Posted on 05/11/2014 8:13:59 AM PDT by NKP_Vet
Irenaeus
“The Virgin Mary, being obedient to his word, received from an angel the glad tidings that she would bear God” (Against Heresies, 5:19:1 [A.D. 189]).
Hippolytus
“[T]o all generations they [the prophets] have pictured forth the grandest subjects for contemplation and for action. Thus, too, they preached of the advent of God in the flesh to the world, his advent by the spotless and God-bearing (theotokos) Mary in the way of birth and growth, and the manner of his life and conversation with men, and his manifestation by baptism, and the new birth that was to be to all men, and the regeneration by the laver [of baptism]” (Discourse on the End of the World 1 [A.D. 217]).
Gregory the Wonderworker
“For Luke, in the inspired Gospel narratives, delivers a testimony not to Joseph only, but also to Mary, the Mother of God, and gives this account with reference to the very family and house of David” (Four Homilies 1 [A.D. 262]).
“It is our duty to present to God, like sacrifices, all the festivals and hymnal celebrations; and first of all, [the feast of] the Annunciation to the holy Mother of God, to wit, the salutation made to her by the angel, ‘Hail, full of grace!’” (ibid., 2).
Peter of Alexandria
“They came to the church of the most blessed Mother of God, and ever-virgin Mary, which, as we began to say, he had constructed in the western quarter, in a suburb, for a cemetery of the martyrs” (The Genuine Acts of Peter of Alexandria [A.D. 305]).
“We acknowledge the resurrection of the dead, of which Jesus Christ our Lord became the firstling; he bore a body not in appearance but in truth derived from Mary the Mother of God” (Letter to All Non-Egyptian Bishops 12 [A.D. 324]).
Methodius
“While the old man [Simeon] was thus exultant, and rejoicing with exceeding great and holy joy, that which had before been spoken of in a figure by the prophet Isaiah, the holy Mother of God now manifestly fulfilled” (Oration on Simeon and Anna 7 [A.D. 305]).
“Hail to you forever, you virgin Mother of God, our unceasing joy, for unto you do I again return. . . . Hail, you fount of the Son’s love for man. . . . Wherefore, we pray you, the most excellent among women, who boast in the confidence of your maternal honors, that you would unceasingly keep us in remembrance. O holy Mother of God, remember us, I say, who make our boast in you, and who in august hymns celebrate your memory, which will ever live, and never fade away” (ibid., 14).
Cyril of Jerusalem
“The Father bears witness from heaven to his Son. The Holy Spirit bears witness, coming down bodily in the form of a dove. The archangel Gabriel bears witness, bringing the good tidings to Mary. The Virgin Mother of God bears witness” (Catechetical Lectures 10:19 [A.D. 350]).
Ephraim the Syrian
“Though still a virgin she carried a child in her womb, and the handmaid and work of his wisdom became the Mother of God” (Songs of Praise 1:20 [A.D. 351]).
Athanasius
“The Word begotten of the Father from on high, inexpressibly, inexplicably, incomprehensibly, and eternally, is he that is born in time here below of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God” (The Incarnation of the Word of God 8 [A.D. 365]).
Epiphanius of Salamis
“Being perfect at the side of the Father and incarnate among us, not in appearance but in truth, he [the Son] reshaped man to perfection in himself from Mary the Mother of God through the Holy Spirit” (The Man Well-Anchored 75 [A.D. 374]).
Ambrose of Milan
“The first thing which kindles ardor in learning is the greatness of the teacher. What is greater than the Mother of God? What more glorious than she whom Glory Itself chose?” (The Virgins 2:2[7] [A.D. 377]).
Gregory of Nazianz
“If anyone does not agree that holy Mary is Mother of God, he is at odds with the Godhead” (Letter to Cledonius the Priest 101 [A.D. 382]).
Jerome
“As to how a virgin became the Mother of God, he [Rufinus] has full knowledge; as to how he himself was born, he knows nothing” (Against Rufinus 2:10 [A.D. 401]).
“Do not marvel at the novelty of the thing, if a Virgin gives birth to God” (Commentaries on Isaiah 3:7:15 [A.D. 409]).
Theodore of Mopsuestia
“When, therefore, they ask, ‘Is Mary mother of man or Mother of God?’ we answer, ‘Both!’ The one by the very nature of what was done and the other by relation” (The Incarnation 15 [A.D. 405]).
Cyril of Alexandria
“I have been amazed that some are utterly in doubt as to whether or not the holy Virgin is able to be called the Mother of God. For if our Lord Jesus Christ is God, how should the holy Virgin who bore him not be the Mother of God?” (Letter to the Monks of Egypt 1 [A.D. 427]).
“This expression, however, ‘the Word was made flesh’ [John 1:14], can mean nothing else but that he partook of flesh and blood like to us; he made our body his own, and came forth man from a woman, not casting off his existence as God, or his generation of God the Father, but even in taking to himself flesh remaining what he was. This the declaration of the correct faith proclaims everywhere. This was the sentiment of the holy Fathers; therefore they ventured to call the holy Virgin ‘the Mother of God,’ not as if the nature of the Word or his divinity had its beginning from the holy Virgin, but because of her was born that holy body with a rational soul, to which the Word, being personally united, is said to be born according to the flesh” (First Letter to Nestorius [A.D. 430]).
“And since the holy Virgin corporeally brought forth God made one with flesh according to nature, for this reason we also call her Mother of God, not as if the nature of the Word had the beginning of its existence from the flesh” (Third Letter to Nestorius [A.D. 430]).
“If anyone will not confess that the Emmanuel is very God, and that therefore the holy Virgin is the Mother of God, inasmuch as in the flesh she bore the Word of God made flesh [John 1:14]: let him be anathema” (ibid.).
John Cassian
“Now, you heretic, you say (whoever you are who deny that God was born of the Virgin), that Mary, the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, cannot be called the Mother of God, but the Mother only of Christ and not of God—for no one, you say, gives birth to one older than herself. And concerning this utterly stupid argument . . . let us prove by divine testimonies both that Christ is God and that Mary is the Mother of God” (On the Incarnation of Christ Against Nestorius 2:2 [A.D. 429]).
“You cannot then help admitting that the grace comes from God. It is God, then, who has given it. But it has been given by our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore the Lord Jesus Christ is God. But if he is God, as he certainly is, then she who bore God is the Mother of God” (ibid., 2:5).
Council of Ephesus
“We confess, then, our Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, perfect God and perfect man, of a rational soul and a body, begotten before all ages from the Father in his Godhead, the same in the last days, for us and for our salvation, born of Mary the Virgin according to his humanity, one and the same consubstantial with the Father in Godhead and consubstantial with us in humanity, for a union of two natures took place. Therefore we confess one Christ, one Son, one Lord. According to this understanding of the unconfused union, we confess the holy Virgin to be the Mother of God because God the Word took flesh and became man and from his very conception united to himself the temple he took from her” (Formula of Union [A.D. 431]).
Vincent of Lerins
“Nestorius, whose disease is of an opposite kind, while pretending that he holds two distinct substances in Christ, brings in of a sudden two persons, and with unheard-of wickedness would have two sons of God, two Christs,—one, God, the other, man; one, begotten of his Father, the other, born of his mother. For which reason he maintains that Saint Mary ought to be called, not the Mother of God, but the Mother of Christ” (The Notebooks 12[35] [A.D. 434]).
NIHIL OBSTAT: I have concluded that the materials
presented in this work are free of doctrinal or moral errors.
Bernadeane Carr, STL, Censor Librorum, August 10, 2004
IMPRIMATUR: In accord with 1983 CIC 827
permission to publish this work is hereby granted.
+Robert H. Brom, Bishop of San Diego, August 10, 2004
NONE of them knew Mary.
Here endeth the lesson.
And they (some of them) knew the apostles who knew Mary.
But then you don’t believe in Holy Tradition, what the Apostles might have passed down, person to person, face to face, do you?
Your loss.
I don't see that. The LORD specifically spoke to the Apostles in those texts, especially to Peter. He trained the Apostles and delegated his authority to them. You could make the case for those whom the apostles trained, and those whom they trained trained ... etc.
Yet with faith, prayer, and fasting could we do this ? The psych units, jails, and prisons are full of cases like this.
1st Timoyhy 2: For there is one mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus. One can only mean one. It can’t mean anything else. The Bible is God’s word. If the Bible says it that settles it. Your opinion does’nt matter.
If you are trying to make a point, it would help if you provided some context. Otherwise I'm not sure how to answer you. I'll speculate you have an issue with what the Catholic Catechism teaches and let you explain it from there.
1 Timothy 2: I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 7 Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity. 8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. 9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; 10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. 11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. 15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
Binding and loosing mean bidding and forbidding, granting and refusing, declaring lawful or unlawful. And it is only because of the gift of the Holy Spirit, that all believers are given, can we know and appl our Heavenly Father’s Laws and Will to our lives.
It is administration of our Heavenly Father’s Laws and statutes, which is how we know His Will- not from man made catechisms and statements of faith but out of the scriptures with the Holy Spirit as our helper.
His called out assembly, because of the Holy Spirit, would truly bind or loose only those things which God had already bound or loosed in heaven.
It was careful study and prayer and the help of the Holy Spirit while together that would allow the law like circumcision not to be applied to Gentiles..
They just didn’t come up with that willy nilly- it was ‘loosened’ on earth and scripture confirms that it had already been determined to be loosed in heaven by our Heavenly Father-
And we know from scripture that there were gentiles who were not circumcised but had still received the holy spirit so yes, Our Heavenly Father had ordained that to be changed.
A called out assembly is here to teach what God allows and forbids.. not to counsel together and say, let’s do it our way or have backroom deals or say ‘our will be done’ and God can’t help but change because he gave us the power..(we see lots of denominations doing this very thing )
Believers have the same Holy Spirit and we should have the same reverence for Our Heavenly Father’s Law and Will.
Did not Messiah bind up adultery law to even mean lusting after? or murder law to mean being angry with? Those laws were tightened.
Did he not loosen the Sabbath law by healing and doing good on that day?
The authority was in the hands of the chief priests at that time and they ‘lorded’ over the people- and did not do what they said for others to do.. by threat of their power..messiah called them hypocrites.
The power of the Holy Spirit is that it teaches us all things and brings us to rememberance all that Messiah says to us.
In Mathew, after mentionng binding and loosing, He states that when two believers agree on touching anything that they shall ask, it will be given to them. (If it be in accordance with our Heavenly Father’s will should be the correct assumption here)
Our heavenly Father will back up the decision made on earth by the group of believers on binding and loosing — when the decision is made according to His law and His will
Could it not be the same with a small group? The Holy Spirit again is our helper. And will not lead us away from our Heavenly Father nor cause administration from God’s law or His Will.. righteous decisions regarding the final outcome of any matter can be met without a counsel of pharisees..
Messiah is master teacher and His true and Holy Word is our instuction. The first believers had been given the keys to heaven. The keys to God’s laws that the Pharisees thought they had..
If we love Him, we will do His will and obey His commandments and not misuse the keys to heaven or as some have- made up a new set of keys to heaven based on man’s will..
Denominations will not be ruling or reigning. Saints will.. and any denominations who have strayed from our Heavenly Father’s laws and will, will soon find that His Will will be done, and they are good as done..
Who did he say that to ? He said that to the Apostles (or those eligible to be apostles). Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
It seems obvious to me that the LORD gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven to Peter, as the chief steward, with the Apostles. Now the real issue for us is where is that apostolic succession ?
Our key to heaven is the Holy Spirit, given by our Messiah.
Not some man. It is in the testimony of the Truth which is of the Father and the Son.
Any man that speaks for the Father or Son better have the Holy Spirit as the Holy Spirit is Truth.
And we are called to test all spirits to see if they are from our Heavenly Father.
Which makes these mary lies even more egregious..
And any church that ordains these as truth, are not holding the keys of heaven or the Spirit of Holiness..
They are false prophets.. 1 John 4:1
And yes, it seems an entire church can be false...
Mary is proof and sadly those 15 promises are a witness against an entire church..they are following the spirit of the world, not the spirit of truth.
So whomever you claim has the ‘keys’ as you understand them, it isn’t the roman catholic church...
I don't recognize that phrase from the Scriptures; where did you get it from ?
I will not speak a word against Miriam, the blessed Virgin of Israel, the mother of God with us.
We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.
Joahua answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’” (John 3:5-7)
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:(John 15:26)
Then Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Joshua Messiah for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy spirit” . (acts 2:38)
“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise” (Ephesians 1:13)
Holy Spirit is the key to the kingdom...
He that is IN ME is greater than he that is in the world.. 1 John 4:4..
That is a few scriptures about the holy spirit and its importance to a true believer and the kingdom..
The Holy Spirit is truth and just as Our Heavenly Father and Our Messiah cannot lie, the Holy Spirit will not lead us to lies..
And mary saying, as a promise, that Whoever shall faithfully SERVE ME by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces- that is is a REAL WHOPPER with extra cheese that Scripture proved as lies in the forum earlier.
And I think it is criminal that a Torah observant Israeli mother of Our Messiah of Israel has been hijacked and counterfeited and substituted for this greco roman latin queen of heaven..
And if it she leads to ‘jesus’, flee from jesus too.. he is counterfeit because she is lies..
Yup, you heard it here.. I will say it again.. this mary is exposed for a liar.. whether you believe it or not, is your business and denying truth won’t make the truth go away.
For far too many, Truth is hate to those who hate Truth...
.. but lying spirits are not from our Heavenly Father...and she is a liaron the witness of scripture.
A substitute, in place of/instead of (’anti’ in the greek) savior has been created..just as scripture warned us..and this substitute greco roman latin mother queen of heaven called mary fits in with the other ancient sun god worship of false gods and goddesses..
False prophets and substitute messiahs would come..and they would try to deceive even the very elect...
Protestants should heed this too....they should examine the mother church their protestant church was birthed from, and see what they accept as ‘givens’ without testing it...because there are at least four things that they almost accept as givens with little thought...
The messiah of Israel is not the jesus of the roman catholic church because mary of the roman catholic church is proven a liar with her own words.
And agan, with quick study, her daughter churches have adopted a few things from their mother church that should worry them too...
this lying mary spirit and her rosary is not truth.. if it isn’t Truth, It isn’t from our Heavenly Father..
May the real Truth come to believers who have been deceived long enough..
The Elohim of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and His only begotten Son, Joshua, our Savior will have no party with half truths, or white lie lying spirits, even if they claim to be the mother of a divine son...
It really comes from the father of lies (John 8:44)..and even satan can appear as an angel of light..2 Co 11:14...
Look at the relationship in Isaiah 37 when the Assyrians try to get the Jews to abandon faith in God and surrender. King Hezekiah takes the blasphemous letter into the house of the LORD and calls on Him in faith to save. The LORD answers through the prophet Isaiah, and pay particular attention to what he says about the virgin, the daughter of Zion and what she says about the Holy One of Israel, whom we know is Messiah the Son of the Highest. It is a perfect prophetic picture of the relationship between the LORD God of Israel and the blessed virgin of Israel always pointing to the Holy One of Israel to save Israel. Then read the Magnificant.
And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed unto the LORD, saying, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth. Incline thine ear, O LORD, and hear; open thine eyes, O LORD, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the living God. Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries, And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them. Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD, even thou only. Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent unto Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Whereas thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria: This is the word which the LORD hath spoken concerning him; The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee. Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.
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.