Questons?

[AdJesumPerMariam]

Ok, I have a big question, and no debates, just answers, please!!

Luke 1:46-48 ...and henceforth all generations will call me blessed....

Ok, Mary gave birth to God-actually gave God a human form. He did not have to come this way, but he chose her & she said yes.(as Eve said no)

Also, IF Mary had other children, why did Jesus (John 19:25-28) give the care of His mother to John, and not one of the other children? Even James??

Or, if Jesus truely had half brothers & sisters, and knowing lineage to be important, where are the descendants, today? What if someone COULD claim their heritage as being a direct descendant of Mary? What would be the implications?

Love-n-Blessing
dee

[MariaRegina]

Ok, I have a big question, and no debates, just answers, please!!

Luke 1:46-48 ...and henceforth all generations will call me blessed....

Ok, Mary gave birth to God-actually gave God a human form. He did not have to come this way, but he chose her & she said yes.(as Eve said no)

Also, IF Mary had other children, why did Jesus (John 19:25-28) give the care of His mother to John, and not one of the other children? Even James??

Or, if Jesus truely had half brothers & sisters, and knowing lineage to be important, where are the descendants, today? What if someone COULD claim their heritage as being a direct descendant of Mary? What would be the implications?

Love-n-Blessing
dee


If Mary had children, we'd have a dynasty - which we don't have. I believe that Joseph could have had other children from a prior marriage. These would be considered legal step-brothers of Christ although Joseph wasn't the biological father of Christ as Christ was conceived of the Virgin Mary. So, I believe that this is where the confusion arises.

What is interesting here is that if you look at the lineage of the Apostles and search the ancient records and study church history, you will find that almost all of them were relatives of Christ.

According to these records, 'doubting' Thomas was a cousin. Christ went to his wedding - the famous marriage feast at Cana. You don't invite strangers to a wedding feast. That is why Mary asked Christ to perform His first miracle. She wanted to save her relatives from embarrassment - in a sense she was serving as a hostess.

Hope this helps.
Elizabeth

[ChrisB]

Ok, I have a big question, and no debates, just answers, please!!

Luke 1:46-48 ...and henceforth all generations will call me blessed....



Fair enough, Mary was blessed, but so are many others in so many ways....



Ok, Mary gave birth to God-actually gave God a human form. He did not have to come this way, but he chose her & she said yes.(as Eve said no)



Hallelujah, thank God for that



Also, IF Mary had other children, why did Jesus (John 19:25-28) give the care of His mother to John, and not one of the other children? Even James??



Mary's other children were not present at the crucifixion and wree not, at that time, believers



Or, if Jesus truely had half brothers & sisters, and knowing lineage to be important, where are the descendants, today? What if someone COULD claim their heritage as being a direct descendant of Mary? What would be the implications?

Love-n-Blessing
dee

Who says lineage is important? What if someone could claim their heriatge back to Mary? I don't think it would matter, Abraham had descendents as did King David - it didn't make them special in any particular way as they strayed form the path of righteousness just as any other sinner.

[J.A.I]

We all can claim heritage to Mary because we are all brothers and sisters of Christ ;)

But these are good questions.

I agree, Chris, about Mary's other children not being believers and so forth.

Aria - Children from another marriage ? Haven't heard that theory. That doesn't sound right though. Joseph was a Godly man, and I just don't see this happening in this manner.

[AdJesumPerMariam]

We all can claim heritage to Mary because we are all brothers and sisters of Christ ;)

But these are good questions.

I agree, Chris, about Mary's other children not being believers and so forth.

Aria - Children from another marriage ? Haven't heard that theory. That doesn't sound right though. Joseph was a Godly man, and I just don't see this happening in this manner.

Possibly Joseph was married before, and his wife died?

[J.A.I]

Dede - Good comment, but I think something like that would be important and therefore would have been documented in one of the 4 gospels. Mary's virginal status was an important aspect of the birth of Jesus, and if she remained that way, I think it would have been documented. But the gospels say Jesus had brothers, so if they were not of Mary, I think it would have documented it as such.

[MariaRegina]

Dede - Good comment, but I think something like that would be important and therefore would have been documented in one of the 4 gospels. Mary's virginal status was an important aspect of the birth of Jesus, and if she remained that way, I think it would have been documented. But the gospels say Jesus had brothers, so if they were not of Mary, I think it would have documented it as such.

Some early Church historians indicate that Mary was too old to remain in the temple and her parents had died, so she was given to Joseph (a widower) who became her protector.

Why would Mary need to have children if the purpose of bearing children was to bring the Messiah in to the world? The curse of barrenness was a curse because that woman would have no chance of bearing the Messiah - Who was the hope of all Jews.

Christ our God is the long awaited Messiah. And we have seen the Light and bear witness to His Truth.

Praise God!

[ChrisB]

Why would Mary need to have children if the purpose of bearing children was to bring the Messiah in to the world? The curse of barrenness was a curse because that woman would have no chance of bearing the Messiah - Who was the hope of all Jews.


This is the first time I've heard of this and if it were true what would be the point of any Christian having children? God told Adam and Eve to multiply, not to have children to bring the Messiah......

[AdJesumPerMariam]

Mary's purpse was to carry the Messiah, if she had other children, why would John step in to take care of Mary-instead of one of the other children? And, again, if Mary had other children, there could be descendants...if you were tracing your ancestry back, and somehow-thru technology-you found out Mary was your great, great......grandmother, would you not tell everyone?

[ChrisB]

Mary's purpse was to carry the Messiah, if she had other children, why would John step in to take care of Mary-instead of one of the other children?

I think we've already answered this - if they weren't believers at the time of the crucifixion it would have been natural for Jesus to entrust her to John's care.



And, again, if Mary had other children, there could be descendants...if you were tracing your ancestry back, and somehow-thru technology-you found out Mary was your great, great......grandmother, would you not tell everyone?

Well I am related to Mary - as you are - we can all trace our descent from Adam and Eve but what of it? Cain and Abel had the same parents but we know what happened to them.............

[aggie03]

Ok, I have a big question, and no debates, just answers, please!!
How about some healthy discussion, which is most certainly different than a debate :)

Luke 1:46-48 ...and henceforth all generations will call me blessed....
What do you think that the word blessed means? This may be the source of many different views. The first thing that I believe we must do is see if this word carries with it any special weight or significance.

mak-ar-id'-zo

From G3107; to beatify, that is, pronounce (or esteem) fortunate: - call blessed, count happy.

I am not a Greek scholar so I must trust those who are. This is what Strong has said the Greek word means where we find in English the phrase "shall call me blessed".

It would seem that this word carries with no special import other than to esteem one as being fortunate, or happy. Let's look at some other places where similar phrases or words are used.

Matthew 5:3 ASV

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The word that is used here is: makarios

Before we have the word that means to pronounce someone as blessed, here we have the actual word. The following are definitions given by both Strong and Thayer respectively.

A prolonged form of the poetical μάκαρ makar (meaning the same); supremely blest; by extension fortunate, well off: - blessed, happy

1) blessed, happy
- a prolonged form of the poetical makar (meaning the same)

It would appear to be that blessed carries with it no special connotation. I believe that this is reinforced by something that Christ Himself says:

Luke 11:27-28 ASV

And it came to pass, as he said these things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the breasts which thou didst suck. (28) But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

Here someone was trying to give a special place or station to Mary for being the one who bore Jesus. Read His reply to her carefully. He says that rather, or contrary, to what she has said the one who hears the word of God and keeps it shall be blessed.

Also consider this verse as well:

Mark 3:35 ASV

For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Ok, Mary gave birth to God-actually gave God a human form. He did not have to come this way, but he chose her & she said yes.(as Eve said no)
Where is it recorded in the Scriptures that Eve ever said no to bearing Christ? Where was this ever offered to her?

[FreeinChrist]

Some early Church historians indicate that Mary was too old to remain in the temple and her parents had died, so she was given to Joseph (a widower) who became her protector.


That is from The Protoevangelium of James which was written 150 AD or later and was not accepted as canon. It wasn't written by James either. And it said Mary's parents were Joachim and Anna.
There are 2 geneologies in the gospels, one is Joseph's and one is Mary's. Joachim is not mentioned in either.

This Catholic site agrees that the Protoevangelium of James is a false writing:
http://www.theotokos.org.uk/pages/appdisce/falsewri.html
"The New Testament writings were also subject to this type of imitation, and again it was centuries before the New Testament canon was definitively established throughout the Church. Some of the smaller books were very late in being universally accepted into the canon. In contrast some of the apocryphal writings were very popular before finally fading from prominence.

The four canonical Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, suffered most from apocryphal mimicry. This took a number of forms, including Gospels containing heretical or invented material. Infancy Gospels, purporting to give details of Jesus' early life were very popular, including the Infancy Gospel of Thomas; this has stories of Jesus as a child working miracles. The Protoevangelium of James, gives details of Mary's early life and names her parents as Joachim and Anna."

[aggie03]

That is from The Protoevangelium of James which was written 150 AD or later and was not accepted as canon. It wasn't written by James either. And it said Mary's parents were Joachim and Anna.
There are 2 geneologies in the gospels, one is Joseph's and one is Mary's. Joachim is not mentioned in either.

This Catholic site agrees that the Protoevangelium of James is a false writing:
http://www.theotokos.org.uk/pages/appdisce/falsewri.html
"The New Testament writings were also subject to this type of imitation, and again it was centuries before the New Testament canon was definitively established throughout the Church. Some of the smaller books were very late in being universally accepted into the canon. In contrast some of the apocryphal writings were very popular before finally fading from prominence.

The four canonical Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, suffered most from apocryphal mimicry. This took a number of forms, including Gospels containing heretical or invented material. Infancy Gospels, purporting to give details of Jesus' early life were very popular, including the Infancy Gospel of Thomas; this has stories of Jesus as a child working miracles. The Protoevangelium of James, gives details of Mary's early life and names her parents as Joachim and Anna."
Good information! Thanks!

[FreeinChrist]

Also, IF Mary had other children, why did Jesus (John 19:25-28) give the care of His mother to John, and not one of the other children? Even James??

Or, if Jesus truely had half brothers & sisters, and knowing lineage to be important, where are the descendants, today? What if someone COULD claim their heritage as being a direct descendant of Mary? What would be the implications?

Love-n-Blessing
dee
Mar 6:3 "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?" And they took offense at Him.Mar 6:4 Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his {own} relatives and in his {own} household."




The Greek word for brother is Adelphos- from a and delphus (womb).

It is the Hebrew word for brother that can be used to include distant relatives.
As to why Jesus gave the care to John - John was at the cross with Mary. His younger brothers were not.

As far as implications of being a phsical descendent of Mary... what implication? Jesus was not divine because of Mary, He was divine because He was conceived by the Holy Spirit. She was not born without sin, she also needed a saviour. Any children of Joseph and Mary were just regular people.