Was Mary always a Virgin, for her entire life?

Question

I got flamed the first time, so here it is again:

If I was Joseph I would not have "taken" her. Would you have?

And by the way, this sort of what would you have done question is used in philosophy. Then, by the heart of a person interested in the good of many, you may see the truth.

I am Catholic.

Did you know that the original language of the books of the bible where it mentions Jesus has brothers and sisters that the word of "cousin" wasn't in use?

And many times all those who followed Him were allowed in His family as brothers and sisters.

Also, the word "until" you read in your english version of the Bible did not have the same conotation in its original language.

Why must I point out, again, that many scholars believe that James was a cousin. Cousin.

Answer 1

The Bible never explicity says Mary was a virgin after Jesus. Even if there was no proof that she had children, that does not prove she was a virgin (thats a logical fallacy). The Bible never says she had no more children after Jesus, or that Joseph and Mary had sex, so there is no evidence that she was a virgin after Jesus.
However what the Bible does say is that Jesus had brothers and sisters and so on. But even if you argue that the words brother or sister actually mean cousin, it is still possibly the case that they actually meant brother or sister.
So the Bible gives disputed evidence that Mary had children after Jesus, however gives no evidence that she remained a virgin after Jesus.

But anyways I dont think it really matters at all. I dont really see any point in arguing about it now. It doesnt affect salvation or anything like that so why cant we just wait till we see her in heaven and ask her.

Answer 2

Mary wasn't always a virgin. Why use such confusing lingo and jump context and not qualify it with something like...Elizabeth, John the Baptists mother, was Mary's cousing. I never read it was Mary's sister. They made it plain who Elizabeth was. If Jesus had cousins I don't they would have written down the "exception" to the rule and not just spoken plainly. After all, Jesus was the most important person in human history. God on earth. Isn't it more likely, that those with an agenda of their own, applied such exceptions to the text to serve the purpose of making people believe she stayed a virgin? Why such a fuss anyway. Her having more chidren would not have altered who she is. Just would mean she did what any normal Godly woman did at that time, bare and raise children with her husband.

Answer 3

'Anepsios' and 'adelphos' are not used interchangeably. The sons of the same father are BROTHERS, not cousins. Jesus called believers brothers and sisters, because they are sons (and daughters) of God, not cousins. John (the baptist) was Jesus' cousin.

When the townsfolk were discussing who Jesus was and what they should expect from him, they described his intimate family, not his nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles:
"Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us?" (Matthew 13:55-56)
This clearly shows that they are speaking of Jesus' intimate family members, not cousins or other kinsmen. Cousins would be irrelevant to the discussion!

Therefore, no, Mary was not a virgin for her entire life. She had at least 6 other children after Jesus.

Answer 4

Yes, Mary was ever virgin. Mary's perpetual virginity was not challenged in the early Church until the time of St. Jerome around 400 A.D. If Jesus had blood brothers He would not have entrusted Mary to John when He was dying on the cross. He would have entrusted her to one of them. Two of the so-called brothers of Jesus, James and Joseph, were the sons of Mary the wife of Clopas.

This was not rejected by the founders of Protestantism. Martin Luther stated "It is an article of faith that Mary is Mother of the Lord and still a virgin...Christ, we believe, came forth from a womb left perfectly in tact."

Calvin said "There have been certain folk who have wished to suggest from this passage (Matt. 1:25) that the Virgin Mary had other children than the Son of God, and that Joseph had then dwelt with her later; but what folly this is! For the gospel writers did not wish to record what happened afterwards; he simply wished to make clear Joseph's obedience and to show also that Joseph had been well and truly assured that it was God who had sent His angel to Mary. He had therefore never dwelt with her nor had he shared her company...And besides this Our Lord Jesus Christ is called the firstborn. This is not because there was a second or a third, but because the gospel writer is paying regard to the precedence. Scripture speaks thus of naming the first-born whether or no there was any question of the second."

God bless,
Stanbo

Answer 5

I will let Scripture speak for itself:
Mary had relations (intercourse with Joseph) after the birth of Jesus:
*Matthew 1:24-25 – Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
Mary gave birth naturally to Jesus:
*Luke 2:5-7 – to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,[a] who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
*Luke 2:21-23 – And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”)
*Leviticus 12:2-4 – “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If a woman conceives and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days. As at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Then she shall continue for thirty-three days in the blood of her purifying. She shall not touch anything holy, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying are completed.
Jesus’ family mentioned in Scripture:
*Matthew 13:55-56 – Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”
*Mark 6:3 – Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?”

Answer 6

Mary kept Her wonderful virginity all through life, it is the careful manipulation of the Gospels that evangelical Protestants delight in taking this away from Her,there also seems to be a major antipathy, almost hatred directed at one of the key figures in the story of redemption, making it sound as if Mary was an enemy of God, perhaps this has to do with the misogynistic tendencies that were evident in many of the reformers.
Mary is the second Eve and brought life, and as Jesus is the first fruits of restored humanity then so Mary is Mother of all who become like Christ.

Answer 7

You are making several totally unrelated points. What is your question? Did Joseph and Mary ever have sex? You seem to think they did since you mention that Jesus had brothers and sisters. Or do you want to know if we think it was okay that they had sex? You seem to think it wasn't, but don't offer any reason why. They were married.

And what the heck does that bit about the word "until" have to do with anything at all?

Answer 8

Mary and Joseph were Jewish and they would have had children. It wasn't until the Church was asked to translate the bible by a woman hating king that Mary remained a virgin.

By the way, the original definition of virgin just mean a woman who refused to be subjugated by a man.

Answer 9

Both James and Jude were born to Mary and Joseph, and were Jesus' half-brothers. He also had a half-sister as well.
You might find John 7:1-5 interesting.
It says that Jesus' brothers encouraged him to go to Judea to preach. Then it says that they did not believe him.
That is why Jesus made the statement that a prophet is without honor in his own town.
Actually Jesus' cousin was John the Baptizer.

Answer 10

Mary had other children. Example: the book of James, in the Bible, is written by James, one of Jesus' brothers.