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MARY'S CHILDREN
Whether Mary had other children revolves
around three issues.
1. Was Mary sinless?
2. Was Mary a perpetual virgin?
3. The Scriptural record.
Arguments that challenge the following
are answered in a more technical study at:
Mary Discussion
THE SINFULNESS OF MARY
All have sinned and have come short of the
glory of God. Rom. 3:23
There is none righteous, no not one. Rom.
3.10
Of course Jesus is the exception. 2 Cor.
5:21; Heb. 4:15; 2Peter 2:22
Scripture makes NO OTHER EXCEPTIONS
including Mary.
Therefore, Mary was just as much in need
of redemption as the rest of us.
Rom. 5:6-10
For while we were still helpless, at the
right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a
righteous person; though perhaps for the good person someone would even
dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that
while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then,
having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath
of God through Him.
For if while we were enemies we were
reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been
reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
MARY'S VIRGINITY
Mt. 1.25, "And he did not know her,"
The word, know, is clearly used to
indicate sexual intercourse in this context.
UNTIL she gave birth.
The clear intent of the language is that
no sexual activity took place during a certain period of time.
That is, prior to the birth of the Lord.
It indicates the intent of the writer to
say that normal sexual activity would and did take place after his
birth.
There is nothing in the rest of the Bible
that indicates anything different.
The angel told Joseph to take Mary as his wife. This would imply that normal sexual activity would take place during the time from when the marriage began.
We would expect 1 Cor 7.3 to take place.
The husband must fulfill his duty to his
wife, and likewise the wife also to her husband. 4 The wife does not
have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise the
husband also does not have authority over his own body, but the wife
does. 5 Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time so
that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so
that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
The phrase fulfill the duty indicates a
continuous mutually fulfilling sexual relationship.
But as the reader continues at Mt. 1, the
writer tells us the opposite of what we would expect.
v. 24 - Joseph took her as his wife,
So we would expect 1 Cor. 7.3 type
activity. But the writer is not going to tell us -
and they had a great sex life. but of
course, we would expect it - right?
So instead we have the language which
indicates that this normal sexual activity was not TAKING place.
The Catholics would have us think that
this was a permanent situation.
But then the text reads, UNTIL.
The INTENT of the writer is to state that
during the pregnancy, there was no sexual activity.
But it implies that what would normally
take place in a marriage would then be taking place after the birth of
Jesus.
Now, in any other "story" this is the way
we would see it.
There is nothing in the context that even
HINTS otherwise.
And it is not until a few HUNDRED years
later when some men want to teach a perpetual virginity
that they come back to this passage and
try to read into it what is not there.
After Jesus was born and everything
settled down about 2 years later, Mary and Joseph made their home in
Nazareth of Galilee and began their natural family. Matthew 1:19-23
Jesus was conceived supernaturally by God
the Holy Spirit while Mary was still a virgin. Mat. 1:18-25
But then, after the birth of Jesus, Mary
had other children through natural procreation with her husband, Joseph.
THE SCRIPURAL RECORD
We first learn about the extended family
of Joseph and Mary at John 2:12.
After this He went down to Capernaum, He
and His mother, and His brothers and His disciples;
and they stayed there a few days.
Then later, we have this acknowledgment by
the people of Nazareth.
Mat. 13:55-56
Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is His
mother not called Mary, and His brothers, James, Joseph, Simon, and
Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this
man acquire all these things?”
Four brothers and at least 2 sisters. (
James, Joseph Jr., Simeon and Judas).
But his brothers and sisters were not
interested in His Messianic heritage or purpose.
Our first indication of this takes place
just after he begins his second year of ministry.
Mark 3:20-21;
Probably several months before this, his
brothers had separated from Him since they were unable to receive His
teachings.
Mark 3:21 tells us their attitude toward
his teaching and claims.
"They thought he had lost his senses."
So because of their concern for their
brother, or more likely, concern for their own family reputation, they
intend to seize him and take him home by force if necessary. "to take
custody of Him."
Their attempt goes no further than making
contact with Him as is described in Mark 3:31-35; Mat. 12:46-50; and
Luke 8:19-21.
Jesus rejects their false claim to family
ties by rebuking them with divine viewpoint.
When they arrive, He is in the middle of a
bible class, so they must send word through the audience because of the
crowds.
But because they have rejected Him, Jesus
rejects them by asking a rhetorical question.
Mark 3:33, "Who are my mother and my
brothers?"
Then He answers the question Himself to
show that spiritual reality supersedes physical reality as well as human
relations.
Whoever does the will of God is a genuine
member of His family. Amplified in Luke 8:21.
But He answered and said to them, “My
mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”
And at John 8:31.
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had
believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My
disciples.
And of course, His word is the word of God
the Father also. John 7:16.
Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching
is not My own, but His who sent Me.
The next statement of their unbelief is
found in John 7:1-9
They were certainly interested in His
miracle abilities.
His miracles made a deep impression and
they decided to follow Him.
But they were just like most everyone else
in the nation.
They want signs and miracles and are not
interested in "truth." Mat. 16:4
So when Jesus starts teaching divine truth
and the issue of light vs. darkness, they show their true colors and
desert. The principle of Jn. 6:66 and 3:19-20.
They kind of mock him at John 7.3-6. His
brothers therefore said to Him, "depart from here and go into Judea ,
that your disciples also may behold your works which you are doing.
For no one does anything in secret, when
he himself seeks to be known publicly.
If you do these things, show yourself to
the world.
The writer gives us the background with
the statement,
For not even His brothers were believing
in Him.
Jesus therefore said to them, my time is
not yet at hand, but your time is always opportune.
He is basically telling them that as long
as there is life there is hope.
The principle of John 12:35-36.
“For a little while longer the Light is
among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not
overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he
is going. 36 While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you
may become sons of Light.”
This incident took place about 2 1/2 years
into his ministry.
It is time for the feast of tabernacles in
October, which is held in Jerusalem.
Jesus is in Galilee visiting His family
and teaching the community.
At verses 3-4, His brothers challenge Him
in ridicule because their human viewpoint does not agree with how he is
doing things.
And there is no evidence that these
brothers became believers until AFTER the resurrection of Christ.
At the cross, only His mother is there.
But at Acts 1.14, we see them all in the
upper room with the rest of the 120 people.
"Mary the mother of Jesus with His
brothers."
It is commonly believed that the books of
James and Jude were written by the brothers of Jesus.
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©Ron Wallace, http://www.biblefragrances.com.
Anyone is free to reproduce this material and distribute it, |
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