carol marie:
I don’t think that Mary remaining sinless is supported biblically and I believe a good argument could be made against it w/ “ALL have sinned & fall short of the glory of God.” And I know this has been addressed in a kajillion threads already… It is my opinion that this is one of those issues that we accept because the Church says so… (which I do) but I would be hard pressed to support it using the Bible.
I believe Mary’s sinlessness is supported in the first instance of prophecy concerning her: Please see Genesis 3:15[Emphasis added], preface it with the 14th verse and conclude with the 16th:
3:14 Then the LORD God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
3:15 *** I will put enmity between you and the woman, **
**and between your offspring and hers; **
He will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel.”
3:16 To the woman he said:
“I will intensify the pangs of your childbearing;
in pain shall you bring forth children.
Yet your urge shall be for your husband,
and he shall be your master.”
Woman is mentioned twice and two different women are meant. God, the Speaker, in three verses identifies the fault, the fall; the tempter, Satan; the solution, the child of Mary, her offspring, Jesus and the tempted, Eve and what the loss of Paradise portends.
Enmity is not what individuals who sin have with the devil, but God is to put enmity between Mary, Jesus and all devils.