Is it true that Joseph and Mary were married? If so, then why was she a virgin, and it is said to be the Immaculate Conception? I'm not asking to be incindiery; I'm a Christian and have heard the story many times, but never thought about the virgin part for some reason. Was this explained - why she was still a virgin? Or were they not really married, but people thought that she sinned and that's why they left (that part about them fleeing, or rather, why, is always left out).
2007-12-20 12:35:38 · 22 answers · asked by Lia 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
They were engaged. In the Jewish culture at the time, women were pledged to be married to their future husband for one year. Before that they were to be virgins (both men and women) - then when the year ended they would be married.
That is why Joseph wanted to "divorce" her when he found out she was pregnant. He didn't want to go through with marrying her because he thought she had been unfaithful to him (who wouldn't?) - but he was told in a dream that she was telling the truth about the child.
The reason why they fled to Egypt was because King Herod wanted to kill the child. The wise men had made the mistake of telling King Herod that the Messiah was born, he saw Jesus as a threat and wanted to kill him. They went into hiding in Egypt and didn't return until after King Herod was no longer in power.
2007-12-20 12:38:01 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
Mary was a virgin when she conceived and gave birth to Jesus. She and Joseph were engaged at the time, which in the culture of the day was an extensive period of time where the couple were committed to the point that a divorce had to be granted to dissolve the commitment, and Joseph could bring charges for adultery. They were married by the time the Christ was to be born, but Joseph did not 'know' her in the Biblical way until after Jesus' birth.
The reason they left Nazareth for Bethlehem was to be counted for the Roman tax. The reason they left Bethlehem for Egypt was being warned in a dream that Herod would murder the child.
The account of the virgin birth and the relationship of Mary and Joseph is found in the first two chapters each of Matthew and Luke. In the second chapters and exclusively, Matthew tells about the flight to Egypt; Luke tells about the census for a tax.
2007-12-20 12:45:32 · answer #2 · answered by mam2five 2 · 3⤊ 2⤋
When Mary became pregnant with Jesus Christ, she was not yet married, although she was a virgin. This is why she had to go and stay with Elisabeth (her relative and the mother of John the Baptist) for three months (up until Elisabeth had John) because she was pregnant and not married which was punishable by stoning possibly leading to a subsequent death. Joseph and Mary were married, however, before the birth of Jesus Christ.
2007-12-20 13:04:58 · answer #3 · answered by sg 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They were espoused the Bible says. In Bible times that meant engaged. But it also meant back then you had to divorce officially if the engagement was broken @ that point. It was an official agreement. Joseph was told by the angel she was pregnant by the Holy Ghost. To not divorce her, but to marry her.Taking her(his wife) to the city to be taxed when the time came...She, therefore, was a virgin when Jesus was born and when she married Joseph both. I've read the Immaculate Conception refers to Mary. Catholics teach she was conceived by a virgin mother. That,however, is nowhere in scripture.
2007-12-20 15:57:59 · answer #4 · answered by paula r 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Read the story carefully in both Matthew and Luke.
She remained a virgin until after Jesus was born because the angel told Joseph to do so. It's generally thought that the people in Nazareth believed Joseph to be the father, as common an occurrence then as now.
They went to Bethlehem for the census, as that was Joseph's legal residence.
They were visited two years later by the astrologers from Babylon and an angel afterwards told Joseph to go to Egypt to escape Herod, who wanted to kill Jesus.
2007-12-20 12:45:55 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
Mary was the Immaculate Conception so she could carry Jesus. The Holy Spirit passed over Mary and she was impregnated, Joseph is Jesus's adoptive father not His biological father. And yes they were married, but Mary remained ever virgin. Mary did not give birth to any other children and she was never touched by Joseph. Joseph was her protector.
Catholic Christian
2007-12-20 12:41:15 · answer #6 · answered by tebone0315 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
You can read the account in the gospel of Luke and Matthew.
Joseph and Mary were engaged when she learned from the angel that she would become pregnant with Jesus ; then she left to spend some time with her aunt Elizabeth who was the mother of John the Baptist.
She returned to her home and married Joseph and then they traveled to Bethlehem for the required census.
She was a virgin mother because she became pregnant by an act of God.
2007-12-20 12:42:47 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
The book of Matthew explains that Joseph was engaged to marry Mary a virgin. But he discovered she was pregnant and thought about breaking if off secretly so as not to cause a public scene of embarrasment for both of them. God had created the life who was Jesus inside her womb. And no man made her pregnant. That is why she is a virgin.
God encouraged Joseph however to marry her and they did get married. And they calledl his name Jesus. After they were married they obeyed the command of Ceaser to go to Bethelehm and that is where Jesus was born.
The Bible says the wisemen came and gave gifts to the young couple. They fled to Egypt when God warned them in a dream.
I hope this helps.
2007-12-20 12:55:35 · answer #8 · answered by Uncle Remus 54 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
They were engaged but I do believe they married before they went to Bethlehem.
They went there to pay taxes cuz the roman leader said everyone had to go to their place of birth and do that.
The reason they fled was because after Jesus was born and, according to some accounts a year or two old, King Herod wanted him dead so he sent out a decree for all under age 2 to be killed. Joseph was told in a dream to take his small family and flee til he was told otherwise.
2007-12-20 12:44:04 · answer #9 · answered by ChaosNJoy 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋
at first you overlap the money owed in Matthew and in Luke, the comparable way a police officer could prepare an twist of destiny rfile from the thoughts of various witnesses. Secondly, the writings of a historian a hundred years after the form surpassed off does not supersede Scripture.
2016-11-04 04:22:53 · answer #10 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋