Quote:
Originally Posted by SAVINGRACE
The early Christians and theologians do not agree with you. They interpreted those verses as John being symbolic of all humanity.
Just as all of Eve’s children are cursed, all of Mary’s children have hope of salvation.
Mary is the New Eve, the Ark of the New Covenant.
Eve believed an evil angel and brought evil, destruction and spiritual death to mankind. Mary believed a good angel and brought hope and grace for all humanity when she submitted to Gods will and bore Our Lord.
St. Paul refers to Christ as the Head and the Church as the Body. Head and Body make up the entire and whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ.
Now, if we say that Mary gave birth to Jesus, the Head of the Body, then it must be that she gave birth to the entire Body since a true body cannot be separated. It would mean that she gave birth to the members as well. In giving physical birth to Jesus, we can say that Mary made it possible for us to receive spiritual life through Him. We were dead, and through Him we have come back to life. And it was Mary’s “yes†at the Annunciation that made our rebirth possible. To question this is to question the plan of God. For it was He who decided from all eternity that it would be so.
In the year 130 Irenaeus wrote about her. He was familiar with those who had been close both to Peter and to Paul and who “had still the preaching of the blessed Apostles ringing in their ears”. He said:
“As Eve was seduced by the speech of an angel, so as to flee God in transgressing his word, so also Mary received the good tidings by means of the angel’s speech, so as to be God within her, being obedient to this word. And though the one had disobeyed God, yet the other was drawn to obey him; that of the virgin Eve, the virgin Mary might become the advocate and as by a virgin the human race had been bound to death, by a virgin it is saved, the balance being preserved- a virgin’s disobedience by a virgin’ obedience.” (St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 3, 19) (175-185 A.D.)
St. Justin Martyr ( 110-165 A.D.) writes:
For whereas Eve, yet a virgin and undefiled, through conceiving the word that came from the serpent, brought forth disobedience and death; the Virgin Mary, taking faith and joy, when the Angel told her the good tidings that the Spirit of the Lord should come upon her, and the power of the Most High overshadow her, and therefore the Holy One to be born of her should be the Son of God, answered, Be it done to me according to thy word. And so by means of her was he born, concerning whom we have shown so many Scriptures were spoken; through whom God overthrows the serpent, and those angels and men who have become like to it, and on the other hand, works deliverance from death for such as repent of their evil doings and believe in him (St. Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, c. 160 A.D.)
St. Epiphanius of Salamis (c. 310-403) writes:
Eve was called the mother of the living …after the fall this title was given to her. True it is…the whole race of man upon earth was born from Eve; but in reality it is from Mary the Life was truly born to the world. So that by giving birth to the Living One, Mary became the mother of all living (St. Epiphanius, Against Eighty Heresies, 78,9, written c. 374)
One of the oldest catacombs contains a drawing of the Madonna and Child dating back to the second century, and the oldest known request to Mary, the “Sub Tuum Praesidium”, dates back to at least 300 AD!
We fly to your patronage, O holy Theotokos2;
despise not our petition in our necessities,
but deliver us always from all dangers,
O ever-glorious and blessed Virgin.
The video below explains some of what Catholics believe wrt Mary.
youtube.com/watch?v=kUdYeYy3NQA
My wife is catholic and I am protestant (go to a baptist church although I don’t accept all of their doctrine). Anyways, I am honestly just curious not trying to cause anyone to freak out so please don’t post back that way. I understand the idea that she is our “Mother” and i don’t mean anything negative by the " ". My issue with Mary is how highly she is regarded. I think she should be honored no doubt her faith was unshakeable but can you provide any old teaching on Mary being sinless? I know that the idea of Mary being born of a virgin comes from the protovagelium of James but why is she considered to live a sinless life? I’m not going to quote any scripture because I’m sure you have already heard it and that would just be a waste of time. I commented on your post because you provided some old church teachings. Thanks.