly risen.
497 The Gospel accounts understand the virginal conception of Jesus as a divine work that surpasses all human understanding and possibility: "What is in it is the Holy Spirit," said the angel to Joseph about Mary, his betrothed . The Church sees the fulfillment of God's promise through the prophet Isaiah: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a child."
498 People are sometimes concerned about the silence of St. Mark's Gospel and epistles of the New Testament about Jesus' virginal conception. Some might wonder if these are just legends or theological constructs not claiming to be history. You have to respond: Faith in the virginal conception of Jesus met with lively opposition, mockery or incomprehension of non-believers, Jews and pagans alike, so it could hardly have been motivated by pagan mythology or by adaptation to the ideas of the age. The significance of this event is accessible only to faith, he took on the "connection of these mysteries with one another in all the mysteries of Christ from his Incarnation to his Passover. St. Ignatius of Antioch already bears witness to this connection: "Mary's virginity and giving birth, and even the Lord's death escaped the notice of the prince of this world: these three mysteries worthy of proclamation were made in the silence of God. "