22
votes
How could Jesus be descended from the royal line of David if he was born of the Virgin Birth?
The Old Testament has two distinct methods of claiming kingship. One is by descent from David, and the other is by prophetic or divine appointment. Where did David himself get his kingship? It was by ...
- 471
19
votes
Accepted
What is the earliest known instance of a petition directed to Mary?
Sub Tuum Praesidium
The earliest known, extant petition prayer to Mary the Θεοτόκος (Theotokos), or Dei Genetrix (the Greek and Latin, respectively, for 'God-bearer' or 'Birthgiver-of-God') is found ...
- 8,420
16
votes
How many different people in the New Testament are called or claim to be "Brothers" or "Sisters" of Jesus?
Matthew 13:35-36 answers:
Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us?
The ...
- 33.9k
15
votes
Accepted
What is the biblical basis for the belief that Mary is the mother of God?
Short answer
There is no usage of the title "Mother of God" in the Bible. The title was used for Mary as early as AD 250-280 and was made official church teaching at the Council of Ephesus in 431. ...
- 6,407
13
votes
What Protestant arguments exist for the perpetual virginity of Mary?
Protestant arguments for the doctrine can be divided up into 3 categories.
The Bible allows for it
The bible does not indicate Mary had other children after Jesus.
When Matthew 13:55 (as well as ...
- 1,269
10
votes
Which church father first taught the perpetual virginity of Mary?
As with many doctrines in the first few hundred years of the church, they tended not to be explicitly defined until heretics arose forcing the church to define doctrine.
This is why history is ...
- 1,269
10
votes
Accepted
What is the basis for saying that Aquinas accepted the Immaculate Conception?
St. Thomas's views on the Immaculate Conception went through three phases.cf. also ch. 2, art. 2, § "St. Thomas and the Immaculate Conception" of Mother of the Saviour and Our Interior Life by Fr. ...
- 41.4k
10
votes
Perpetual virginity of Mary: why did Mary see "not knowing man" as an obstacle to the conception of Jesus?
ειπεν δε μαριαμ προς τον αγγελον πως εσται τουτο -επει- ανδρα ου γινωσκω
Luke 1:34 - TR (Stephens 1550, Beza 1598, Elzevir 1624 and Scrivener 1894 are all identical.)
Then said Mary unto the angel, ...
- 26.9k
10
votes
Is Mary's human soul pre-existent in eternity?
In 1661, Pope Alexander VII released the Bull "Sollicitudo omnium eccl.," which reads in part:
The devotion to the most blessed Virgin Mary is indeed of long standing among the faithful of Christ ...
- 42.6k
10
votes
Accepted
In Catholic atonement theology, if God can save Mary from all sin without Christ, what was the point of Christ's death?
The title of the question suggests that you think God saved Mary from all sin without Christ. This is not the Catholic view. Here is the crucial passage from the papal decree, Ineffabilis Deus, ...
- 2,790
9
votes
Accepted
Why is Mary's perpetual virginity a Catholic dogma?
I believe the O.P.'s question can be interpreted as, “Why is belief in Mary’s perpetual virginity considered so important that the Church makes it an excommunicable offense (heresy) to deny it?”
The ...
- 13.2k
9
votes
How many different people in the New Testament are called or claim to be "Brothers" or "Sisters" of Jesus?
TLDR: No one seems to specifically claim to be a blood sibling of Jesus in the New Testament. However, 4 siblings are named by other people in the Gospels, and two are possibly corroborated by the ...
8
votes
Accepted
Why is Mary's mantle blue?
The blue mantle of Mary seems to have originated around the year 500 AD and is of Byzantine origin. Most sources seem to point to this date as the Byzantine origin of the color blue of Mary's mantle.
...
- 74.5k
8
votes
Accepted
Virgin Mary in Old Testament?
Yes, there are references to Mary in the Old Testament—vastly less than those to the Christ, Jesus, who is the entire focus of the Bible, but nonetheless, there are references.
I will be answering ...
- 8,420
8
votes
Accepted
What is the "Magnificat"?
The Magnificat (also known as the Canticle of Mary) is the section of scripture found in Luke 1:46-55, in which Mary the mother of Jesus praises the Lord.
The term "Magnificat" comes from the Latin ...
- 463
8
votes
Perpetual virginity of Mary: why did Mary see "not knowing man" as an obstacle to the conception of Jesus?
When one way of interpreting a passage is absurd, that shows we aren't to interpret it that way. Obviously she didn't think the angel was just telling her she'd conceive a baby with Joseph or else she ...
- 20.8k
7
votes
From where did Mary get the attribution of "Full of Grace"?
"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you," is an appropriate translation of the Greek at Luke 1:28, which reads
και εισελθων ο αγγελος προς αυτην ειπεν χαιρε κεχαριτωμενη ο κυριος μετα σου ...
- 96
7
votes
Accepted
What is the origin of the Orthodox belief that Sts. Joseph and Mary were betrothed but not married?
To understand the difference in position, we need to understand Jewish marriage customs at the time of Mary and Joseph, and the ambiguity it already carries by considering betrothal as legally married ...
- 496
7
votes
How do Protestants explain Zechariah 12:10-14, used by Roman Catholics to prove Mary's perpetual virginity?
This is a very weak argument for the perpetual virginity of Mary. This verse uses a simile to say that Israel's mourning for their God-Messiah will be like that of parents who have lost their only ...
- 20.8k
7
votes
Accepted
How do Protestants explain Zechariah 12:10-14, used by Roman Catholics to prove Mary's perpetual virginity?
The sense of Zech 12:10 "only" is an expression of one of a kind.
Here is another use as regards Abraham and Isaac.
And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get ...
- 15k
6
votes
Where does the Catholic tradition that Mary did not have pain giving birth to Jesus come from?
Her painless childbirth follows from these truths of divine revelation:
Painful childbirth is one of the punishments of Original Sin (Gen. 3:16: "in travail shalt thou bring forth children")...
- 41.4k
6
votes
Why do Protestants not refer to Mary by the title "Mother of God"?
There are two things going on here, one theological and one sociological.
Theologically, there are certainly Protestants who would call Mary the Mother of God. As noted in the comment, the key term ...
- 623
6
votes
Accepted
Do Mormons believe in the Virgin birth taught in the Bible? (LDS)
Yes. Latter-Day Saints believe in the Virgin birth.
Perhaps one random sample from an official LDS Church manual called The Life and Teaching of Jesus and His Apostles Instructors Manual (Which can ...
- 304
6
votes
In the Catholic or Orthodox tradition, did Jesus appear to his mother after death?
The only reference that I am aware of is from St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises, written in 1524. (See also the Spanish original.)
In his meditation on the apparitions of the Lord after ...
- 13.2k
6
votes
How could Jesus be descended from the royal line of David if he was born of the Virgin Birth?
I'm not certain whether this will help with your question or not, but this is a small section from Oscar Cullmann's, Christology of the New Testament (page 129):
Hegesippus was the Jewish Christian ...
- 61
6
votes
Did any church fathers after Chrysostom believe that Mary committed sin?
Besides Chrysostom and Cyril, not taking into account those who lived earlier than them, we could point to:
1) Theodoret of Cyrus (393 – 458) defending the two natures of Christ, gives an example of ...
6
votes
What is the "Magnificat"?
The Magnificat of Mary is her song (or canticle) recorded in the Gospel of St. Luke, Chapter 1:
Luke 1:26-55 (DRB)
26 And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of ...
- 8,420
6
votes
Accepted
According to Catholicism, why did the Blessed Mother stay a virgin during her pregnancy with Jesus?
An answer from catholic church teaching to satisfy your curiosity regarding
Why was Jesus born of a Virgin instead of just being conceived of a Virgin?
Short answer: she was conforming her will ...
- 6,747
6
votes
Church Fathers on the Queenship of Mary
This is an excerpt from Pope Pius XII who wrote Ad Cæli Reginam (bold is mine). In this he is showing from history those who called the Queen of Heaven Mary Ruler of all.
From early Times New Roman ...
- 15k
6
votes
Immaculate Conception: Why was it necessary for our Salvation?
Was Mary's Immaculate Conception Absolutely Necessary for our Salvation?
Before I go on with my answer, I object to that fact that you claim that according to many Catholic apologists, like Dr. Robert ...
- 74.5k
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