Questions tagged [perpetual-virginity]
The doctrine that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virgin her entire life
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Do the canons of the Second Council of Constantinople anathematise those who believe that Mary and Joseph consummated their marriage?
Motivation
I have difficulty, personally, believing in the perpetual virginity of Mary. I do not begrudge anyone else believing that doctrine; I cannot imagine that it affects a person's salvation ...
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Did any of the Church Fathers interpret Matthew 1:25 as not speaking in a sexual sense?
Protestants often used Matthew 1:25 as proof text that Mary did not remain a perpetual virginity after her marriage to Joseph, but did any of the Early Church Fathers interpret or understand this ...
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How many different people in the New Testament are called or claim to be "Brothers" or "Sisters" of Jesus?
Regardless of the doctrine of the Perpetual Virginity of Mary acknowledged as dogma by most Christians, which would necessitate a different interpretation of the words "brother" and "...
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How do Catholics explain the apparent inconsistency between Mary's not experiencing labor pain and Rev 12:1-6?
According to Catholicism:
When Mary delivered Jesus from her womb, she labored without pain; see Catholic Answers articles Was Mary Free from Labor Pain? and Evidence for Mary's Painless Childbirth.
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Did St. Augustine believe that Ezekiel 44:1-2 is a prophecy of Mary's perpetual virginity?
According to Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians, Ezekiel 44:1-2
And he brought me back to the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary, which looked towards the east: and it was shut. And the ...
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What arguments do Catholics and Orthodox Christians use against Matthew 1:25 disproving the perpetual virginity of Mary? [duplicate]
Both Catholics and Orthodox Christians believe that the blessed Virgin Mary remained a virgin not only until she had given birth to the Lord but for her entire life, but most Protestants use Matthew 1:...
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Did any Early Church Father interpret Ezekiel 44:2 to be about Mary?
Catholicism interprets that Ezekiel 44:2 is about the blessed Virgin Mary and shows evidence of the perpetual virginity of Mary, but did any Early Church Fathers believe that Ezekiel 44:2 is about or ...
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How do Catholics respond to Matthew 1:25 meaning that Mary did not remain a perpetual virgin?
Roman Catholics believe that the virgin Mary was not only a virgin up until her birth of Christ, but remained a perpetual virgin until her death, but doesn't Matthew 1:25 affirm that Mary and Jospeh ...
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What are the main arguments Protestants use against the idea of the perpetual virginity of Mary?
Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodoxy have the doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary. Protestants generally don't have that belief.
What are the main arguments Protestants use against the idea ...
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What is the biblical basis to prove the perpetual virginity of Mary? [duplicate]
Roman Catholics believe that the blessed Mary not only was a virgin up until the birth of Christ but remained a perpetual virgin from then until the moment of her death. What is the biblical basis for ...
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Did the Early Church believe in the perpetual virginity of Mary? [duplicate]
Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians believe that the blessed Mary remained a perpetual virgin until she sadly passed away, but what was the Early Church Fathers view on the perpetual virginity of ...
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If Mary planned to consummate her marriage to Joseph, why was she confused when the angel told her she would bear a son? [duplicate]
The current top answer to this question (the answer given by SLM) asserts as a matter of fact that
Mary and Joseph consummated their marriage
Mary never took a vow of chastity
Jesus was born in the ...
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If Catholics believe new revelation from God has ceased, how do they defend the Marian dogmas?
The Marian dogmas are taught by the Catholic Church, but it is commonly held that some of the Marian doctrines such as her bodily accent to heaven are not biblical. But if Catholics believe revelation ...
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How did St. Jerome defend the Blessed Virgin's virginity 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘮 in light of Matt. 1:25?
How did St. Jerome defend the Blessed Virgin's virginity post partum in light of Matt. 1:25, which says St. Joseph "knew her not till she brought forth her firstborn son"?
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Did Is. 7:14 inspire Mary to take a vow of virginity?
Did any Catholic theologians think that the prophecy of Is. 7:14 ("Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel.") inspired the Blessed Virgin to ...
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Why is the Catholic teaching that Mary's hymen remained intact during childbirth important?
I am asking this question because the entire comment thread in which I asked the question appears to have gone missing, including references to Aquinas (Summa Theologica q. 35 a. 6), Ludwig Ott (...
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What is the scriptural evidence that Mary was always a virgin?
Protestants and Catholics both share the belief in the virgin birth - that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit.
But many people think the scriptures are also clear scripture that Jesus had brothers,...
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What does the perpetual virginity of Mary add to our salvation?
I tried this question earlier and it was closed due to so many other similar questions but, having looked through I didn't find an answer.
What, if any, is the salvific benefit of the perpetual ...
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Why the Perpetual Virginity of Mary? [duplicate]
The Savior having been born of a Virgin as prophesied, what if any, according to Roman Catholicism, are the salvific benefits of the continued or perpetual virginity of Mary?
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Why did the Blessed Virgin Mary marry?
According to Catholicism, why did the Blessed Virgin Mary, who intended to remain a virgin, marry St. Joseph?
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Did Mary pray to give birth to the Messiah although a virgin according to any Church Father? [duplicate]
I have judged this to be a not-so-impossible theory after some time doing a little investigation into the original intention of, and original Hebrew (or at least non-Greek words) underlying, the angel'...
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Did Mary desire to be the Mother of the prophesied Messiah?
Before the Annunciation by St. Gabriel, did Mary desire to be the Mother of the prophesied Messiah?
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How do Protestants explain Zechariah 12:10-14, used by Roman Catholics to prove Mary's perpetual virginity?
For those Protestants that believe that Mary had other children after Jesus was born, what do they make of Zechariah 12:10-14?
10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of
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How does Protestant Church explain Luke 2:48?
At Luke 2:48 we read of St. Mary's complaint to Jesus for `getting lost'at the Temple:
His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously ...
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How are the words of Mary in Luke 1:34 incontrovertible proof of her perpetual virginity?
Based on this question it seems that a lot of weight is given to the simple statement by Mary to Gabriel that she is a virgin.
Luke 1:34 NIV How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a ...
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Perpetual virginity of Mary: why did Mary see "not knowing man" as an obstacle to the conception of Jesus?
It seems rather incontrovertable from the logic (Luke 1):
You will concieve and bear a son
How shall this be, since I know not man
That Mary sees it as impossible to conceive, specifically because ...
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What exactly does the Catholic Church mean by the "Virginity" of Mary?
Possible ways to understand "virginity" :
Some people may define it as no sexual event whatsoever.
Some may define as not having intercourse with a male.
Some may define it as not participating in ...
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Why is the perpetual virginity of Mary important in Eastern Orthodoxy?
I am looking into the Eastern Orthodox church, and was wondering why believing that Mary was a perpetual virgin was an important belief? Now I don't have a real problem if tradition holds that she was ...
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Which church father first taught the perpetual virginity of Mary?
Reformed theologian Herman Bavinck, in his Reformed Dogmatics, III, §366, briefly deals with Mary's perpetual virginity, and touches on the doctrine's history:
We do not yet find this idea of Mary'...
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What is the basis for the Catholic teaching that Mary is holy?
What is the basis for the Catholic teaching that Mary is holy? Most other denominations don't hold to doctrines like perpetual virginity. They see Mary as special because she was chosen by God but ...
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Why is Mary's perpetual virginity a Catholic dogma?
I know Catholic dogmas must be accepted to become Catholic. They are non-negotiables as distinguished from doctrines or theological opinions. I know most Catholic dogmas relate to some essential truth ...
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How do proponents of the perpetual virginity of Mary view Matthew 13:53–57? [duplicate]
Matthew 13:53–57 reads:
53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where ...
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How do those who support the perpetual virginity of Mary doctrine harmonize the Protevangelium of James with the Gospel of Matthew?
I have a question concerning those who support the perpetual virginity doctrine. The Protoevangelium of James is the earliest source used to demonstrate how Joseph had children from a previous ...
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According to Catholic teaching, was Joseph and Mary's marriage a true marriage?
Well, I've read in several articles, and if not mistaken also in canon law, for a marriage to be valid, there has to be consummation (intercourse). However, since, if I'm not mistaken, by Catholic ...
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Why did Calvin reject these Catholic doctrines about Mary?
The Catholic Church has a few teachings about the Mother of our Lord that are not accepted by many Protestants. This is not evident in the doctrines of many early Protestant reformers including Luther,...
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Did the Herodian Temple have virgins?
I have heard a story about Mary being the "Ever Virgin" and it started out with her parents presenting her at the temple as a virgin and she stayed a virgin for the rest of her life, even ...
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What is the basis for the claim that Ezekiel 44 is about Mary the Mother of Jesus?
Upon being referred to the statements of Thomas Aquinas in Summa Theologia, I read this:
It is written (Ezekiel 44:2): "This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall pass ...
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How is the Catholic interpretation of the Woman of the Apocalypse as being Mary reconciled with the dogma of perpetual virginity?
In the Book of Revelation, 11:19—12:1-18, where the Woman of the Apocalypse is introduced, the passage describes "she wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth." Catholic tradition identifies ...
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When did Mary and Joseph learn that they were never supposed to have marital relations, according to Roman Catholic doctrine?
Roman Catholic doctrine teaches that Mary remained a virgin her entire life, even after marrying Joseph. It would seem that Joseph and Mary, at their betrothal, had likely expected to have, and ...
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Justification of perpetual virginity of Mother Mary [duplicate]
How do Catholics justify St. Joseph not being able to consummate his marriage with his wife?
It would seem as though the doctrine of Mary's perpetual virginity is at odds with Catholic teaching ...
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Why doesn't the Bible tell us that Jesus was a virgin? [closed]
Christian religions constantly remind us that Mary was "forever virgin".
So why doesn't the Bible tell us that Jesus was also a virgin?
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What do Protestants say was the source for the doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary?
Not counting Martin Luther, who appears to have believed in the doctrine of the Perpetual Virginity of Mary, what do other Protestants think is the source and reason for Catholic adherence to the ...
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What significance, if any, does the doctrine of the eternal virginity of Mary have?
I understand that the Catholic Church (and perhaps the Orthodox church as well) teaches that Mary is "the eternal virgin" Mary.
If this were an important doctrine, it seems there would be fairly ...
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What is the Biblical evidence against the perpetual virginity of Mary?
I understand that the Roman Catholic Church teaches that Mary is the eternal virgin in that she never had sexual relations with Joseph (or any other man)--either before or after the miraculous ...
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On what do Catholics base their doctrine of the eternal virginity of Mary?
I understand that the Catholic Church teaches that Mary is the eternal virgin in that she neither had sexual relations with Joseph (or any other man) either before or after the miraculous conception ...
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Is Mary's virginity evidence that sex is always sinful? [closed]
It seems that sex is always a sin, as evidenced by the fact that Jesus had to be born of a virgin and not by traditional conception in order to be sinless. Is this true?
Any viewpoint is welcome.
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What Protestant arguments exist for the perpetual virginity of Mary?
It's common knowledge that Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodoxy have the doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary. Protestants generally don't have that belief.
Less known is that Zwingli and ...
