Ok, Marty has said it before on the air but on Monday's show we really got into it. He said "Mary is not the mother of God". Even in the most clinical sense she most certainly is! If you believe Jesus is God, and Mary gave birth to him, then a women who gives birth is the"mother" of that child. We had a Catholic caller who was confused and it pained my to hear Marty explain something he does not accept or understand to this man. Let me try to explain the truth here:
Mary was a young Jewish girl and she marked the beginning of salvation of ALL mankind. She was born without original sin by the grace of God and was chosen to be the "perfect vessel" for Christ. Now I am not saying that God did not exist before Jesus was born, but Mary gave birth and is the mother of God in the human flesh. How could Mary give birth to God? Remember we are told "For nothing is impossible with God."
There are several scriptural, biblical references that tell us Mary is the Mother of God. But so often is the case, some only turn to scripture when it support their view.
Luke 1:43 Elizabeth asks, "But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?"
Luke 2:33 referring to the child Jesus, "The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him." Mary is aging called "mother".
This goes back to a deeper issue of dismissel of Mary's role in the salvation of the world. Mary tells us in scripture Luke 1:48 "From now on all generations will call me blessed". The special honor afforded Mary by the Catholic Church is sometimes a bit confusing to those outside the church. We love, honor, and pay tribute to Mary. We lovingly pray to her; prayers of honor, tribute, hope and petition her to pray for us. However we do not worship her. We do not place above Jesus. We call on her as our Mother. The most common prayer to our Blessed Mother is the "Hail Mary". It is taken directly from the gospel. Beginning in Luke 1:28 the angel Gabriel approaches Mary to announce the birth of Christ and greets her by saying "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you." Later in the gospel, in verse 42, Mary pays a visit to her cousin Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. The next portion of the prayer is derived from the joy of Elizabeth as expressed to Mary, the mother of her Lord. "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb." The last part of the prayer was added by the church as a tribute and petition to the Holy Mother.
In a society where we honor people of achievement with Academy Awards, Emmys, the Heisman Trophy, Nobel Prizes, Commendation Letters, Catholics are shamed for doing just the same for Mary but ask yourself: Why Would One Find It Unacceptable Or Inappropriate To Pay Tribute To The Mother Of God?
The Reformation left behind much of the rich history, tradition, and heart of the church. For example, people often misunderstand Saints. We often ask the Saints to pray for us and look over us in times of special need. The Saints also provide us with wonderful role models for living this lifetime in Christ. Make no mistake about it. We only worship the Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. But we often appeal to others in heaven to help us and watch over us. This relationship, know as the Communion of Saints, is an example of how we are all children of God. Haven't you ever appealed to a member of the family for help? Why would you consider severing your relationship with them after they have passed on. For if there are in heaven they have eternal LIFE and are not dead. Mary, and all the saints in heaven, are members of our family in Christ. We pray for them, and in turn ask them to pray for us.
If you seek to be a Christian, you can not dismiss Mary and refuse to honor her role. Once again we set aside essential elements of faith and turn to misinterpretations of scripture to form false beliefs and continue the confusion.
Mary is the Mother of Jesus.
12 comments:
The doctrine of the Theotokos, Greek for "Mother of God", was confirmed
in the 5th century when the Nestorian heresy was dealt with. I wasn't
aware Reformational theologians rejected councils that far back. So far
as I know, most Protestants agree that what the Church declared
heretical is indeed heretical, at least for the first several centuries.
Eric
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through
Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:1-5 NASB
How can Mary be the mother of God, when, "All things came into being through
Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being"??? God is the father or
Creator of all, everything that is, has his signature. The Nicene Creed
states that ..."And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God,
begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, light of light, very
God of very God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made..."
God came before Mary, who was more a vessell than a mother.
Mark
I think that Jesus clearly points out not only his divinity in this question that he asks the Pharisees, and also explains to them that the Messiah is not the Son of David...just as he is not the "Son of David", Mary is not the mother of God. This is a title that has no relevance to the true nature of Christ and the Trinity.
Yours in Christ,
Dave
If Mary os not the mother of God Jesus didn't really have to die then. Goats, calves, and sheep weren't human either. When the bible says "He stood as us and for us", he also was Jewish, a race of humans. The bible also says "Bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh". Jesus himself refers to himself as son of God....his divinity son of David....his line of Jewishness and son of man....his humanity. If Jesus wasn't a real human being then he could not have shed the blood to pay for the covenant that was broken by humans. God bless Powerball.
Most of us listening to your show do no have the luxury of having the bible in front of us, or access to online bibles while we are driving home, like you do sitting in the studio. I called last evening, and before Marty hung upon me, he asked if there was any where in the Bible where Mary is called the Mother of God.
Read and Study Luke 1 41 through 47
39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste,
to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted
Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary,
that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy
Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you
among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this
granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For indeed,
as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in
my womb for joy. 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a
fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord." 46 And Mary
said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, 47
I think the above text cleary calls Mary "THE MOTHER OF GOD"
Incidentally, if Marty is going to speak truthfully about the doctrines of the Catholic Church, dont you think you should have someone from the Diocese
on your show to explain our doctrines ? You are interested in talking the Truth arent you ?
Yours In Chirst
John
Marty needs to do a little research, You who proclaim "Bible Alone" do not even live by what you preach. How can Luke 1, be taken any other way ?
There was a church council in the 4th century that decided this. Besides, as the Angel said to Mary when speaking of Elizabeth and the Birth of her child John the Baptist, said "With God, All things are possible.
And I think that you have said that many times yourself, "That with God all things are Possible".
Yours In Christ
John
Powerball, keep chipping away at Marty. It is my personal opinion that Marty is a good indivual, and does want to spread the word of God, and he does, but sometimes he causes more division than union. I think that he would do well to research and read up on some of the teachings of the Church Fathers. I am not the most learned catholic, however Marty does get me to study my faith as well as the church teaching, ultimately making me a better catholic.
Yours in Christ
John
All I'll say is...have you seen the latest copy of Newsweek?!
I do not contest Mary as the Mother of our Lord. I DO contest the Catholic idol worship of her.
John wrote: "There was a church council in the 4th century that decided this."
John,
Just because a council of men decided it, does not make it so. Similary, I've heard the notion advanced that the Council of Nicaea decided Christ's divinity. Their decision had no real bearing or determining factor on whether Christ is/was divine. Had they decided he wasn't, would he have ceased to be the Savior?
Jesus = God
Mary = Jesus' Mother
Therefore:
Mary = Mother of God
One has to deny the incarnation or Mary's motherhood to escape the logic.
BillC,
Then I guess you'll have to call the Bible a fallible collection of books, won't you, if you don't believe in the Truth of the Church's teaching.
There is nothing that contradicts scripture on this. Mary was the Mother of Jesus and it was Jesus himslef that tells Mary is Mother to all his followers.
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