June 1, 2002, Vol.2, No.11.
Two new articles every two weeks.
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us.
THIS ISSUE: "Should
We Venerate Mary?" (see below)
and "The Rapture"
Should We Venerate
Mary?
by Keith Sharp
 Certainly
no woman prior to the kingdom of God was so blessed as was Mary
the mother of Jesus. She was a humble peasant from a despised
village in rural Northern Palestine, but she became the mother
of the Christ the Son of God. It was no accident that God chose
her to be the mother of His only begotten Son. Her character
was such that she was eminently fitted to care for and provide
guidance for the Child born to her. The angel Gabriel greeted
Mary, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you;
blessed are you among women!" (Luke 1:28)
But the Catholic Church has raised the honor of Mary far beyond
this level. Catholics refer to Mary as the "Mother of God."
(Gibbons. 137) She was indeed the mother of Jesus Christ the
Son of God. But the Scriptures nowhere call her the "Mother
of God." Furthermore, she had nothing to do with His divine
nature, which He has possessed from all eternity (John 1:1-3).
This title elevates her above God Himself, as do Catholic practices
in reference to Mary.
Catholics claim that Mary alone of all mere mortals born on earth
was born without original sin:
'We define that the Blessed Virgin Mary in the first moment
of conception... was preserved free from every stain of original
sin.'....Unlike the rest of the children of Adam, the soul of
Mary was never subject to sin..." (Ibid. 140).
This doctrine is termed "The Immaculate Conception."
Even Catholic scholars recognize they are on tenuous ground here.
"Although the Immaculate Conception was not formulated into
a dogma of faith till 1854, it is at least implied in Holy Scripture."
(Ibid. 141) Not only is it not implied in Scripture, even the
doctrine of Original Sin is unknown to the Bible. "Original
Sin" means "that we have all inherited the transgressions
of our first parents, and that we are born enemies of God."
(Ibid. 220). The Bible teaches:
"The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear
the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the
son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself,
and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself."
(Ezekiel 18:20).
No one inherits sin, but all responsible people have sinned
(Romans 3:23), and there is no scriptural reason to believe Mary
is any exception.
Catholic dogma also holds that Mary was a perpetual virgin,
even after her marriage. "The Church teaches us that she
was always a Virgin - a Virgin before her espousals, during her
married life and after her spouse's death." (Ibid. 138)
Were this true, Mary would have failed to fulfill her obligation
to her husband (1 Corinthians 7:3-5). The Bible implies she had
sexual relations with Joseph (Matthew 1:25), names four brothers
of Jesus and indicates he had sisters as well (Matthew 13:55-56;
Mark 6:3). The doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary implies
there is something impure about sexual relations in marriage,
whereas the Bible indicates they are pure (Hebrews 13:4).
Roman Catholics further teach that Mary ascended bodily into
heaven without experiencing death, a doctrine called the Assumption
(and it is indeed assumed) (Ibid. 134-162). There is not a shred
of scriptural evidence that Mary is an exception to the general
rule of mankind: "it is appointed for men to die once."
(Hebrews 9:27)
Catholic tradition teaches that Mary is our "mediatrix"
(female mediator), who intercedes with her Son on our behalf.
Catholics are taught to pray to her:
"The Church exhorts her children not only to honor the
Blessed Virgin, but also to invoke her intercession.... Now,
Mary has never forfeited in heaven the title of Mother of Jesus.
She is still His Mother, and while adoring Him as her God she
still retains her maternal relations, and He exercises toward
her that loving willingness to grant her request which the best
of sons entertains for the best of mothers." (Ibid. 154,
155)
The "Hail Mary" is an example of prayer to Mary.
The Scriptures teach there is but "one Mediator between
God and men, the Man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5) The
one recorded time that Mary interceded with Jesus in behalf of
another, He rebuked her for interfering with His ministry (John
2:4). Prayer is an act of worship, and prayer to Mary, Catholic
denials notwithstanding, is worship of Mary. We must worship
God alone (Acts 10:25-26; Revelation 19:10; 22:8-9).
The effect of all Catholic traditions about Mary is to give
to her an honor that belongs to no mere human. "Now of all
who have participated in the ministry of the Redemption there
is none who filled any position so exalted, so sacred, as the
incommunicable office of Mother of Jesus..." (Ibid. 136)
Jesus Himself taught that those Who obey Him hold a closer relationship
to Him than do His physical kin (Matthew 12:48-50; Mark 3:33-35;
Luke 8:21). The Lord declared that "those who hear the word
of God and keep it" are more blessed than His mother (Luke
11:27-28). Mary was a good woman and was highly honored of God,
but she was just a woman, no more, and should receive no more
honor than any other good human.
__________________
Work Cited:
John Cardinal Gibbons, The Faith of Our Fathers.
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For additional material on the subject of Mary,
go to our Audio
page and listen to radio program #10: "Is Mary Our Mediatrix?"
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