Lutero said:Ok. So, according to Sola Scriptura, Mary doesn't have a mother. She must have just fallen out of the sky.
The Catholic belief that Anne is the mother of Mary, is not supported by Scripture. In fact, Mary's mother never appears in Scripture, let alone her name.
The idea that her mother's name is Anne, was 'borrowed' from the false gnostic 'infancy' gospel of James, that taught a different God, a different Jesus, & a different plan of salvation apart from the Bible.
Really? Can you provide substantiation for these allegations? Because I thought that there were many "apocryphal" sources of this information. Not "Gnostic". The Gospel of James, Thomas and others.
True. But then, we're not Sola Scripturists. According to Sola Scriptura, there is no Purgatory because the word "purgatory" is not in Scripture. Therefore, Mary has no mother, because Mary's mother is not mentioned in Scripture.
Incidently, this is also where the idea where Mary was a 'perpetual' virgin came from too, along with some other Catholic dogmas & doctrines of the Catholic church that is not found in Scripture.
On the contrary, Scripture is clear that the brothers and sisters of Jesus are actually His cousins. One of the problems with Sola Scriptura is that everyone interprets the Scriptures according to their own ability. Therefore, Sola Scripturists never consider cultural and historical circumstances in regards to translations. For a Sola Scripturist, a "brother" is always a "brother of the womb". Never mind that they, themselves, call each other "brothers in Christ" all the time. And they speak of "Brother Joe" and "Sister Jane" all the time.
As far as your 'explanation' goes, it is these kinds of 'extrabiblical' attempts that the Catholic church has to go through to convince their parishioners that Mary was a perpetual virgin, in order to justify their false belief about her. Because they know if they went strictly by the Word of God, which cannot be wrong, the Bible actually supports that the brothers & sisters of Jesus in Matthew Ch. 13 are His actual blood-related half-brothers.
Let us go examine the Scriptures on this matter. Are you game? Here we go:
Did Jesus have any brothers?
According to some, Scripture attests that Jesus had brothers, sons of Mary. They base their opinion on this verse:
Matthew 13
55 Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brethren James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Jude:
However, these brothers and sisters in Christ, fail to realize that the word "brother" has meant much more than "brothers of the womb" from time immemorial. Good friends call themselves "brothers" even today. And a closer examination of Scripture proves that James, Joseph, Simon and Jude are sons of another Mary, not Jesus' mother, but Jesus' aunt.
First, we see that Jesus' mother has a "sister". From Catholic Tradition, we know that Jesus' mother is an only child. So, her sister is really a cousin or other close kin:
John 19 25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen.
We also note that this Mary is always mentioned with Mary Magdalen. The two must have been close friends:
Mark 16 1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought sweet spices, that coming, they might anoint Jesus.
Note that in this verse she is not called Mary of Cleophas, but Mary the mother of James.
Mark 15 40 And there were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joseph, and Salome:
Here she is the mother of James and Joseph and Salome. The mention of Salome explains the "sisters" of Jesus. Since Mary the sister of Mary His Mother is also His sister or kin.
Matthew 27 56 Among whom was Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
Luke 24 10 And it was Mary Magdalen, and Joanna, and Mary of James, and the other women that were with them, who told these things to the apostles.
Sometimes she is called "the other" Mary.
Matthew 27 61 And there was there Mary Magdalen, and the other Mary sitting over against the sepulchre.
OK, so far we've established that James and Joseph are the sons of the other Mary. Not of Jesus' mother. What about Simon and Jude?
Luke 6 16 And Jude, the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, who was the traitor.
Well, Jude is the brother of James. He says so himself:
Jude 1 1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James: to them that are beloved in God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.
And, although Simon the Zealot is rarely mentioned, when he is mentioned, he is always grouped with either James or Jude.
Luke 6 15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon who is called Zelotes,
Acts Of Apostles 1 13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James of Alpheus, and Simon Zelotes, and Jude the brother of James.
If we review the listing of Apostles, we will see that the Apostle mentioned as Thaddeus must be Jude and Simon the Zelotes must be Simon the Cananean:
Mark 3 16 And to Simon he gave the name Peter: 17 And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he named them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder: 18 And Andrew and Philip, and Bartholomew and Matthew, and Thomas and James of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Cananean:19 And Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
Matthew 10 2 And the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, 3 James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the publican, and James the son of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, 4 Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
Acts Of Apostles 1 13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James of Alpheus, and Simon Zelotes, and Jude the brother of James.
Luke 6 13 And when day was come, he called unto him his disciples; and he chose twelve of them (whom also he named apostles). 14 Simon, whom he surnamed Peter, and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon who is called Zelotes, 16 And Jude, the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, who was the traitor.
So, we see that James, Joseph, Jude and Simon are related to Jesus. But they are not the sons of Mary, but her distant kin and thus also Jesus kin.
Sincerely,
De Maria
Mary did indeed have other children of her own after Christ:
ReplyDelete1) No mention of it in the Scripture. None of the authors of Scripture claim she was a perpetual virgin.
2) The passage in Luke 1:48 in which Mary says she is a virgin does not mean she took a vow of perpetual virginity. It is only that she is a virgin up to this point in time.
3) The idea that a person who is about to be married is taking or has taken a vow of perpetual virginity is unheard of Biblically. There is no indication from the OT or NT that it would be acceptable to be married and yet chose to be a perpetual virgin. Married Jewish couples were to be fruitful and multiply. This is OT teaching.
4) When brothers and sisters are used in connection with father or mother then it does not mean cousins but actual blood brothers and sisters. See Matthew 13:55-56, Mark 3:31-32; Mark 6:3; John 2:12; Galatians 1:19
5) In the previous passages noted the best way to understand these relationships “brothers-sisters” is that these are siblings of Jesus by blood.
6) There is no hint in Scripture that Joseph was previously married and had children.
7) Paul refers to James as the “brother of the Lord” in Galatians 1:19.
8) There are Greek words for cousin—anepsios as in Colossians 4:10 or kinsman = sungenis which is used in Luke 1:36. The bible never uses these two Greek words anepsiosor sungenisin reference to Jesus brothers.
9) Psalm 69 which is a messianic Psalm clearly shows that Jesus has brothers. Verse 8—“ I have become estranged from my brothers
And an alien to my mother’s sons.”
10) Other references to Jesus’ brothers by Mary included: John 2:12, 7:3; Acts 1:14
11) Protestant scholar D. A. Carson points out, if "brothers" refers to Joseph's sons by an earlier marriage, not Jesus but Joseph's firstborn would have been legal heir to David's throne. The second theory — that "brothers" refers to sons of a sister of Mary also name "Mary" — faces the unlikelihood of two sisters having the same name. All things considered, the attempts to extend the meaning of "brothers" in this pericope, despite McHugh's best efforts, are nothing less that far-fetched exegesis in support of a dogma that originated much later than the NT... — D. A. Carson, Matthew in The Expositor's Bible Commentary, volume 8 (Zondervan, 1984).
AnonymousMarch 7, 2013 at 9:39 AM
ReplyDeleteMary did indeed have other children of her own after Christ:
1) No mention of it in the Scripture. None of the authors of Scripture claim she was a perpetual virgin.
There are lots of things not mentioned in Scripture. Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide, for instance. An argument from silence is not enough.
cont'd
2) The passage in Luke 1:48 in which Mary says she is a virgin does not mean she took a vow of perpetual virginity. It is only that she is a virgin up to this point in time.
You are reading into Scripture, your man made traditions. The New Testament was written based upon the Teachings of Jesus Christ. One of those is that His Mother is a perpetual virgin. This is the continuous teaching of the Church from the time of the Apostles.
3) The idea that a person who is about to be married is taking or has taken a vow of perpetual virginity is unheard of Biblically.
Not so. The Holy Spirit which overshadowed Mary, is the same Spirit which inspired St. Paul to say:
1 Corinthians 7:29
King James Version (KJV)
29 But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;
There is no indication from the OT or NT that it would be acceptable to be married and yet chose to be a perpetual virgin.
1 Cor 7:29
Married Jewish couples were to be fruitful and multiply. This is OT teaching.
We have a new Covenant. Wherein, we are instructed that God is paramount and we should be united to Him. Therefore, even if you have a wife, it is recommended that you live as though you had none.
4) When brothers and sisters are used in connection with father or mother then it does not mean cousins but actual blood brothers and sisters. See Matthew 13:55-56, Mark 3:31-32; Mark 6:3; John 2:12; Galatians 1:19
There is no such rule. The fact is that, from time immemorial, people have called close friends and relatives, brothers. And this is the case with Jesus and the Apostles. Add to the fact that many of the Apostles were related to Jesus and you have an additional reason why they are called brethren.
5) In the previous passages noted the best way to understand these relationships “brothers-sisters” is that these are siblings of Jesus by blood.
On the contrary, it is noted that the so-called siblings, were descended from another Mary. You CONSCIOUSLY choose to ignore that little detail.
6) There is no hint in Scripture that Joseph was previously married and had children.
I never said he was. Read my argument. Not someone else's. This point leads me to wonder if you read what I wrote at all. You're mindlessly repeating the errors you have been taught.
cont'd
ReplyDelete7) Paul refers to James as the “brother of the Lord” in Galatians 1:19.
Because St. James is one of the children of the other Mary, who happens to be Jesus' cousin.
8) There are Greek words for cousin—anepsios as in Colossians 4:10 or kinsman = sungenis which is used in Luke 1:36. The bible never uses these two Greek words anepsiosor sungenisin reference to Jesus brothers.
None of this matters. The people we are talking about are traced to another Mary. You can't get around that fact. Read the Word of God and see that it is another Mary whose children they are.
9) Psalm 69 which is a messianic Psalm clearly shows that Jesus has brothers. Verse 8—“ I have become estranged from my brothers
And an alien to my mother’s sons.”
Psalm 69 is spiritually interpreted. Mary is the Mother of all believers (Rev 12:17). And we are all sons of God. Therefore, Christ is our elder Brother.
But we are not Christ's brothers in the womb.
10) Other references to Jesus’ brothers by Mary included: John 2:12, 7:3; Acts 1:14
It doesn't matter. That doesn't rescind the fact that all those same people are traced to another mother.
11) Protestant scholar D. A. Carson points out, if "brothers" refers to Joseph's sons by an earlier marriage, not Jesus but Joseph's firstborn would have been legal heir to David's throne. The second theory — that "brothers" refers to sons of a sister of Mary also name "Mary" — faces the unlikelihood of two sisters having the same name. All things considered, the attempts to extend the meaning of "brothers" in this pericope, despite McHugh's best efforts, are nothing less that far-fetched exegesis in support of a dogma that originated much later than the NT... — D. A. Carson, Matthew in The Expositor's Bible Commentary, volume 8 (Zondervan, 1984).
I didn't say anything about Joseph having other children. I quoted the Scripture which traces those so called "brothers" of Christ to another mother. The other Mary, the wife of Cleophas, and mother of James, Joses, Jude and Simon. James, Jude and Simon are Apostles.
Mark 15:40
There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;