Senalco
New member
Last Weekend, i was invited to a Catholic camp some 2 hours away from my City. After meeting and greeting everyone there, they were a bit taken back and shocked to learn that I was an Evangelist. They insisted that I give them a lecture of some sort. The idea was not welcomed by the priest, however he agreed to it since it was only a Camp. I didn't prepare anything in advance so i had to ask the group to choose a topic for me to talk about. Well, guess what their choice was? The Virgin Mary.... They were curious, some were angry and some demanded some answers as to why evangelists don't respect nor love the Virgin Mary.... So off I went to explain.....
To begin with, here are some of the remarks and ideas that people thought we say and preach when talking about the Virgin Mary..
* The Virgin Mary was just an ordinary person who played a role given to her by God, nothing more
* The Virgin Mary had a normal marriage life and had a normal sexual relationship with Joseph and also had sons and Daughters.
* The Virgin Mary is not respected nor prayed to by Evangelists..
* The Virgin Mary is often compared to the Devil by many Evangelists
* Evangelists refuse to call her the Mother of God and only refer to her as " Mother of Jesus" which is very offensive and disrespectful.
To Begin with, here is an opening statement to give a direct and honest answer to what we really think, feel and teach
" The Virgin Mary was and still is one of the Greatest women of all time. So great she was, she found favor with God whom he chose her to become the mother of Our Lord and Savor Jesus Christ..."
There are two titles in which Evangelists refer to the Virgin Mary:
1- Truly Blessed
2- A Saint
Unlike Catholic churches who might have received their knowledge of the Virgin via their traditions and verbal teachings, Evangelists only rely on Scripture to assess and describe what they feel the truth about our Blessed Virgin. There are 6 special lessons we learned from the Virgin:
1- The Virgin was a Greatly Humbled woman
We come to learn that the Virgin had a Special feature. She was a very humbled Woman. Her Humility meant that she would always put herself before others and always obedient to her family & her fiance Joseph. This type of Humility found her Favor with God. We Read:
Luke 1:28 " The Angel went to her and said " Greetings, you who are highly favored, the Lord is with you "
Luke 1:30 " Do not be afraid Mary. You have found Favor with God "
Luke 1:48 " For he has been mindful of the humble state of his Servant "
2- The Virgin Mary a Great Servant
Not only was Mary a Servant to her family and her Fiance Joseph, she was a great Servant to her God and her Son who is also her Savior.
Luke 1:38 " I am the Lord's servant, Mary answered. May it be to me as you have said "
Luke 1: 48 " For he has been mindful of the humble state of his Servant "
3- The Virgin Mary was a Great Believer
This is a very important Step in Mary's life. Before giving birth to Jesus, she had confessed her true acceptance of God through Faith in him. She had accepted the Angel's message and took on the responsibility of bearing the Savior of the World but also believed in him from day one. Mary's repentance and declaration of faith is found in her famous song
Luke 1: 47 " My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior "
4- The Virgin Mary was Truly Blessed
Mary was a blessed Woman through out her life. God not only found great favor with her but also Blessed her to go on and become a great Saint in which all future generations will look upon
Luke 1: 49 " From now on, all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me "
5- The Virgin Mary was a Praying Mother
Through out her life, Mary was in constant prayer to her God and her Savior. Some students have asked me " but how can a Holy Mother pray to her Child? ". The Answer is simple. Her Child was no ordinary child but in fact he was her GOD and her SAVIOR and she knew it too. What is interesting though is that even after Jesus' rise from the dead and after Mary and the Apostles were gathered together, they Still prayed and continued to pray
Acts 1:14 " They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus "
6- The Virgin Mary was a Crying Mother but also a happy Mother
The Virgin wept at the sight of her Son's crucifixion. She shed real Tears, not only as a mother of a Child but also fully knowing that her GOD was being tortured and put to death. At the Same time, she was also a happy and cheerful mother. She took great Joy in accepting God's purpose and plan for her life.
Common Questions and Answers:
Q. Is the Virgin Mary the Mother of God or the Mother of Jesus?
From an Evangelist point of View, she is truly Both. This debate has been going for Centuries and many Christians have given it far more attention that it deserves.
Mary is the Mother of the fully Human Jesus. The bible gives her that Title in Acts 1 and refers to her as the Mother of Jesus. But in saying that, Jesus was also fully God, fully man. His Deity was fully intact and he did not lose any of his Godly nature or qnoma during his earthly mission, so it's not wrong to refer to her as the Mother of God.
We are only very against the title of " the Mother of God " if it is used to assign Mary a Deity of some Sort. In other Words, Mary was not a GOD. She was not in the same Class as Jesus. She has no role nor part to play in the Trinity.
Q. Was the Virgin Mary born Sinless and continued to be without sin all her life?
The Catholic church teaches that Mary was born Sinless and had to be sinless for her to bear the Savior of this World in her Tomb. They mount a Case of reasoning and logic to explain this belief. Although the case they present is highly logical and also reasonable, it is unfortunately very un-biblical.
Unbiblical means the Bible does not mention anywhere in any of the books or Scriptures that Mary was to be born Sinless. Nothing is found in the OT nor the NT to support this idea. For Mary to be sinless, this is a very significant thing which is impossible for GOD nor the apostles to ignore in their Writings.
When looking for answers in Scripture in regard to this question, We find Two important passages:
Romans 3: 22 " The Righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace "
In this scripture, we find a great declaration by God that " there is no difference" and " All have Sinned". The All means just that, ALL of Humanity, including the Virgin Mary.
Luke 1: 46 " My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior "
This is the killer punch for those who teach that the Virgin was born Sinless. Mary refers to God as her Savior, But why? What is there to Save for her if she was Sinless? Why do people call God a Savior?
The answer is simple, because he saved us from our Sins and took them all away by the Blood he shed on the Cross. This Verse also proves that Mary had repented and accepted God as her own Savior. This is a very important Step for Mary Could not have been possibly chosen nor allowed to carry the Lord in her tomb had she not repented.
The Answer is simple: A person who is born Sinless or without sin does not need a Savior at all. Yet Mary did, and she rejoiced with happiness at that prospect.
Q: Did the Virgin Mary remain a Virgin or did she have children afterwards?
When Answering such a sensitive and much debated Question, we must always refer to Scripture to find the true Answer.
It is a fact that the Bible mentions on more than one occasion that Jesus had brothers and sisters who were not just his followers but were brothers by Blood from his own family. James is one famous Character whom the bible often refers to as the Brother of Christ.
In Saying that, that does not mean the Mary was not a Virgin. In fact, the Bible does not mention at all if those brothers and sisters were from Mary's union with Joseph. A closer study of historical events in the bible gives us some Clues in which we can build a Strong Case.
I personally believe that James and the others mentioned were Jesus' Half brothers from Joseph's first marriage. We come to this conclusion because firstly, Joseph was no less than 20 years older than Mary who was married very young ( perhaps at the age of 18-20).
The second clue we get is when Jesus was on the Cross. Jesus asked John to look after his mum. This proves that Joseph had passed away a long time before this event which leads us to conclude that his brothers were his half brothers.
The bible does mention a much debated verse " But did not know her " or " did not have union with her" until she gave birth. if We read this verse literally, it can only mean that Mary had lost her Virginity and had a normal sexual life with her Husband Joseph, however it is not as clear as it sounds. One needs to go back to the original texts in Aramic and Greek to see what the Reader really meant.
Personally, i believe she remained a Virgin all her life.
To begin with, here are some of the remarks and ideas that people thought we say and preach when talking about the Virgin Mary..
* The Virgin Mary was just an ordinary person who played a role given to her by God, nothing more
* The Virgin Mary had a normal marriage life and had a normal sexual relationship with Joseph and also had sons and Daughters.
* The Virgin Mary is not respected nor prayed to by Evangelists..
* The Virgin Mary is often compared to the Devil by many Evangelists
* Evangelists refuse to call her the Mother of God and only refer to her as " Mother of Jesus" which is very offensive and disrespectful.
To Begin with, here is an opening statement to give a direct and honest answer to what we really think, feel and teach
" The Virgin Mary was and still is one of the Greatest women of all time. So great she was, she found favor with God whom he chose her to become the mother of Our Lord and Savor Jesus Christ..."
There are two titles in which Evangelists refer to the Virgin Mary:
1- Truly Blessed
2- A Saint
Unlike Catholic churches who might have received their knowledge of the Virgin via their traditions and verbal teachings, Evangelists only rely on Scripture to assess and describe what they feel the truth about our Blessed Virgin. There are 6 special lessons we learned from the Virgin:
1- The Virgin was a Greatly Humbled woman
We come to learn that the Virgin had a Special feature. She was a very humbled Woman. Her Humility meant that she would always put herself before others and always obedient to her family & her fiance Joseph. This type of Humility found her Favor with God. We Read:
Luke 1:28 " The Angel went to her and said " Greetings, you who are highly favored, the Lord is with you "
Luke 1:30 " Do not be afraid Mary. You have found Favor with God "
Luke 1:48 " For he has been mindful of the humble state of his Servant "
2- The Virgin Mary a Great Servant
Not only was Mary a Servant to her family and her Fiance Joseph, she was a great Servant to her God and her Son who is also her Savior.
Luke 1:38 " I am the Lord's servant, Mary answered. May it be to me as you have said "
Luke 1: 48 " For he has been mindful of the humble state of his Servant "
3- The Virgin Mary was a Great Believer
This is a very important Step in Mary's life. Before giving birth to Jesus, she had confessed her true acceptance of God through Faith in him. She had accepted the Angel's message and took on the responsibility of bearing the Savior of the World but also believed in him from day one. Mary's repentance and declaration of faith is found in her famous song
Luke 1: 47 " My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior "
4- The Virgin Mary was Truly Blessed
Mary was a blessed Woman through out her life. God not only found great favor with her but also Blessed her to go on and become a great Saint in which all future generations will look upon
Luke 1: 49 " From now on, all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me "
5- The Virgin Mary was a Praying Mother
Through out her life, Mary was in constant prayer to her God and her Savior. Some students have asked me " but how can a Holy Mother pray to her Child? ". The Answer is simple. Her Child was no ordinary child but in fact he was her GOD and her SAVIOR and she knew it too. What is interesting though is that even after Jesus' rise from the dead and after Mary and the Apostles were gathered together, they Still prayed and continued to pray
Acts 1:14 " They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus "
6- The Virgin Mary was a Crying Mother but also a happy Mother
The Virgin wept at the sight of her Son's crucifixion. She shed real Tears, not only as a mother of a Child but also fully knowing that her GOD was being tortured and put to death. At the Same time, she was also a happy and cheerful mother. She took great Joy in accepting God's purpose and plan for her life.
Common Questions and Answers:
Q. Is the Virgin Mary the Mother of God or the Mother of Jesus?
From an Evangelist point of View, she is truly Both. This debate has been going for Centuries and many Christians have given it far more attention that it deserves.
Mary is the Mother of the fully Human Jesus. The bible gives her that Title in Acts 1 and refers to her as the Mother of Jesus. But in saying that, Jesus was also fully God, fully man. His Deity was fully intact and he did not lose any of his Godly nature or qnoma during his earthly mission, so it's not wrong to refer to her as the Mother of God.
We are only very against the title of " the Mother of God " if it is used to assign Mary a Deity of some Sort. In other Words, Mary was not a GOD. She was not in the same Class as Jesus. She has no role nor part to play in the Trinity.
Q. Was the Virgin Mary born Sinless and continued to be without sin all her life?
The Catholic church teaches that Mary was born Sinless and had to be sinless for her to bear the Savior of this World in her Tomb. They mount a Case of reasoning and logic to explain this belief. Although the case they present is highly logical and also reasonable, it is unfortunately very un-biblical.
Unbiblical means the Bible does not mention anywhere in any of the books or Scriptures that Mary was to be born Sinless. Nothing is found in the OT nor the NT to support this idea. For Mary to be sinless, this is a very significant thing which is impossible for GOD nor the apostles to ignore in their Writings.
When looking for answers in Scripture in regard to this question, We find Two important passages:
Romans 3: 22 " The Righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace "
In this scripture, we find a great declaration by God that " there is no difference" and " All have Sinned". The All means just that, ALL of Humanity, including the Virgin Mary.
Luke 1: 46 " My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior "
This is the killer punch for those who teach that the Virgin was born Sinless. Mary refers to God as her Savior, But why? What is there to Save for her if she was Sinless? Why do people call God a Savior?
The answer is simple, because he saved us from our Sins and took them all away by the Blood he shed on the Cross. This Verse also proves that Mary had repented and accepted God as her own Savior. This is a very important Step for Mary Could not have been possibly chosen nor allowed to carry the Lord in her tomb had she not repented.
The Answer is simple: A person who is born Sinless or without sin does not need a Savior at all. Yet Mary did, and she rejoiced with happiness at that prospect.
Q: Did the Virgin Mary remain a Virgin or did she have children afterwards?
When Answering such a sensitive and much debated Question, we must always refer to Scripture to find the true Answer.
It is a fact that the Bible mentions on more than one occasion that Jesus had brothers and sisters who were not just his followers but were brothers by Blood from his own family. James is one famous Character whom the bible often refers to as the Brother of Christ.
In Saying that, that does not mean the Mary was not a Virgin. In fact, the Bible does not mention at all if those brothers and sisters were from Mary's union with Joseph. A closer study of historical events in the bible gives us some Clues in which we can build a Strong Case.
I personally believe that James and the others mentioned were Jesus' Half brothers from Joseph's first marriage. We come to this conclusion because firstly, Joseph was no less than 20 years older than Mary who was married very young ( perhaps at the age of 18-20).
The second clue we get is when Jesus was on the Cross. Jesus asked John to look after his mum. This proves that Joseph had passed away a long time before this event which leads us to conclude that his brothers were his half brothers.
The bible does mention a much debated verse " But did not know her " or " did not have union with her" until she gave birth. if We read this verse literally, it can only mean that Mary had lost her Virginity and had a normal sexual life with her Husband Joseph, however it is not as clear as it sounds. One needs to go back to the original texts in Aramic and Greek to see what the Reader really meant.
Personally, i believe she remained a Virgin all her life.
