Mary: Is she the mother of God?
If you study your Bible and compare what you read with certain long-standing traditions, you’ll discover the power of tradition. Long held beliefs, right or wrong, are hard to change. I even have a whole article on this website about that—
Traditions: Are you sure about what you believe?
Long held traditions are hard to correct no matter which church denomination holds them. This, of course, isn’t a new development. For instance, our Lord had to deal with this same problem in the time of His earthly ministry.
Matthew 15:3
3 But he [Jesus] answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? [Emphasis added]
In our time, among others, the Catholic church has certain beliefs about Mary that simply can’t be verified with Scripture. Being called the “mother of God” is quite different from saying Mary was the mother of the humanity of Christ. Jesus was the God/man, undiminished deity and true humanity in one person, but Mary was just another member of the human race. In the case of Jesus, He was true humanity but He was also God personified.
Colossians 2:9
9 For in him [Jesus Christ] the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, [Emphasis added]
Titus 2:13
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; [Emphasis added]
Hebrews 1:3
3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: [Emphasis added]
Yes, He is as much God as either one of the other two members of the Godhead. There are many today who believe Jesus was a good moral teacher but not God. But how could He possibly be a good moral teacher and at the same time a deliberate liar about His identity?
Still another major problem with this religious theory about Mary being the Mother of God is the fact that if she was, it would mean she pre-existed God. Furthermore, if she’s the Mother of God, who is the “Father” of God? It is this kind of nonsensical teaching that causes people to reject Christianity altogether. To say that God has a mother is absurd.
God the Son existed long before Mary or anyone, but He existed in Spirit form. Not until He took on human form did that change. Jesus never lost His deity, but He gained humanity when Mary was caused to miraculously conceive Him in her womb.
Still another thing to be considered about this is the fact that the apostle John never spoke of Mary as “the mother of God.” Even in the Catholic Bible she is called “the mother of Jesus.”
John 2:1
1 On the third day, there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. The mother of Jesus was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited. 3 When the wine was exhausted, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” [Emphasis added]
Even in Luke’s historical book of the Bible he simply spoke of her as “the mother of Jesus.”
Acts 1:14
14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. [Emphasis added]
Even Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist and the wife of Zechariah, knew who He was.
Luke 1:39-43
39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? [Emphasis added]
People who deny the truthfulness of all these passages about the divinity of Jesus and the humanity of Mary must be seen as heretics. They are ones who have clearly rejected the authority of the 66 books of the Bible.
2 Timothy 2:16-17
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God [THEOPNEUSTOS = God-breathed], and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect [ARTIOS = having reached its end, in this case, spiritual maturity], thoroughly furnished unto all good works. [Emphasis added]
There are even other passages that have also been thoroughly misunderstood and/or rejected concerning the true and correct identity of Mary. Here’s another example of that—
Luke 1:28
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. [Emphasis added]
To exalt Mary and give her undue veneration on the basis of verses like Luke 1:28 is totally wrong. EVERY saint, meaning EVERY believer is “highly favored” of God. There’s nothing in the Bible that tells or even suggests otherwise. Believers today have an intimate relationship with Christ. We are said to be “members of His body.” How much “closer” can we get than this!
1 Corinthians 12:12-13
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
It is a part of the work of the Holy Spirit to provide us with this relationship, this intimate union, the moment we were saved.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. [Emphasis added]
What a privileged people we all are as regenerate members of the Body of Christ! Let us all reflect this by our chosen manner of life! In the case of Mary, she, too, was a privileged person to be the mother of our Savior. But she was still just a person; not one to be worshipped. To worship her is idolatry!
