The Biblical Teachings
About Mary
But are they biblical? What does Catholic tradition teach about the Mary whom they worship? Are those beliefs in accordance with the teachings of the Bible about Mary, the mother of Jesus?
SINLESS, MEDIATRIX, CO-REDEEMER?
Catholic authorities teach that Mary did not sin in her lifetime:
“The Virgin Mary was immune from every sin. It is a dogma of faith that she was free from original sin. During her life she never fell into either mortal or venial sin. As for actual sin, the Council of Trent says that without special privileges, no one can avoid all venial sins during a lifetime; notwithstanding this, the [Catholic] Church maintains that the Blessed Virgin was exempt from any such sins.”
(Reference: Glories and Virtues of Mary by Very Rev. J. Alberione S.S.P., S.T.D. Translated by Hilda Calabro, M.A., Imprimatur: Richard Cardinal Cushing Pub. 1962, 1978 by the Daughters of St. Paul , pp. 31-32)
This teaching contradicts what the Bible says that all people committed sin (Rom. 3:23; 5:12) and that the only One Who did not is Jesus Christ (I Pet. 2:21-22). There is no biblical basis to the Catholic dogma that Mary was free and immune from sin.
This is also the case with Catholic authorities’ calling Mary the “mediatrix”:
“We do call Mary the Mediatrix of all Graces. It is a title which stresses the intimacy of her association with her Son in that work which she brought Him into the world to accomplish: the redemption and sanctification of our souls. Some Pope someday may declare it a doctrine of the church that Mary is mediatrix, in this sense; most Catholic theologians hold it to a certain.”
(Reference: Glories and Virtues of Mary by Very Rev. J. Alberione S.S.P., S.T.D. Translated by Hilda Calabro, M.A., Imprimatur: Richard Cardinal Cushing Pub. 1962, 1978 by the Daughters of St. Paul , pp. 207-208)
Nowhere in the Bible is she given such title.
Catholics also believe that devotion to Mary is necessary for salvation:
“The intercession of saints is most helpful; devotion to the Blessed Virgin is morally necessary for our eternal salvation. Jesus Christ is Mediator by right; Mary is mediatrix by grace.”
(Reference: Glories and Virtues of Mary by Very Rev. J. Alberione S.S.P., S.T.D. Translated by Hilda Calabro, M.A., Imprimatur: Richard Cardinal Cushing, Copyright 1978, 1962 by the Daughters of St. Paul , p. 208)
Because of this, Catholic authorities call Mary “co-redeemer” to Jesus and that she also intercedes for sinners:
“OUR CO-REDEEMER. The reasons for giving this title to Mary are these: The very fact that she was chosen to be with Him, from the beginning, to work with Him, to suffer with Him, to pray with Him, makes it clear that Christ intended her as co-operator in the work of Redemption, which we express by the title ‘co-redeemer.’ All these things, taken separately or together, show that though He did not need to do so, God actually did choose Mary to help Him redeem mankind. … on earth she worked with Christ for the salvation and happiness of men, so she is doing now, by interceding for sinners …”
(Reference: Miller, Donald F., C.S.S.R. Imprimi Potest: John N. Mc Cornic, C.S.S.R.; Imprimatur: Joseph E. Ritter, Archbishop of St. Louis. Copyright 1960 (Pamphlet), pp. 34–35 )
The beliefs that Mary is a “mediatrix” and that she goes “interceding for sinners” are not found in the Bible. Worse, they are against the teachings of the apostles that there is only one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (I Tim. 2:5). It is also wrong to believe that Mary is “co-redeemer” with Jesus and thus “necessary for salvation.” Apostle Peter clearly taught that only in the name of Christ can one be saved:
“Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
(Reference: Acts 4:10 12 NKJV, Emphasis Mine)
Christ is the only Redeemer and God-appointed Savior ― there is no one else besides Him, by Whom one can receive salvation.
Mary, the mother of God?
The Catholic devotion to Mary has come so far as to her being called the “mother of God” and being compared to Christ and to God:
“By the very fact that she is the Mother of God, Our Lady is raised to a rank high above that of any other creature. … This dignity of hers is unquestionably ‘the greatest after God,’ as Pope Pius XI states. … Just as there cannot be anything better and greater than God, so there cannot be anything better or greater than His Mother.”
(Reference: Fundamentals of Mariology by Carol, Juniper B., O.F.M., Imprimi Potest: Celsus Wheeler, O.F.M.; Nihil Obstat: John A. Goodwine, J.C.D., Censor Librorum; Imprimatur: Francis Cardinal Spellman, Archbishop of New York, March 23, 1956. Copyright 1956, pp. 40-41. )
This Catholic belief further implies that Mary is equal to Christ or perhaps, even greater:
“St. Bernardine of Siena declares that all obey Mary’s commands, even God; by this he means to say that God grants her prayers as if they were commands. The Mother has the same power as the Son. Mary was made omnipotent by Jesus.”
(Reference: Fundamentals of Mariology by Carol, Juniper B., O.F.M., Imprimi Potest: Celsus Wheeler, O.F.M.; Nihil Obstat: John A. Goodwine, J.C.D., Censor Librorum; Imprimatur: Francis Cardinal Spellman, Archbishop of New York, March 23, 1956. Copyright 1956, p. 194 )
How blasphemous is it to think that Mary is equal to or even greater than Christ? The Bible teaches:
“For the scripture says, ‘God put all things under his feet.’ It is clear, of course, that the words ‘all things’ do not include God himself, who puts all things under Christ. But when all things have been placed under Christ’s rule, then he himself, the Son, will place himself under God, who placed all things under him; and God will rule completely over all.”
(Reference: I Cor. 15:27-28 GNT)
There is no other human being equal to or greater than Christ, and Christ, on the other hand, is subject to the only one true God, the Father (John 17:1, 3). Aside from God, there is no other God:
“To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal and compare Me, that we should be alike?… Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.
(Reference: Isa. 46:5, 9 NKJV)
Hence, the belief that Mary has equal power to or greater than that of both the Father and the Son is a false belief.
Some may insist otherwise because they recognize Mary as the “mother of God” since they adhere to the Christ-is-God belief. However, over the centuries, the title “mother of God” given to Mary has created much debate and confusion, even to Catholic authorities themselves. A prayer written in Mater Mea Fiducia Mea (My Mother, My Hope), page 54, states this:
“Yes, oh Mary, you are: ‘Virgin Mother, daughter of thy Son.”
(Reference: Mater Mea Fiducia Mea (My Mother, My Hope) by A. Carmelite of St. Magdalen De’ Pazzi., Nihil Obstat: John M.A. Fearns, S.T.D., Censor Librorum; Imprimatur: Francis Cardinal Spellman, D.D., Archbishop of New York; Reimprimatur: Rufino J. Santos, D.D., Adm. Apostolus Lipensis. p. 54)
Also, quoting again from Glories and Virtues of Mary, on page 155 this is written:
“As the true Mother of God, Mary entered into a special relationship with the Blessed Trinity, for reason of which she is daughter, spouse and Mother of God.”
(Reference: Glories and Virtues of Mary by Very Rev. J. Alberione S.S.P., S.T.D. Translated by Hilda Calabro, M.A., Imprimatur: Richard Cardinal Cushing, Copyright 1978, 1962 by the Daughters of St. Paul , p. 155)
The view an position of Mary has not only become extremely complicated but questioning Mary’s relationship to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, according to Catholic authorities, will point to further confusion, thus, leading preachers to embarrassment.
No wonder there is such confusion in the Catholic teachings about the Marian devotion because these are not found in the Bible, as Catholic authorities themselves admit:
“One point is established and it is one admitted by every historian of the Primitive Church: in early Christian worship the place accorded to Mary is quite small. She did not, in any sense, occupy the place she holds today. Up until at least the fourth century, there seems to have been no actual Marian liturgy, and it would be quite true to say that her memory was kept on no more than one or two feast.”
(Reference: The Book of Mary by Daniel-Rops, Henri. Translated from French by Alastair Guinan. Nihil Obstat: Daniel V. Flynn, J.C.D., Censor Librorum; Imprimatur: Francis Cardinal Spellman, Archbishop of New York: Copyright 1960, pp. 82-83)
MARY ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE
Mary should be regarded as what the Bible says who she is. The Bible contains the truth about who she is and her role in Christ’s life. Luke the evangelist wrote this about Mary:
“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, To a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, ‘Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women’!”
(Reference: Luke 1:26-28 NKJV)
Mary was chosen by God to bear His Son, thus, was blessed by God, having found favor with Him:
“Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS’.”
(Reference: Luke 1:30–31 NKJV, Emphasis Mine)
As Christ’s mother, Mary conceived the Lord Jesus Christ in her womb when God used the Holy Spirit as an instrument for His divine purpose:
“Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’ And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”
(Reference: Luke 1:34-35 NKJV)
Mary’s obedience to God’s will is clearly shown in her response to the message of the angel He sent:
“Then Mary said, ‘Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her.”
(Reference: Luke 1:38 NKJV, Emphasis Mine)
She further expressed her delight by saying:
“My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.”
(Reference: Luke 1:38 NKJV)
However, nowhere in the Bible does it say that Mary has authority equal to or even greater than the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thus, since the Catholic teachings about Mary contradict what the Bible teaches, people should not give heed to such teachings, as Apostle Paul taught:
“Not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth.”
(Reference: Titus 1:14 NKJV)
Those who teach such things are called false prophets and false teachers who blaspheme against the biblical truth (Gal. 1:6-8).
IN CONCLUSION
1
WE KINDLY EXTEND our visitors an invitation to explore the pristine, unadulterated teachings of Christ and His apostles as they were taught in the first-century Church Of Christ. The teachings presented by the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) will guide you toward the path that leads to eternal life for all on that appointed day of Judgment:
The Great Apostasy
LEARN ABOUT “The Great Apostasy” that led to the transformation and change of the Church of Christ, gradually becoming the Catholic church, which later in turn gave birth and rise to the Protestant faith, both of which continued to hold conflicting and unbiblical doctrines. Many sought the truth during this time but were unable to find it. Despite their belief in God and Jesus Christ, they did not have access to the pristine gospel truth. Consequently, each generation inherited a deeper state of apostasy, perpetuating changes to Christ’s gospel.
Reach Out
