CATHOLIC DOCTRINES ABOUT MARY COMPARED WITH WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS A Study of Catholic Practice and Doctrine Mary Ann Collins (A Former Catholic Nun) MOTHER OF GOD — According to Catholic doctrine, because she is the mother of Jesus, and Jesus is God, therefore Mary is the Mother of God.[21] The Incarnation means that Jesus was both fully God and fully man. Mary was only the mother of Jesus as man, and not the mother of Jesus as God. According to the Bible, the world was created through Jesus. The Bible says, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.” (Hebrews 1:1-2, emphasis added) “For by him [Jesus] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things [including Mary] were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things [including Mary], and by him all things consist.” (Colossians 1:16-17, emphasis added) “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58) Jesus existed before Abraham was born. That means that He also existed before Mary was born. Jesus said, “And now O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” (John 17:5, emphasis added) So Jesus existed even before the world began. Jesus came first—not Mary.6 MOTHER OF THE CHURCH — According to Catholic doctrine, Mary is the Mother of the Church.[22] Acts 1:13-14 gives a picture of a group of people praying together. Mary is mentioned as one of them, but nothing indicates any special prominence. “And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Phillip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.” Mary was probably in the Upper Room when the tongues of fire fell upon the 120 disciples. However, she is never mentioned again in the Book of Acts, which is our only historical record of how the Church was born. She is also not specifically identified in the epistles. Paul did send greetings to “Mary,” but that was a common name. (In the Gospels and in the Book of Acts, she is referred to as “Mary the mother of Jesus” to distinguish her from other women named Mary.) It is notable that John, who took Mary into his home after Jesus was crucified, does not mention her in his epistles, and he only mentions her on two occasions in his Gospel (the wedding at Cana and the crucifixion of Jesus). John mentions Mary Magdalene more than he mentions Jesus’ mother.
Posted on: Fri, 02 Aug 2013 01:32:53 +0000
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