"Christianity Questions and Answers" podcast CQA 049
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This week’s podcast is unique for two reasons. First, the question, “Is it right to pray to Mary?” comes from a Question and Answer session at my home church. It was recorded live at New Song Community Church in Oceanside, CA. Pastor Hal Seed and I were answering the questions posed to us live that day.
The second thing that is different is that there since the question was answered quickly, we had enough time to include a couple of other questions and answers in this podcast.
Those two other questions were:
What should I do when a Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormon comes knocking on my door—what should I say?
Why do some Bibles omit certain verses that are included in other versions? (Hal and I recorded an entire podcast on this topic which you can listen to HERE.)
Here are some of the verses that are cited in this podcast that help answer if it is right to pray to Mary:
“In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1 ESV)
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5 KJV)
“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:8-9 KJV)
While Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, she was only a virgin until Jesus was born. This is clearly taught in Matthew 1:25: “And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.” (KJV)
“After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.” (John 2:12 ESV)
“So his brothers said to him, ‘Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4 For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.’ 5 For not even his brothers believed in him.” (John 7:3-5 ESV)
Please note that Catholicism, Orthodoxy and some others teach that part of the reason we can pray to Mary is because of her “perpetual virginity.” She is called the “eternal virgin.” But alas, the Bible teaches that she had other children conceived in the normal way through Joseph. The verses above and others make this clear.
This is particularly true of Matthew 1:25 which says:
“But he [Joseph] did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.” (NLT)
The bottom line: It is good to honor Mary for her special role in delivering the Lord Jesus. But it is wrong to pray to Mary, worship her or ascribe to her any other role that is more than the role God has revealed to us in the Bible.
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For more help with related topics, check out these resources from my site:
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