Isnt it blasphemy to call Mary the Mother of God? Understood correctly, the title Mother of God (Greek: Theotokos, God-bearer) does not mean that Mary is the source of Christ’s divine nature, nor does it mean Mary is the Mother of the Father or the Holy Spirit. It means Mary is Mother of the person of Jesus, who is God: The One whom [Mary] conceived as man by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was none other than the Father’s eternal Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity. Hence the Church confesses that Mary is truly Mother of God. Since his Incarnation Jesus has had two natures, divine and human. These natures are completely united (meaning he is completely God and completely human). The technical word for this is the hypostatic union. Although Jesus has two natures, he is only one Person--God--the Second Person of the Trinity. For this reason Jesus is properly called the God-Man. (By the term nature we mean what Jesus is; by the term Person we mean who he is.) Since the Son born to Mary is a single Person (and that Person is God) with two natures, Mary can rightly be called the Mother of God. The Person shes the mother of is God--hes not, strictly and philosophically speaking, a human person, as we are. This doesnt mean that Mary existed before God (which is an impossibility). She is a human person with a human nature. She existed before Jesus human nature was created. Heres another way to look at it. A woman cant be the mother merely of a nature. She can only be the mother of a person who possesses a nature. When a child is conceived he is a person, not just a nature. The same is true of Jesus, or else he would be two persons in addition to having two natures. Since Mary is the mother not of Jesus human nature but of Jesus the God-Man, a divine Person, she is rightly called the Mother of God. The Uniqueness of Mary as the Mother of God in Scripture… Gen. 3:15 - we see from the very beginning that God gives Mary a unique role in salvation history. God says I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed. This refers to Jesus (the emnity) and Mary (the woman). The phrase her seed (spermatos) is not seen elsewhere in Scripture. Gen 3:15 / Rev. 12:1 - the Scriptures begin and end with the woman battling satan. This points to the power of the woman with the seed and teaches us that Jesus and Mary are the new Adam and the new Eve. John 2:4, 19:26 - Jesus calls Mary woman as she is called in Gen. 3:15. Just as Eve was the mother of the old creation, Mary is the mother of the new creation. This womans seed will crush the serpents skull. Isaiah 7:14; Matt. 1:23 - a virgin (the Greek word used is parthenos) will bear a Son named Emmanuel, which means God is with us. John 1:14 - God in flesh dwelt among us. Mary is the Virgin Mother of God. Matt. 2:11 - Luke emphasizes Jesus is with Mary His Mother, and the magi fall down before both of them, worshiping Jesus. Luke 1:35 - the child will be called holy, the Son of God. Mary is the Mother of the Son of God, or the Mother of God (the Theotokos). Luke 1:28 - Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. These are the words spoken by God and delivered to us by the angel Gabriel (who is a messenger of God). Thus, when Catholics recite this verse while praying the Rosary, they are uttering the words of God. Luke 1:28 - also, the phrase full of grace is translated from the Greek word kecharitomene. This is a unique title given to Mary, and suggests a perfection of grace from a past event. Mary is not just highly favored. She has been perfected in grace by God. Full of grace is only used to describe one other person - Jesus Christ in John 1:14. Luke 1:38 - Marys fiat is let it be done to me according to thy word. Mary is the perfect model of faith in God, and is worthy of our veneration. Luke 1:42 - Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. The phrase blessed are you among women really means you are most blessed of all women. A circumlocution is used because there is no superlative in the Greek language. Note also that Elizabeth praises Mary first, and then Jesus. This is hyperdulia (but not latria which is worship owed to God alone). We too can go through Mary to praise Jesus. Finally, Catholics repeat these divinely inspired words of Elizabeth in the Rosary. Luke 1:43 - Elizabeths use of Mother of my Lord (in Hebrew, Elizabeth used Adonai which means Lord God) is the equivalent of Holy Mary, Mother of God which Catholics pray in the Rosary. The formula is simple: Jesus is a divine person, and this person is God. Mary is Jesus Mother, so Mary is the mother of God (Mary is not just the Mother of Jesus human nature - mothers are mothers of persons, not natures). Luke 1:44 - Marys voice causes John the Baptist to leap for joy in Elizabeths womb. Luke is teaching us that Mary is our powerful intercessor. Luke 1:46 - Mary claims that her soul magnifies the Lord. This is a bold statement from a young Jewish girl from Nazareth. Her statement is a strong testimony to her uniqueness. Mary, as our Mother and intercessor, also magnifies our prayers. Luke 1:48 - Mary prophesies that all generations shall call her blessed, as Catholics do in the Hail Mary prayer. What Protestant churches have existed in all generations (none), and how many of them call Mary blessed with special prayers and devotions? Gal. 4:4 - God sent His Son, born of a woman, to redeem us. Mary is the woman with the redeemer. By calling Mary co-redemptrix, we are simply calling Mary the woman with the redeemer. This is because co is from the Latin word cum which means with. Therefore, co-redemptrix means woman with the redeemer. Mary had a unique but subordinate role to Jesus in salvation. Eph. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:2 - the word saints (in Hebrew qaddiysh) means holy ones. So Mary is called Holy, the greatest Saint of all. Luke 2:35 - Simeon prophesies that a sword would also pierce Marys soul. Mary thus plays a very important role in our redemption. While Jesus suffering was all that we needed for redemption, God desired Mary to participate on a subordinate level in her Sons suffering, just as he allows us to participate through our own sufferings. Luke 2:19,51 - Mary kept in mind all these things as she pondered them in her heart. Catholics remember this by devoting themselves to Marys Immaculate Heart and all the treasures and wisdom and knowledge contained therein.
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 21:00:25 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015