Another puzzling passage is Mark3:33-35.
And he replied, " Who are my MOTHER and my brothers? " And looking around on those who sat about him, he said. " HERE ARE MY MOTHER and my brothers ! WHOEVER does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and MOTHER. "
Does this passage point up Mary Alone … in special spot ? Why didn’t Christ restrict his answer to brothers/ sisters, w/o mention of motherhood, …if Mary is the singular Mediatrix?
Nothing is puzziling if you actuallly would try to read/ investigate Catholic teachings instead of choosing to believe the nonsense somebody has been feeding you!!!
Church Fathers Defended Mary’s perpetual Virginity
Athanasius, the great doctor of the nation who led the fight against Arianism, highly respected by Protestants. In his disourses Against the Arians, he explicitly Mary "Ever- Virgin."17
He mentions this is something Christians take for granted, something novel or needing a defense.
; the end of the fourth century, when idius questioned Mary’s perpetual virginity, the Church Fathers reacted, St. Jerome penned a scathing defense,
Perpetual Virginity of the Blessed Virgin ’ Against Helvidius, condemning his ling as novel and heretical.
Both St. Augustine and St. Ambrose strongly defended r’s perpetual virginity.18 Augustine calls 'A Virgin conceiving, a Virgin bearing, gin pregnant, a Virgin bringing forth, a n perpetual."
^r we showed that the OT Ark prefigured r. God insisted that this Ark be without
or defect because it was to carry the ;n Word of God. Even more would God
to preserve Mary, the NT Ark who ;d the Living Word of God, from all stain feet.
Protestant Reformers Defended Mary as “Ever-Virgin”
In conclusion, we can show Protestants how even the founders of Protestantism strongly upheld the doctrine of Mary as “Ever-Virgin”:
Luther: "It is an article of faith that Mary is Mother of the Lord and still a virgin… Christ, we believe, came forth from a womb left perfectly intact."19
Calvin: “There have been certain folk who have wished to suggest from this passage [Matthew 1:25] that the Virgin Mary had other children than the Son of God, and that Joseph had then dwelt with her later; but what folly this is\ For the gospel writer did not wish to record what happened afterwards; he simply wished to make clear Joseph’s obedience and to show that Joseph had been well and truly assured that it was God who had sent His angel to Mary. He had therefore never dwelt with her nor had he shared her company
And besides this Our Lord Jesus Christ is called the first-born. This is not because there was a second or a third, but because the gospel writer is paying regard to the precedence. Scripture speaks thus of naming the first-born whether or no there was any question of the second.”
Zwingli: “I firmly believe that Mary, according to the words of the gospel, as a pure Virgin brought forth for us the Son of God and in childbirth and after childbirth forever remained a pure, intact Virgin.”
We can’t prove biblically Jesus did not have brothers and sisters, and you can’t prove he did Biblically.
Brethren
Young’s Analytical Concordance; [A protestant source]
There may be no actual familial relationship between persons- referred to as ‘brother and sister’ These words may be used for any relative- a cousin, or for someone who is a close companion"
Gen 13:8 “Abram said to Lot, "Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen; for we are kinsmen.
Kinsman bond of long shared experience; apart from blood relationship brother nay also be used as friends, allies, colleagues, fellow citizens.
Brethren KJV, NKJV “brothers’ NIV,
Biblical Instances where ‘brother’ is used not a blood relative:
David in;
2Sam 1:26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant have you been to me; your love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.
1Kings 9:13, King solomon addresses king hiram as his ‘brother’
Gen 49:9 the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi are united in infamy
Num 8:23 [concerning the elder levites} “they may assist their brethren the Levites, did help them (this is the brotherhood of priests and levites) see also [2Chron 29:34]
Amos 1:9 Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because they delivered up a whole people to Edom, and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.
1 Sam 30:23 “But David said, "You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us; he has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us
The Hebrews were brothers of a covenant, brothers of community, Brothers by the seed of abraham… All were/are children of the Omnipotent God.
But the Roman Catholic Church has been a living witness to Christ Birth, Life death and Resurrection since 33 a.d.
God bless,
john
