A piece of the Coptic translation of the First Apocalypse of James from the Nag Hammadi Codex V. Credit: Nag Hammadi Library, Oxford University.
A piece of the Coptic translation of the First Apocalypse of James from the Nag Hammadi Codex V. Credit: Nag Hammadi Library, Oxford University.
Mary, a virgin Jewess betrothed to Joseph, a faithful Jew, gave birth to Jesus. Jesus had a brother James. No second wife is mentioned for Joseph, Earthly father of Jesus. Some church doctrine says that Mary, Mother of Jesus remained virgin all her life. But Jewish law requires consummation for a marriage to be valid.
(From Chabad.org) This first stage of marriage is not a preliminary agreement to contract a marriage at a future date (like the western concept of engagement), but an integral component of the two-step marriage process. The betrothal portion is a sort of inchoate marriage; from that point onward, the couple is considered married. Until the second step is taken, however, the bride may not cohabit with the groom (or any other man). In this social suspension that marks the difficult transition from the single life to the married state, the couple is together yet apart. Until the twelfth century, this first stage of marriage lasted up to one year in order to make preparations for the final step. The second stage of the marriage process is the consummation. It is alternatively termed nissuin, meaning elevation of status, from nassa, coming by carriage from the father’s home to the groom’s; or chuppah, wedding canopy.
The Bible begins to use the term kichah as a preliminary to marital intercourse only after the Torah is received at Sinai. From this time forward, all Jewish marriages must have both components in order to be valid. The Rabbis, in order to make this perfectly clear to the couple, framed the betrothal blessing to read: “...who has forbidden us the betrothed [arusot], and permitted us those who are married to us by chuppah and kiddushin.”(end Chabad.org)
The church doctrine appears to conflict with the Torah.
Who decides exactly what is legit, and what is not? And what are the criteria?
Quite simply, if it’s “secret” it is a LIE! End of discussion.