Posted on 01/11/2012 7:34:56 PM PST by RnMomof7
Mary: Mother of God?
This article is prompted by an ad in the Parade Magazine titled: "Mary Mother of God: What All Mankind Should Know." The offer was made for a free pamphlet entitled "Mary Mother of Jesus" with this explanation: "A clear, insightful pamphlet explains the importance of Mary and her role as Mother of God."
This is quite a claim, to say the least! Nowhere in the Bible is Mary said to be the mother of God. I touched on this subject in a series on "Mary Co-Redeemer with Christ" printed recently.
Question: If Mary is the Mother of God, Who, may I ask, is the Father of God? Does God have a Father, and if He does, Who is His Mother?
The phrase "Mother of God" originated in the Council of Ephesus, in the year 431 AD. It occurs in the Creed of Chalcedon, which was adopted by the council in 451 AD. This was the declaration given at that time: "Born of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God according to the Manhood." The purpose of this statement originally was meant to emphasize the deity of Christ over against the teaching of the Nestorians whose teaching involved a dual-natured Jesus. Their teaching was that the person born of Mary was only a man who was then indwelt by God. The title "Mother of God" was used originally to counter this false doctrine. The doctrine now emphasizes the person of Mary rather than the deity of Jesus as God incarnate. Mary certainly did not give birth to God. In fact, Mary did not give birth to the divinity of Christ. Mary only gave birth to the humanity of Jesus. The only thing Jesus got from Mary was a body. Every Human Being has received a sinful nature from their parents with one exception: Jesus was not human. He was divine God in a flesh body. This is what Mary gave birth to. Read Hebrews 10:5 and Phil 2:5-11.
Please refer to Hebrews 10:5 where we see. "...Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me."
The body of Jesus was prepared by God. In Matthew 1:18, "she was found with child of the Holy Ghost."
The divine nature of Jesus existed from before eternity, and this cannot be said of Mary Jesus never called her "mother". He called her "woman".
This doctrine deifies Mary and humanizes Jesus. Mary is presented as stronger that Christ, more mature and more powerful that Christ. Listen to this statement by Rome: "He came to us through Mary, and we must go to Him through her." The Bible plainly states that God is the Creator of all things. It is a blasphemous attack on the eternity of God to ever teach that He has a mother. Mary had other children who were normal, physical, sinful human beings. In the case of Jesus Christ, "His human nature had no father and His divine nature had no mother."
It is probably no coincidence that this false doctrine surrounding Mary was born in Ephesus. Please read Acts 19:11-41 and see that Ephesus had a problem with goddess worship. Her name was Diana, Gk. Artemis. You will not have to study very deep to find the similarities between the goddess Diana and the Roman Catholic goddess, Mary. It should be noted that the Mary of the 1st century and the Mary of the 20th century are not the same. Mary of the 1st century was the virgin who gave birth to the Messiah. Mary of the 20th century is a goddess created by the Roman Catholic Church. A simple comparison of what the Bible teaches about Mary and what the Roman Catholic Church teaches about her will reveal two different Marys. Mary is not the "Mother of God." If she were she would be GOD! There is only one true, eternal God. He was not born of a woman. Any teaching on any subject should be backed up by the word of God. If it cannot be supported by Scriptures, it is false doctrine.
It doesn't make any one person any better than any other.
GREAT point.
Meanwhile, Scripture rejects the glorification of human beings on their own merit, especially to the wicked point of giving them blasphemous titles like "queen of the universe" and "mother of all mankind."
Mary is not anyone's mother but the children to whom she physically gave birth.
Some rituals and mindless traditions of the RCC are merely foolish and empty superstitions which reveal a lack of trust in God. However, the deification of Mary is a whole different kind of sacrilege where God's word implies the penalty is far more severe.
you have freepmail
eter and the 11 REMAIN in Jerusalem and preach the gospel of the circumcision.
Yeah, except they didn’t stay in Jerusalem the WHOLE time did they?
I guess you forgot that Peter went to Lydda, Joppa and Caesarea.
Rather than liberal Protestantism being a product of Sola Scriptura as the word of God after its historical Scriptural “tradition,”.... they evidence rejection of the Scriptures as the supreme authority and the word of God.
I agree with this and evidenced this over the years as my work took me to various churches along the way. More distinctive in some than others but the liberal mindset has definitely impacted the whole climate of the churches....and in many we see the members attempting to fight this off....generally a "visitor" does not see this but the Lord has his people within and they do share of the unrest once they see you are a Christian.
It's a mistake to say all Protestant churches are expereincing this liberal mindset...but yes a vast majority, especially the big impact churches.
To say that the Church replaced Israel is wrong, and the Church does not say that. We are adopted heirs owing our sonship and salvation to Jesus, the Messiah, for which the Jews had long awaited and whom God promised way back at the beginning.
Those Jews who reject Jesus are have chosen to remain under the old covenant. Those Jews who accept Jesus as the Messiah are under the new covenant.
There is no different covenant or dispensation from God to the Gentiles, it is one and the same.
God is unchanging and He told us through His prophets of the OT and we hear it from Jesus Himself, that the salvation Jesus brings is the salvation of ALL and that there is no distinction between Jew, Greek, Gentile, woman, man, slave or free.
God never withdrew His promises to Israel, they are fulfilled in Jesus and we are coheirs.
The Church says that this is the NEW Covenant of the NEW Israel, not a replacement of the old, but the PERFECTION of it.
Yes Peter went to Lydda, Joppa, and Caesarea. And preached to WHOM? The Jews. The gospel of the circumcision. That was commissioned by Jesus Christ to the 12. Cornelius is the first Gentile to hear the kingdom gospel since Pentecost. And I might add, Paul was saved in Acts 9, so there is a reason Peter is sent to Cornelius, a Gentile.
I agree but also see some who "borrow" from both sides of that aisle when they attempt to justify their beliefs. There are also those who are simply undecided in what they believe about Catholicism...to them the "title" is what's significant...all the rest is simply "lip-service" in their opinion...they are free to believe as they might choose and belief fully they are catholics and that's sufficient for them....which likely places them in the "liberal" camp.
“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ “
Roman Catholic theologian Father Hubert J. Richards agrees that the Revelation 12 woman refers to Israel. His book, What The Spirit Says to the Churches: A Key to the Apocalypse of John, carries the Nihil obstat and Imprimatur of the Roman Catholic Church.13 Concerning the woman of Revelation 12, Father Richards writes: (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2831799/posts?page=1343#1343)
[24] The nihil obstat and imprimatur are a declaration that a book is considered to be free from doctrinal and moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the nihil obstat and imprimatur agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.
As with nearly everything Catholic you have no idea what is meant by the things you try to use to “accuse” the Church.
More irony, in that Protestants continually harp about Catholics being unable to think or interpret Scripture for themselves, yet here YOU have posted proof that a Catholic disagrees with the Church regarding this verse from Revelation.
The interesting thing is that the Church, as it does with so much of Scripture understands that the both/and nature of the Holy Writ, something Protestants just can’t seem to grasp.
That is why the woman in Genesis and in Revelation can be Mary, Israel and the Church as all three fulfill all or some of what is written.
The WOMAN is seen at the beginning and at the end. Mary was at Jesus’ beginning and at His end.
Sorry, if these things are too deep for the one dimensional, black and white, Protestant.
AS I said, protestantism is a SEA of confusion.
That is why the Church is called the Barque of Peter, as it was/is from there that Jesus calms that raging sea.
As we have seen during its 500 year history, protestantism is a raging storm of doctrine and personal theology with no rudder and that is why so much heresy like huge waves tosses it about.
Amazing Daniel....the fact catholics have made a decision,... 'based on human reason',... to believe in the Vatican and it's teachings does make the point.
Very good. At least the non Christians were opposed. Do you oppose them?
Amen! ....All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. .....2 Timothy 3:16-17
...Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her ....'with the washing of water by the word',..... that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.... Ephesians 5:25-27
Try to imagine how much we care.
Then you may wish to get your story straight.
I don’t normally respond to liars who post lies about me. You may feel privileged.
More like a witches' brew than a sea.
That is why the Church is called the Barque of Peter, as it was/is from there that Jesus calms that raging sea.
Much wisdom. I thank you.
someone doesn’t like talking about the “prophetess” and her teaching Jesus was a created being Michael the archangel.
Mark, you are right, i don’t care.
As far as Mary goes, we call her Blessed and the unbelievers call her Ishtar.
"Nay, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God. We see that Christ treats almost as a matter of indifference that point on which the woman had set a high value. And undoubtedly what she supposed to be Mary's highest honor was far inferior to the other favors which she had received; for it was of vastly greater importance to be regenerated by the Spirit of God than to conceive Christ, according to the flesh, in her womb; to have Christ living spiritually within her than to suckle him with her breasts. In a word, the highest happiness and glory of the holy Virgin consisted in her being a member of his Son, so that the heavenly Father reckoned her in the number of new creatures."
>> “someone doesn’t like talking about the “prophetess” and her teaching Jesus was a created being Michael the archangel.” <<
.
Is she by any chance your mother?
You are so obsessed with talking about her and seem to be the only living person that believes in her as a prophetess.
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