Does the Bible support the blessed mother being forever virgin?

Question

From a historical standpoint, in regards to the perpetual virginity of the virgin mother, no one believed that she had other children until the last two hundred years or so due to widespread mistranslation of Scripture and the non-scriptural practice of Sola Scriptura using improper hermeneutics.

When studying Scriptures as a body of work, in context pointing towards the atonement of humanity there is no other reasonable conclusion that one can come to other than the fact that St. Mary had no other children than Jesus. Also the historical and the Biblical accounts confirm that St. Mary was forever virgin. St. Joseph was not chosen as a husband in the normal sense but as the protector .........http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-S6YMuFYyaa9ESBoW5DFwEjL_HhqA?p=99

There is no Scripture in the Bible that says that St. Mary ever had other children besides Jesus. If she had other children, especially sons, why did Jesus entrust her care to St. John at the foot of the cross instead of one of those supposed children?

From your post it seems as if you are ignoring the Word of God in favor of your prejudices and hatred for His Church. The Scriptures are all spelled out in my blog.

The previous was to Suzi

BrotherM,

It seems that proper interpretation of Scripture is not important to you. Obviously you prefer your false beliefs and fanciful history.

Will2Rus,

I see you get your theology from a comic book. I do not think I would depend on the accuracy of someone who hates Christ's Church. The historical information you gave was all absolutely false and has no support and neither does your interpretation of Scriptures.

C.Douglas,

There are not Scripture verses that say she was forever virgin nor are there any Scripture verses that say she had other children besides Jesus. If she did have other children where are the descendants of Jesus' siblings today? The belief that she was forever virgin was known by the Church and passed down as Sacred Tradition. No Christian for almost 1800 years of the Church ever questioned the virginity of the blessed mother of God.

Java,

You are so confused in your Bible interpretation that I do not know where to start. First of all Jesus gave St. Mary to St John the disciple and not St. John the Baptist. St. John the Baptist was not even living when Jesus was crucified.

Delyn,

You claim to believe the Bible and I would assume that you are an advocate of the heresy of Sola Scriptura. Studying Scriptures and interpreting them in the context of the whole Bible is a proper hermeneutical approach to understanding. No where in the Bible does it state unequivocally in the original language that Jesus had any biological siblings. It does state He had kinsmen. To clear up any misunderstanding one must confirm their belief with history.

What did the Church believe as passed down from the apostles? The fact is that those who were in a position to know intimately whether Jesus had brothers and sisters proclaim her virginity without exception and was the universal belief for over 1800 years without disagreement. Unfortunately, the truth has become victim to those who hate Christ’s Church who twist Scriptures and interpretations to create another Gospel. BTW, where can I speak to one of the descendants of Jesus’ siblings to verify your claim? Your eisegesis can not stand up to scholarship.

Answer 1

Let’s look at some Biblical basis’ for Mary’s perpetual virginity. There seems to be quite a few verses that point to Mary’s perpetual virginity although the weight of the arguments are arguable.

We find in Luke 2:41-51 that Jesus is found missing. Joseph and Mary are frantic and search for him for three days and then find him in the Temple. I find it odd that throughout those three days there is no mention of any siblings helping in the search for Jesus.

A second argument is pretty evident at His actions on the cross. Our Lord entrusted his mother to John. That action makes no sense if Mary had other sons (John 19:26-27). The social customs of the time would have made such an action unthinkable, a slap in the face to his brothers.

A third arguement, we find that in Luke 1:34 Mary is surprised by the angel’s announcement that she will bear a son. She was already betrothed, or to be married, and she was surprised that she is going to bear a son? Why would she be surprised at that statement? She answered that she does not know man. You would think that Mary would just assume that her husband-to-be is going to father her a child. She would only be surprised if she vowed to stay a virgin. Only after she questions the angel about her virginity does the angel explain that “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the holy thing which is born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35) Only then does she seem to understand.

Another way of arguing the perpetual virginity is by looking at the typology of Mary as found in the OT. “A type is a person, thing, or event in the Old Testament that foreshadows something to come later in time, either later in the Old Testament itself of in the New Testament. It is like a taste or hint of something that will be fulfilled or realized. The anti-type (New Testament event) is always greater than its type (shadow of an event in the Old Testament). And both are independent of each other.

“Types” are explained in Rom 5:14 and Heb 9:9, as a figure, 1 Cor 10:6 and 2 Thess 3:9 and 2Pet 2:6, as examples, 1 Cor 10:11 and Heb 11:19, as a type.

The Egyptian Exodus told in Hosea 11:1 is quoted exactly in Matt 2:15 when speaking of Jesus’ return to Israel from Egypt: “where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."”

What Matthew has done here is he took an historical event and interpreted it as a shadow of something greater to come in the future, which he sees as ‘fulfilled’ in the person of Jesus the Messiah.

Other examples of type/antitype pairs are:

A) Jonah in the belly of the of whale is a type of Christ in the tomb. For Jonah stayed in the belly for three days as did Christ stay buried for three days until His resurrection.

B) The manna in the desert, Ex 16:31, is the bread of life compared to its antitype the living bread of life, that is Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, Matt 26:26

We can see from these examples that the Old Testament writers as well as the New Testament writers wrote and used these kinds of connections to show the greatness of God…through His imagery, and interconnections woven throughout Scripture.

Let’s see if we can find a new antitype that fits-in with the Old Testament Ark of the Covenant type. The Ark of the Covenant contained the Ten Commandment tablets, a golden pot containing some of the manna that fell from the sky during the 40 years of wandering the deserts after their liberation from the Egyptians, and the rod of Aaron.

Now, when we look for another container holding something similar yet greater than these objects, we can’t help but notice how Mary, the mother of Jesus, fits that description very well.

The Ark contained the Ten Commandments, the Word of God written by the finger of God on stone tablets. In Mary contained the Word of God made flesh, God incarnate.

The Ark also contained a pot of the miraculous bread that fell from the sky to sustain the wandering Jews after their liberation. In Mary contained the bread of life giving us spiritual life instead of merely physical sustenance.

And so, the Ark contained the rod of Aaron, the proof of true priesthood. In Mary’s womb is the true priest. And the Ark is treated as such that one who touches it without proper reverance died (2 Sam 6:6-7). Pretty good incentive to refrain from improperly touching Mary huh?

And lastly we also find that where God has entered through Mary's virginal opening so to must that opening remain shut as seen in Ezekiel 44:1-2 " The man led me to the outer gate at the east side of the Temple area. The gate was closed, and the LORD said to me, "This gate will stay closed and will never be opened. No human being is allowed to use it, because I, the LORD God of Israel, have entered through it. It is to remain closed

God Bless
Robin

Answer 2

Yes, by logic alone Mary"s husband is the Holy Spirit from which came the Divine DNA of Jesus just as Mary was the source of His Humanity.
Second Mary is full of grace according to Scripture. How can a full of grace be committing adultery which is what it is if Mary has other children than Jesus.
Thirdly all those against this doctrine is adding insult to injury. How can they thing they can save the world better than the Holy Trinity. Look at the credentials of Mary: Daughter of God the Father. Spouse of the Holy Spirit. Mother of the Son of God.
Can there any human greater than this from all eternity?
Wake ! Why don't guys ask the Holy Spirit if the Catholic Chuirch is teaching wrongly or misleading all or just inventing it s doctrines?
If you guys believe in the Bible then you must also believe in Tradition. Without the Church there will be no Bible. Tradition and the Church were all ahead of the so called Bible by the bible loving Christians. Before 400 AD the only scripture existing is the OT.





chuss there will be no Bible. Withou tradition there will be bidble from

Answer 3

If Mary had other chilldren(even stepchildren) Jesus would never have given her to John at the Cross for mutual care.

Without Apostolic Tradition and the Church I can make the Bible say anything and no argument was ever settled a real appeal to the Bible isolated from Tradition( including the myriad Protestant church traditons and magisteria,self-approved teaching offices) and the Church. There really is no such thing in a practical sense as Sola Scriptura.

Perpetual Virginity makes sense for the woman who bore true God and true Man.

Answer 4

Such good information. Thank you!

Several of these posts are just regurgitating what they have been told with no basis whatsoever.

Scott Hahn (a convert to Catholicism from Evangelical Presbyterian) once said that many fundamentalists know about 30 verses they've memorized to contradict the beliefs of the Catholic Church. They will repeat them over and over and never have a true understanding. These types of posts prove that statement.

In order to understand many of the the things implied and said in the Bible by Christ and by others...we need to understand the ancient ways and words. Understanding not only Christian beliefs and traditions but Jewish beliefs and traditions is extremely important in understanding scripture. I can guarantee that you average non-denominational church goer does not qualify.

Also the knowledge that the very first Christians believed in her perpetual virginity gives great weight to this truth. They knew the Blessed Mother, they knew Christ, they knew his "kinsman." Certainly, they knew the truth and they passed it on.

What has happened is that people pick up the Bible today and read a verse with their understanding of society, words and traditions of our day and apply it to their interpretation of scripture. Of course they err in their interpretations, but than arrogantly spread their beliefs as truth and so many empty souls just suck it up.

If nothing else, each of us is responsible to seek the truth. Do not just believe whatever someone tells you...research it. Read the support for and against and be open to the truth. I did and found myself amazed at the truth the Catholic Church teaches.

Answer 5

Obviously many Protestants do not understand two key Bible verses regarding Mary:

1. Joseph "did not know her UNTIL she had brought forth her son." This verse does not mean that Joseph "knew" (had intercourse with) his wife after the birth. Scripture uses this word "until" in a different sense. Remember when Jesus said "Lo, I will be with you even UNTIL the end of the earth." Jesus is not saying that when the earth ends He will then leave us. Until is meant here to mean "forever" or "perpetually." In the same way, Joseph perpetually protected his wife's virginity.

2. When the Bible talks in several places about the "sisters" and "brothers" of Jesus it does not mean actual siblings. Any novice biblical scholar knows that the word means a close male or female relative. Lot and Abraham were called "brothers" yet they were not siblings at all. Sure, Jesus had many cousins - but no siblings.

By the way, a lot of Protestants are not aware that MARTIN LUTHER, ZWINGLI, JOHN CALVIN and JOHN WESLEY all attested to the perpetual virginity of Mary.

This apostolic and biblical teaching was only called into question during and after the Reformation. It was a universally held CHRISTIAN teaching for nearly 1600 years.

Answer 6

There is so much about Mary that the Protestants have missed out on. The Bible is full of her in the Old and New Testaments.

For those who say she was just a girl, if not her then someone else...where do you get that thinking from? Have you ever even thought that through? If you were to know you wanted a child...would you just grab anyone off the street or would you look for someone special? Someone with all the qualities you would like. How much more would our God choose a special person to carry his own son? Carry the Lord in flesh in her own body...this isn't a little thing this is huge! She gave birth to the savior, God made man! Wow!

Also, she is the new Eve. Was Eve born without sin? Yes! So Mary is born without sin. God saved her at the moment of conception. Why is this so hard to believe? God can do anything. He saved her from sin because she would carry our Lord. Her flesh was the flesh Jesus took on...Jesus was without sin, then so was the flesh of his mother.

Jesus was perfect. We all agree. He would have kept all of the Ten Commandments perfectly. So, the 5th commandment...honor your father and mother. Well, he honored her because she was his mother. We are to imitate and follow Christ. He gave his mother to us and in imitating him we should honor her as well.

Catholics do not deify Mary. That's ludicrous. Mary would never compete with her son, with her Lord. We know who we worship. Mary says her soul magnifies the Lord. This means she makes him clearer to us, brings him closer to us. Jesus had two natures...divine and human. You cannot discount the human nature, it is the human and divine bridge that gave us our salvation.

And just to remind Bible Christians...everything is not written in the Bible. The early years of Christianity had no New Testament. All of the Gospels were written years after Christ's time on this earth. So, when they were written they had already been following oral tradition for many years. So saying things like "it doesn't say to pray to Mary in the Bible" is really just silly. It doesn't have to say it. The New Testament isn't a dictation taken down by some secretary following Christ and the Apostles around. We know from reading the Bible as a whole, old and new together, from sacred oral tradition that these things have always been believed by the early Christians. Mary has always been revered.

Answer 7

I find it amazing that the "Bible Believin' Christians" always mention the same verses in Matthew (13: 54-56):

He came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue. They were astonished and said, "Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter's son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?"

But look at what the next verses (57, 58) say:

And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house." And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith.

In other words, those persons in Scripture who claimed to have known Jesus and his brothers also lacked faith.

I am appalled at the constant dishonesty of "Bible Believin' Christians" who single out scriptural verses, twist the interpretation to satisfy their blasphemous ends.

I will repeat, those in Scripture who claimed to know Jesus' brothers also denied His divinity. Those who claim that Mother Mary had other children besides Jesus refuse to see the truth and are siding with the blasphemers in Scripture who "took offense" at Jesus.

Answer 8

See, all these answers claiming to cite Biblical references refuting the perpetual virginity is what happens when someone thinks they can read the Bible on their own and understand all of it.
PLEASE understand that this is a work that is thousands of years old! You need to have at least a basic knowledge of language, culture, theology, history, literature, typology etc, to even begin to take this on.
Who would know better the correct interpretation? An organization like the Catholic Church that has been around for 2,000 years and comprised of scholars and theologians...
or you?

Answer 9

When forty years of age, Joseph married a woman called Melcha or Escha by some, Salome by others; they lived forty-nine years together and had six children, two daughters and four sons, the youngest of whom was James (the Less, "the Lord's brother"). A year after his wife's death, as the priests announced through Judea that they wished to find in the tribe of Juda a respectable man to espouse Mary, then twelve to fourteen years of age. Joseph, who was at the time ninety years old, went up to Jerusalem among the candidates; a miracle manifested the choice God had made of Joseph, and two years later the Annunciation took place.

Now as we can see those children mentioned in the bible that were Jesus's brothers and sisters were His half brothers and sisters.Joseph is their father but Mary is not their birth mother. These 6 children were all older then Jesus.

Answer 10

The best answer you will find is: Matthew 1:25 - "But he had no union with her "until" she gave birth to a son". If Mary had remained a virgin for the rest of her life, that sentence would have been written differently.