How to Explain and Defend MaryThe biblical basis for Catholic Marian beliefs.

The OT prepared the way for the NT.

Persons in the OT prefigured, foreshadowed, anticipated, and symbolized persons and

events in the NT.

“the New testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old testament is unveiled in the New”

(ccc 129)

How to Explain and Defend MaryTo fully understand the OT it must be read

in terms of “types” (this is referred to as Typology)

A “type” is an OT prophetic foreshadowing of its NT counterpart

OT persons and events are called “types” of the NT persons and events they prefigure.

Reading OT scripture in a typological sense reveals many NT doctrines,

including Mary’s privileges, in the OT

How to Explain and Defend Mary

The typological sense• Mt 12:40: Jonah is Christ in the tomb• Jn 3:14: Bronze serpent is Christ

crucified• 1 Pt 3:19-21: Flood is Baptism• 1 Cor 10:4: The rock is Christ• Rm 5:14: Adam is a type of Christ

In OT persons and events,

we come to see doctrines that are made more explicit in the NT gospel

How to Explain and Defend MaryThere are three major OT types of Mary

Eve

Ark of the Covenant

Queen MotherThese three “types” of Mary support all

our Marian Beliefs.

How to Explain and Defend MaryMary as Second Eve

The early Church Fathers realized that individual players in the Fall of man had NT counterparts

•The devil a fallen angel brought the words of death to Eve

•Eve our mother in the flesh, disobeyed God and cooperated greatly in Adam’s sin, which caused the fall of the human race

•The angel Gabriel brought the words of life to Mary

•Mary was Jesus mother and perfect disciple, who obeyed God and contributed greatly to Christ’s redemptive mission.

The Fathers made the obvious connection: as Christ is the new Adam (1 Cor 15:45), Mary is the new Eve.

How to Explain and Defend MaryAfter the fall Genesis 3:15 prophecies a woman and

her son who will be at total enmity with the serpent and his descendents.

The woman’s son will crush the serpent’s head.

Since the man who crushes the serpents head is obviously Jesus, the woman must be Mary

Genesis 3:15-17

Describes two teams

The fall team – Adam and Eve

The redemption team – Jesus and Mary

How to Explain and Defend MaryThe early Church Fathers including St Justin

and St. Irenaeus were quick to realize this:

• The human race fell through Adam but Eve’s role was crucial

• Jesus redeemed the human race but Mary’s role was likewise crucial.

Sacred Scripture continually shows Jesus and Mary together in the pivotal events of

salvation

How to Explain and Defend MaryJesus and Mary Together Crush Satan’s headThe OT describes women (types of Mary) who crush Israel’s

enemies (types of Satan)•Jdg 4:17-22 Jael drives a tent peg through the skull of the Canaanite general

•Jdg 9:50-55 describes a woman who drops a millstone on the head of tyrannical King Abimelech, fracturing his skull

•Judith 12-13 delivers the Jewish people from the Assyrian army by beheading its commander, Holofernes, with his own sword as he slept.

•Jdg 5:24 Sisera celebrates her: “Most blessed of women be Jael”

•Judith 13:18 Judith’s heroism is celebrated with the words: “you areblessed by the Most High God above all women on earth; and blesswed be the Lord God…who had guided you to strile the head of the leader of our enemies.

The praises of Jael and Judith anticipate Elizabeth’s praise of MaryLk 1:42.

Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb

How to Explain and Defend MaryJesus definitively crushed Satan’s head on Calvary.

Calvary (Golgotha) means skull-place.

Satan intends to strike a lethal blow through the cross (“you strike at his heel”).

Instead Satan suffered the mortal wound

(“he will strike at your head”)

Jesus destroyed the power of sin and death.

“Dying you destroyed our death

rising you restored our life,

Lord Jesus come in glory.”

How to Explain and Defend MaryMary was at Christ’s side on Calvary

Jesus refers to her not as mother but as woman the new Eve.

• Mary is the woman of Gn 3:15• The woman of Jn 2 who launched Jesus’ ministry

at Cana• The woman at the foot of the cross in Jn 19 • And the woman of Rev 12 who fights against

Satan with Jesus until the end.The new Adam an the New Eve are on the same

victorious team.

How to Explain and Defend MaryMary as the New Ark of the Covenant

The Ark was the holiest object in the OTIt was sacred because it carried the stone tablets of

the Law that God gave Moses on Mount SinaiGod gave meticulous instructions for constructing

the Ark• Made of indestructible acacia wood• Plated inside and outside with pure gold• Kept free from impurity and profanation

(Ex 25)

God struck Uzzah dead because he dared to touch the Ark

(2 Sam 6:6-7)

How to Explain and Defend MaryMary as the New Ark of the Covenant

St. Ambrose details several ways in which the Ark is a type of Mary.(Ex 26:33, 40:20)

The Ark contained the tables of the Law

•The Ark contained the Tables of the Law•The Ark bore the Law•The Ark carried the written Word of God•The Ark shown forth with the purest gold•The gold which adorned the Ark was mined on earth

•Mary’s womb contained the author of the Law•Mary bore the Gospel•Mary gave us the living Word of God Jesus •Mary shown forth inward and outward with the purity of virginity•The gold which Mary shone forth was mined in heaven

This typology forms the basis for doctrines like the Assumption which are not taught explicitly in scripture but are taught

implicitly through typology.

How to Explain and Defend MaryMary as the NT Queen Mother

The OT Kings clearly prefigured Christ,The NT King of kings (Rev 19:16)

Jesus in his humanity descended from King DavidThe Kings of Judah of David’s line especially

prefigured Jesus’ kingship“the Lord God will give him [Jesus] the throne of

His father David.”(Lk 1:32)

The wife of the king of Judah was not the queen.The queen was the king’s mother (Queen Mother)She had great honor and authority in the kingdom

(1 Kings 2:19-20)

How to Explain and Defend MaryMary as the NT Queen Mother

Solomon by honoring his mother established an institution that lasted 400 years, as long as the

kings of Judah.The Queen mother served as the kings confidant and

advisor.She had an official position; she had to be deposed in

order to be removed.(1 Kings 15:13)

The Jewish concept of a Davidic king would have naturally included the king on his throne with the

queen mother at his right hand.

How to Explain and Defend MaryMary as the NT Queen Mother

The Holy Spirit was preparing the way for MaryJesus, the NT Davidic King, does not have a wife.

His mother would be the NT queenRev 11-12 describes:

A woman gives birth to a son who will “rule all the nations” (12:5)

Jesus is a new Solomon just as Solomon ruled over other kings

(2 Chronicles 9:23-26)

Jesus is the “King of kings and Lord of lords”(Rev 19:16)

Any king of the house of David would be expected to have a queen mother.

How to Explain and Defend MaryMary as the NT Queen Mother

The OT Kings clearly prefigured Christ,

The NT King of kings (Rev 19:16)

Jesus in his humanity descended from King David

The Kings of Judah of David’s line especially prefigured Jesus’ kingship

“the Lord God will give him [Jesus] the throne of His father David.”

(Lk 1:32)

The wife of the king of Judah was not the queen.

The queen was the king’s mother (Queen Mother)

How to Explain and Defend MaryNon-Catholic Stumbling Blocks

1. Restricting God’s Word to Sola ScripturaThis doctrine is found nowhere scripture on the other hand try these: (Mt 16:13-20; 2 Thes 2:15, 3:6; Jn 21:25; 1 Cor 11:2; 1 Tim 3:15)

2. Thinking in “either/or” rather than “both/and” categories

The Catholic approach sees God’s gifts as complements not competitors. Faith complements works, Tradition complements Bible. Protestants tend to divide Catholics unite.

3. Misunderstanding doctrinal developmentThe church is a living growing organism that learns from experience and

reflection, it must continually grow in understanding.

4. Confusing doctrinal development with doctrinal invention

Doctrinal definition is the expression of new understanding of the original deposit of faith not of new doctrine.

5. Failing to appreciate typology

How to Explain and Defend MaryWhy we give honor to Mary?

God honored Mary above all creatures by making her the mother of his Son.

In honoring Mary the Catholic Church is following the example of God

Luke 1:26-56• The Archangel Gabriel shows Mary great honor• Elizabeth “filled with the Holy Spirit” calls

Mary blessed.• Mary herself prophesies that all ages will call

her blessed.

How to Explain and Defend MaryMother of God

All Christians believe that Jesus was born of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Jesus has two natures, divine and human, yet he is one divine Person

Since this one divine person was born of Mary she really is the Mother of the one divine person,

The Mother of God. To deny this is to deny the Incarnation

How to Explain and Defend MaryMother of God

Scripture TeachesElizabeth calls Mary “mother of my Lord.”

(Lk 1:43)“Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and

his name shall be called Emanuel, which means God with us.”(Mt 1:23)

“the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.”

(Lk 1:35) “when the time had fully come, God sent forth his

Son, born of woman.”(Gal 4:4)

How to Explain and Defend MaryMother of God

Early Fathers ConfirmIgnatius of Antioch (110)

“For our god, Jesus Christ, was coceived by Mary in accord with God’s plan”

Irenaeus of Lyons (180-190)“The Virgin Mary, being obedient to His Word, received

from an angel the glad tidings that she would bear God.”Council of Ephesus (431)

This council condemned as heresy the teaching of Nestorius that Jesus is two distinct persons, and that Mary is the

mother of the human person only.Correct belief about Mary preserves correct belief

about Jesus.

How to Explain and Defend MaryMother of God

Protestant Reformers InsistMartin Luther

“Not only was Mary the mother of Him who is born in Bethlehem but of Him who, before the world , was eternally born of the father, from a

Mother in time and at the same time man and God.”

John Calvin“It cannot be denied that God in choosing and destining Mary to be the

Mother of His Son, granted her the highest honor. Elizabeth calls Mary Mother of the Lord, because the unity of the person in the two natures of Christ was such that she could have said that the mortal

man engendered in the womb of Mary was at the same time the eternal God”

Ulrich Zwingli“It was given to her what belongs to no creature, that in the flesh she

should bring forth the Son of God.”

How to Explain and Defend MaryPerpetual Virginity

The catholic Church teaches that Mary was a virgin before, during and after the birth of

Jesus.All Christian’s believe Mary was a virgin

before Jesus’ birth.Many accept the Mary remained a virgin

during Jesus’ birth.Few believe Mary was ever-virgin.

How to Explain and Defend MaryMother of God, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, Mother of the Church,

Leader in the battle against evil.God preserved Mary from all sin to enable her to fulfill these roles

perfectly and to give her maximum power against Satan.Thus she was immaculately conceived.

Mary was to have perfect spiritual intactness.God wanted Mary’s body to reflect this intactness.

That is why God chose to miraculously preserve her virginity when she gave birth to Jesus.

He also kept her body from corruption after death (the Assumption).

Mary’s body mirrored her spiritual condition. Mary was fully graced and not subject to death and decay

How to Explain and Defend MaryScripture Used to Disprove Mary’s Perpetual

VirginityMatthew 13:55

The word brother is used in many different ways.It can indicate sibling, relative, friend, or associate

Acts 21:7Fellow Christians are called brothers

Acts 22:1Jewish leaders are called brothers.

Gn 14:14Lot the nephew of Abraham is called his brother

To determine the exact relationship of Jesus’ brothers other scripture passages must be examined.

Matthew 27:56 & Mark 15:40Tell us that two of these brothers James and Joseph are sons of another Mary,

not the mother of JesusJn 19:25

Identifies this Mary as the wife of Clopas.

How to Explain and Defend MaryScripture Used to Disprove Mary’s Perpetual

VirginityMatthew 1:24-25

Does not ‘til imply that after Jesus’ birth they had normal sexual relations.

The word ‘til does not imply a later change of condition.1 Cor 15:25

Christ must reign ‘til he has put all his enemies under his feet does not imply Christ will not reign forever.

Does not firstborn imply their were others born?Firstborn is a legal term indicating a special privilege or rankPs 89:27 calls David his firstborn even though David was his

eighth son.Col 1:15 calls Jesus the firstborn of all creation

Firstborn child and only son are not mutually exclusive Ex 34:20

How to Explain and Defend MaryScripture Used to Prove Mary’s Perpetual Virginity

The “brothers” of Jesus are never called the “sons of Mary”

Some of these brothers advise and reprimand Jesus (Jn 7:3-4, Mk 3:21)

In Jewish culture younger brothers never admonish an elder brother.

Mth 15 & Jn 19:27Jesus vehemently condemns the Korban rule, that allowed

children to avoid taking care of their parents.By Hebrew law children had a solemn obligation to take

care of their parents.In Jn 19:26-27 Jesus presents his mother to his disciple

John. Where were his brothers?

How to Explain and Defend MaryThe Fathers of the Church

St Athanasius in his Discourses Against the Arians explicitly calls Mary Ever-Virgin.

He mentions this title as something Christians take for granted.

In the 4th century Helvidius questioned Mary’s perpetual virginity in outrage St. Jerome wrote a sctahing

defense entitle The Perpetual Virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Against Helvidius, it condemned his

teaching has novel and heretical.Augustine calls Mary, “a Virgin conceiving, a Virgin

bearing, a Virgin pregnant, a virgin bring forth, a virgin perpetual”

How to Explain and Defend MaryProtestant Reformers

Luther: “It is an article of faith that Mary is Mother of the Lord and still a virgin…Christ we believe came forth from a womb perfectly intact.”

Zwingli: “I firmly believe that Mary, according to the words of the gospel, as a pure Virgin brought forth for us the Son of God and in childbirth and after childbirth forever remained a pure, intact Virgin.”

Calvin: “There have been certain folk who have wished to suggest from this passage (Mt 1:25) that the Virgin Mary had other children than the Son of God, and that Joseph had then dwelt with her later; but what folly this!”All agreed that the typology of Mary as Ark of the

Covenant and God’s insistence that the Ark be without stain or defect would apply even more to

Mary who carried the Living Word of God

How to Explain and Defend MaryImmaculate Conception

Pope Pius IX Dec 8, 1854“The Most Holy Virgin Mary was, in the first moment of her

conception, by a unique gift of grace and privilege of Almighty God and in view of the merits of Jesus Christ the Redeemer of mankind, preserved free from all stain

of original sin.”• Mary was preserved from original sin and any stain of

original sin from the first moment of her existence.• This privilege was given to Mary in view of Christ’s

merits. Jesus was Mary’s savior and redeemer just as he is ours. In Mary Christ’s redemption preserves her from sin whereas in us it removes sin contracted.

• This doctrine only deals with original sin. However the Church also teaches that Mary was never touched by personal sin.

How to Explain and Defend MaryImmaculate Conception

Protestant Objections1. Not supported by scripture and contradicts

Rom 3:232. The doctrine means Mary did no need

redemption through Jesus3. They maintain the early church Fathers

did not teach this doctrine.

How to Explain and Defend MaryRomans 3:23

Paul is speaking of personal sins people commit, as opposed to original sin we inherit.

Obvious exceptions are children below the age of reason, Jesus and Adam and Eve before the fall

We consider Mary to be another exception.Paul does not mean ”all” in an absolute sense, which

would include every single person.Rom 3:9-10

Paul quotes David who is using all in the collective , (a whole group gathered together), sense not in the distributive,

(each and every individual) sensePaul is saying there is no distinction between circumcised and

uncircumcised gentiles:Both groups commit personal sins and both need to be

justified by faith.

How to Explain and Defend MaryEvidence of Mary’s Sinlessness

Gen 3:15Jesus is acknowledged by all Christians to be he who

crushed the serpents head.The enmity, or opposition, that exists between the

woman and the serpent is the same which exists between Jesus and the serpent

This enmity is total:Jesus never fell to sin therefore the woman never fell

to sinThe woman must be Mary Jesus is her offspring

How to Explain and Defend MaryEvidence of Mary’s Sinlessness

Luke 1:28The angel Gabriel calls Mary “full of grace”

to indicate she has fullness of grace.Mary can not be full of grace if she is touched

by sin since sin diminishes grace.

How to Explain and Defend MaryTypology

A cloud of glory covered the tabernacle and Ark (Ex 40:34-35; Num 9:15)

Ark spent three months in the house of Obededom the Gittite (2 Sam 6:11)

King David asked: “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?

David leaped and danced before the Lord when the Ark arrived in Jerusalem (2 Sam 6:14-16

“And the angel said to her; ‘The holy spirit will come upon you, and the power of the most high will overshadow you’” (Lk 1:35)

Mary spent three months in the house of Zechariah and Elizabeth (Lk 1:26, 40)

Elizabeth asked Mary, “why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me” (Lk 1:43)

John the Baptist leaped for joy in Elizabeth’s womb when Mary arrived (Lk 1:44)

How to Explain and Defend MaryChurch Fathers Teach Sinlessness

St. Justin Martyr and St. Irenaeus: Implicitly teach Mary’s freedom from all sin when

they show her as the new Eve who reversed the first Eve’s disobedience.

• When Eve disobeyed she was free from all sin and concupiscence (the inclination to sin)

• Her no was a perfect choice of the will• For Mary’s obedience to undo Eve’s

disobedience, Mary’s yes to god must be as perfect as Eve’s no

This can only be true if Mary were free from both sin and inclination to sin.

How to Explain and Defend MaryLater Father’s explicitly teach Mary’s sinlessness

St. Ephraim (The Nisibene Hymns)“You Christ alone and your Mother are more beautiful than

any other; for there is no blemish in you, nor any stains upon your Mother, who of my children can compare in

beauty to these.”St. Ambrose (Commentary on Psalm 18)

“Lift me not up from Sara but from Mary, a Virgin not only undefiled but a Virgin whom grace has made inviolate,

free from every stain of sin.”St. Augustine (Nature and Grace)

“Having excepted the Holy virgin Mary, concerning whom, on account of the honor of the Lord, I wish to have

absolutely no question when treating of sins—for how do we know what abundance of grace for the total

overcoming of sin was conferred upon her, who merited to conceive and bear Him in whom there was no sin?”

How to Explain and Defend MaryThe Immaculate Conception seems to imply that

Mary didn’t need a savior.Sts. Bernard, Thomas Aquinas, Bonaventure and

others felt this issued needed to be resolved before the Church could dogmatically define

what Scripture and tradition seemed to already teach: Mary’s total sinlessness.

Duns Scotus:Proved that Mary’s preservation from original sin

did not remove her need for a redeemer.Mary’s preservation required a more perfect

redemption: a preservative redemption.

How to Explain and Defend MaryIf a man pulled you out of quicksand he would be

said to have saved you.If the same man stopped you from falling in at all he

simply saved you more perfectly.Christ’s merits keep Mary from falling in at all.

On his merit the original sin of OT saints as well as any other sin was forgiven.

With this insight all debate over the Immaculate Conception and Christ’s universal Redemption

ceased.Mary said yes to god with a perfect human nature

which excludes all sin and concupiscence.

How to Explain and Defend MaryBodily Assumption

Pope Pius XII, November 1, 1950“Mary, the immaculate perpetual Virgin Mother of God, after

the completion of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into the glory of heaven.”

This doctrine does not say Mary died.The overwhelming tradition of the Church including

the Church Fathers , is that she did.After Mary completed her earthly life, she was taken

up into heaven, where both her body and soul were glorified.

Mary’s body did not undergo corruption.Christ ascended on his own power, Mary was drawn

up into heaven by God.

How to Explain and Defend MarySt. Paul teaches that the bodies of the just will be

glorified at the end of time.Paul also says our bodies cannot enter heaven as they

are but must first become glorified.2 Kings 2:11

Elijah was assumed into heaven with his body and didn’t die.

Gen 5:24; Heb 11:5

Enoch was also taken into heaven without dying.Mt 27:53

After Jesus died and the gates of heaven were opened, the bodies of many OT saints were resurrected.

If God allowed this privilege to these why not Mary?

How to Explain and Defend MaryArgument from Intactness

TypologyMary as the Ark of the Covenant

God took care to keep the Ark of the covenant free from all defect, corruption, and

profanation because it carried his written word.

Even more would God want Mary free from defect, corruption, and defilement since

she carried the living word of God.

How to Explain and Defend MarySt. John Damascene

“Throughout Church history, no one has claimed to have relics of Mary. Although several cities have competed for the honor

of being Mary’s place of death, no city has ever claimed to have her body. No one has ever made pilgrimages to her

tomb or venerated her bones, as they did for the Apostles and early martyrs.”