I am not aware of any Apostle or student of one of the Apostles who addressed the issue to defend perpetual virginity. Can you point me to one or two prior to 170 -200AD?
I am not aware of any Apostle or student of one of the Apostles who addressed the issue to defend perpetual virginity. Can you point me to one or two prior to 170 -200AD?
I cannot. The Apostles certainly would have known whether or not Mary had any other children, but as far as I know, there is no record of the Apostles ever commenting on this issue. The earliest document on the subject is said to have been written in the 2nd century and it wasn’t until the 3rd or 4th century that others wrote about it. From what I understand, Christians of that time believed, almost without exception, that Mary was a virgin her entire life. I’m not sure why they believed this; I may someday look at the writings from that time. For now, though, we are losing an hour and I need to retire for the night. Good Night and peace be with you.