Can you clarify the Perpetual Virginity of Mary for me?

[Sawyer_Dichtel]

I know that it is the teaching of the Church that Mary preserved her virginity throughout the course of her life. I was having trouble reconciling that with Matthew 1:25, which states that Joseph and Mary “did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son” (NIV). To my logic, it would seem that if the marriage was not consummated ‘until she gave birth’, that that statement offers the logical conclusion that the marriage was consumated after she gave birth. What’s my folly here?

Thanks!

 

[Devon_Caffran]

Part of your problem is that the NIV is not a Catholic translation of the Bible. The following links should assist you in better understanding Mary’s perpetual virginity. If you have any further questions or concerns that are not answered by these links, please [contact Catholic Answers (http://www.catholic.com/home/contact.asp) directly.
**Recommended Reading:
**

• Doesn’t Scripture imply that Mary had children other than Jesus?
• ** Did Jesus have brothers?**
• ** Perpetual Virginity: Why is this important?**
• ** Mary: Ever Virgin**
• ** Why should any doctrine not explicitly referred to in the Bible, be listened to?**
• ** How do you respond to “Everything you need to know is in the Bible”?**
• ** How can we know a doctrine is true if it’s not in the Bible?**
• ** How do we know that the Protoevangelium of James is credible?**
• ** Does Church Tradition exist only to interpret Scripture?**
• ** Non-Canonical Writings…**
• ** Oral Traditions not found in the Bible**
• Immaculate Conception and Assumption