Defusing Roman Myths Was Mary A Perpetual Virgin

According to the theology of Rome, Mary remained childless all the days of her life. And oddly, they wish modern readers to think of this as some sort of sign of the blessing of God. Accordingly to the holy Scripture, this was actually true of the Lord Jesus, who had no earthly descendants because of his special mission to redeem God's elect.

But Mary was a fruitful vine whose house was full of children.Consider briefly the following conclusions, intolerable notions on the biblical account, that would logically follow on the supposition that Rome would have us entertain.1.

If Mary had remained a virgin after giving birth to Jesus, she would have been condemned in Scripture as a fraudulent liar. For God commanded (and still commands) all men and women "be frutiful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it" (Gen. 1:26). God repeated this command to Noah and his family upon their departure from the ark.2. Joseph, her husband, would have been "perpetually angry" -- and with good cause -- under the circumstances implied by Rome.

He had the right to have children. By biblical law, he would also have had the right to divorce her if she defrauded him by refusing his conjugal rights. In the Bible, each married spouse owns a right to the other's body, so that withholding conjugal rights is forbidden by God -- except by mutual consent for a time, as Paul says, "to devote yourselves to prayer and fasting." "But then come together again," Paul commanded, "that Satan may not tempt you.".

3. The Bible says that Mary was not a virgin at all after Jesus had been born to her. This is because she was obedient to the Lord's commands, and because she had the same needs every other woman had. The names of her children are listed in the book of Luke (13:55) as: James, Joses (a variant of Joseph), Simon, and Judas (or Judah).

And her daughters are mentioned, but not by name. Here's the text that should have ended this untoward Romanist doctrine of the "perpetual" virginity of Mary more than a thousand years ago:.And when he [Jesus] was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? 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? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, "A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house.".Jesus is clearly himself that prophet to which he refers, and "his house" just as clearly refers to the family into which he was born.

He had brothers and sisters. This was typical of Jewish households.4. No Israelitess wanted only one son; they wanted as many as possible, as they rightly viewed children as a blessing, just as the Proverbs and Psalms teach.

"May you be like Leah and Rachel" (who bore 13 children to Jacob) was a standard blessing for women in Israel. Although Rome officially affirms that Mary was righteous, its teachings also confusedly deny the blessings of God to her for such righteousness. Throughout the Bible, we find God blessing women with children, and barrenness is considered a curse. Remember Eve, Sarah, the Egyptian Midwives in Exodus, Hannah, and others? It is wholly inconsistent for Rome to hold that marriage and virginity are compatible, as well righteousness and perpetual barrenness.In Mary's case, we want to ask: why was Mary CURSED with barrenness on their view, after giving birth to Jesus? This may not be what Rome's theologians intend to imply, but the question displays a biblically valid conclusion from their faulty premisses. Why was Mary's faithfulness in bearing and raising the Son of God a curse to her so that God shut her womb thereafter?.

Here is the truth. Mary was righteous and blessed, and so was Joseph -- Luke 1 says they walked blamelessly, keeping the commandments of God -- one COMMANDMENT of which was to come together often -- to be frutiful and multiply, to fill the earth and subdue it. According to the Bible, Married women cannot both be virgins AND be obedient to God. It would be wicked and deceptive to promise conjugal rights to a man in marriage, and after marrying him to defraud him of them.

Conclusion: It is uncharitable and fraudulent for Romanists to assault the reputation of Mary by implying that she failed to perform her covenant obligations in this manner, when the Bible explains that she was an excellent example of obedience to God like that of Hannah and Queen Esther, an example for which the saints of God throughout the history of the Church have gratefully given thanks to God.

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By: Carson C. Day