Mary as ever virgin

[Crocus]

Would stepbrothers have responsibility to take care of their widowed stepmother, or would it be acceptable to abandon her after her only son died? It doesn’t make sense that the children of Mary’s husband would not have first place to care for her.

Why do you prefer the explanation that the “brothers” were stepbrothers, rather than the explanation given above, that close family relationships had no separate words as we have? I don’t really have a problem with stepbrothers, just seems less likely.

Language differences must factor into finding meaning. For example, my husband’s nephew, in Dutch, refers to our daughter as his “neef” (which can mean either cousin, or nephew). Along that line, in Jesus’ locale, the word we translate as “brother” referred to close relationship, that included siblings, but also cousins.

 

[Agathon]

Would stepbrothers have responsibility to take care of their widowed stepmother, or would it be acceptable to abandon her after her only son died?

No. They were stepbrothers, not blood brothers. John himself was a relative of Jesus.

Why do you prefer the explanation that the “brothers” were stepbrothers, rather than the explanation given above, that close family relationships had no separate words as we have? I don’t really have a problem with stepbrothers, just seems less likely.

Because I don’t see why Joseph has to be a virgin for the doctrine of Mary’s perpetual virginity to be true, and because the cousin theory started with Jerome.

Language differences must factor into finding meaning. For example, my husband’s nephew, in Dutch, refers to our daughter as his “neef” (which can mean either cousin, or nephew). Along that line, in Jesus’ locale, the word we translate as “brother” referred to close relationship, that included siblings, but also cousins.

Well for one thing, the language in which the New Testament was translated was Greek and that language had a word for cousin. It is used to describe John Mark’s relationship to Barnabas.

 

[Cathoholic]

Sean77 (from post 99) . . . . .

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Mary was certainly a virgin at the time that Christ was conceived. The scriptures attest to this, and we would agree on this point. The question is whether she remained so perpetually. Through natural childbirth this would have been lost in a clinical sense.

(emphasis mine)
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Sacred Scripture . . . .

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ISAIAH 7:14 (RSVCE) 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.
Behold, a young woman (Hebrew = almah) shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

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Almah means “young woman” and it also means “virgin”. I would suggest that in the case of Isaiah 7:14 it points to BOTH.

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ISAIAH 7:14 (DRV) Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign.
Behold a virgin (Hebrew = almah) shall conceive, and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel.
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Notice a VIRGIN . . . . CONCEIVES this child.
And this VIRGIN . . . . BEARS this child.

A VIRGIN conceives AND bears a son.

NOT ISAIAH 7:14 (but a phantom verse) Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign.
Behold a virgin shall conceive a son, but concerning bearing this son through natural childbirth this would have been lost in a clinical sense.

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ISAIAH 7:14 (DRV) Therefore the Lord himself shall give you
a sign.
Behold a VIRGIN shall conceive, AND BEAR
a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel.

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Why not just affirm Sacred Scripture Sean77?

 

[Cathoholic]

Sean77 . . . .

Matthew is pretty clear that after Mary’s purification, Joseph knew his wife (the biblical euphemism for sex).

If St. Matthew is so “clear” on this, I think you should show me one verse where he says that Sean77.

 

[Cathoholic]

Sean77 . . . .

And in point of fact, many believe, and have good reason to do so, that the Protoevangelium of James, from which the doctrine gets its genesis, was tinged by gnostic beliefs and traditions.

I don’t get this doctrine from the Protoevangelium of James. Nor does the Church.

What the Protoevangelium of James says is irrelevant here.

I won’t be appealing to the Protoevangelium to support my arguments on this thread Sean77.

The Blessed Mother is a Perpetual Virgin.

 

[Cathoholic]

Sean77 . . . .

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I just do not see any scriptural support for the perpetual virginity of Mary, particularly when all four gospels contradict this doctrine.

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Ya know Sean77, I have been reading the forum thread and you keep talking all about this Biblical evidence but are almost never citing any Scripture references to back up what you are saying.

You are just writing your opinions.

This is not going to be persuasive unless you actually write out the Scripture passages you are alluding to.

 

[Francis]

@Cathoholic

I think , he has a problem with supporting doctrine through scripture?