Perpetual virginity of Mary: Difference between revisions

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During the [[Protestant Reformation]], the doctrine came to be questioned, although such notable reformers as [[Martin Luther]],<ref>In his 1523 treatise, [[Martin Luther and the Jews#That Jesus Christ Was Born a Jew|''That Jesus Christ was born a Jew'']], Luther said that "Scripture does not quibble or speak about the virginity of Mary after the birth of Christ, a matter about which the hypocrites are greatly concerned, as if it were something of the utmost importance on which our whole salvation depended. Actually, we should be satisfied simply to hold that she remained a virgin after the birth of Christ because Scripture does not state or indicate that she later lost her virginity... But the Scripture stops with this, that she was a virgin before and at the birth of Christ; for up to this point God had need of her virginity in order to give us the promised blessed seed without sin." ''Luther’s Works,'' American Edition, Walther I. Brandt, ed., Philadelphia, Augsburg Fortress; St. Louis, [[Concordia Publishing House]], 1962, ISBN 0-8006-0345-1 pp.205-206</ref> [[Huldrych Zwingli]],<ref>On September 17, 1522, Zwingli published a sermon entitled ''The Perpetual Virginity of Mary the Mother of Jesus Christ our Savior'' [http://books.google.com/books?as_brr=1&id=54bYJYhgcLAC&vid=OCLC00298490&dq=zwingli+%22perpetual+virginity%22&jtp=173]</ref> John Calvin,<ref>J.A. Ross MacKenzie, in Stacpoole, Alberic, ed., Mary's Place in Christian Dialogue, Wilton, Conn.: Morehouse-Barlow, 1982, pp.35-6; c.f. ''Harmony of Matthew, Mark & Luke'', sec. 39 (Geneva, 1562), vol. I, From Calvin's Commentaries, tr. William Pringle, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1949 p. 107</ref> and [[John Wesley]]<ref>Wesley wrote: "I believe that He was made man, joining the human nature with the divine in one person; being conceived by the singular operation of the Holy Ghost, and born of the blessed Virgin Mary, who, as well after as before she brought Him forth, continued a pure and unspotted virgin."

[http://wesley.nnu.edu/john_wesley/letters/1749b.htm ''Letter to a Roman Catholic'', July 18, 1749] [http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC09022224&id=CZEPAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA110&lpg=PA110&dq=wesley+%22letter+to+a+roman+catholic%22]</ref> affirmedaccepted its veracity.<ref>See [http://www.ntrmin.org/Luthers%20Theology%20of%20Mary.htm]. [http://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/maryc2.htm]</ref> However, the absence of clear Biblical statements expressing the doctrine, in combination with the principle of ''[[sola scriptura]]'', kept references to the doctrine out of the Reformation creeds. Additionally, the tendency to associate veneration of Mary with idolatry<ref>see John Calvin's [http://www.vor.org/rbdisk/calvin/ci_html/1_12.htm#1.12.3 '' Institutes of the Christian Religion'' I,12,3]</ref> and the rejection of [[clerical celibacy]]<ref>see John Calvin's [http://www.vor.org/rbdisk/calvin/ci_html/4_12.htm#4.12.27 ''Institutes of the Christian Religion IV,12,27-28'']</ref> lead to the eventual denial of this doctrine amongst most Protestant churches. Lastly, many Protestant communities cite Biblical passages that refer to the "brothers" of Jesus (see below, see also ''[[Desposyni]]'').

== New Testament passages ==