Mary 1 post of 3

There is no figure in Christian history that is more misunderstood than Mary.  The biggest misconception is that she is worshiped by Catholic and Orthodox Christians and even by some early reformed Protestant Christians like traditional Anglicans and Lutherans.  This may shock you, but see how some of the early Protestant Reformers of the 1500s viewed Mary in the meme below.  I verified that this meme is historically-correct. These beliefs were carried over from the Catholic faith of Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli.

Let's take a look at the videos that gave me the spark to understand Mary Biblically through Jewish-Christian eyes.  If you don't watch any other videos about Mary, PLEASE watch these two.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHVvpfCtldo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNV2KGQATSs



All four of the ancient Christian Marian dogmas/doctrines are:      1. She is the Mother of God, 2. She was a perpetual virgin, 3. She was immaculately conceived, and 4. She was assumed into Heaven.  Not only did the Early Church Fathers and Early Church Councils teach these doctrines, Protestant Reformers Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli taught some to all of the Marian doctrines.  Numerous historical quotes from all of these sources will be provided in the next three posts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOiLC8BCKtw

Please watch at least the first video from Dr. Brant Pitre and the Biblical Jewish Roots of Mary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLeWJ91bahU (short version)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvY_9ut4d9o (long version)

Catechism of the Catholic Church

970 "Mary's function as mother of men in no way obscures or diminishes this unique mediation of Christ, but rather shows its power. But the Blessed Virgin's salutary influence on men . . . flows forth from the superabundance of the merits of Christ, rests on his mediation, depends entirely on it, and draws all its power from it."⁵¹³ "No creature could ever be counted along with the Incarnate Word and Redeemer; but just as the priesthood of Christ is shared in various ways both by his ministers and the faithful, and as the one goodness of God is radiated in different ways among his creatures, so also the unique mediation of the Redeemer does not exclude but rather gives rise to a manifold cooperation which is but a sharing in this one source."⁵¹⁴

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^{Mary, the New Ark of the Covenant and the New Eve--my experience--Julie}

I have always wanted to understand the reason why Mary is so important to Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Coptic Christians, and some Anglicans along with Christians that existed before the Protestant Reformation.   After speaking with so many of these Christians, including priests, they all confirmed that they believed in one Trinune God yet Mary is highly esteemed. So why was Mary so important to early Christians and to unreformed Christians still today? 

If you think of the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament (Exodus 25), God Himself gave very specific instructions on how to build the Ark and what to put in it just as He did Noah's Ark. Next to the Scriptures, The Ark of the Covenant was the most highly esteemed artifact for Jewish people, not worshiped, but esteemed because of God's presence INSIDE of it. The Ark was used for ceremonial practices in the ATONEMENT OF SINS. In ancient Judaism, the high priest on "Yom Kippur," the Jewish Day of Atonement, went into the Holy of Holies where the Ark was. On this day, the high priest would enter this sacred area with the blood of a sacrificed lamb. The high priest would sprinkle the blood of the sacrificed lamb on the Mercy Seat. Once received by God, the blood of the lamb atoned (covered) for the sins of the high priest and the entire nation of Israel. This ritual was performed continuously, year after year. The Ark of the Covenant played a key role in the forgiveness of sins for the Jewish people. The Ark contained the Ten Commandments, the rod of Aaron, and manna from heaven. God's presence was so strong inside and around the Ark that the high priest had a rope tied around his ankle on Yom Kipper just in case he had to be pulled out of the Holy of Holies.

The earliest Jewish-convert Christians believed the same to be true about Mary. She herself wasn't a God; she was seen as the Ark of the New Covenant, the vessel of the Atonement, Jesus Christ. The OT Ark of the Covenant contained the Word in tablet form (Ten Commandments). Mary contained the Word made Flesh (Jesus, John 1:14). The Ark contained manna from heaven. Mary contained the Bread of Life (Jesus, John 6:36). In relation to Eve, Eve brought death into the world by bringing in original sin. Mary brought life into the world by giving birth to our Savior. It is what Mary CONTAINED inside of her, not she herself. It was ALL about Christ and what He gave for us. Mary just happened to say "yes" to bearing the Savior of the world as a beloved vessel through the direct line of David who carried our Atonement just as the Ark was the beloved vessel of Atonement for the Jewish people. This is why Mary is honored. Still, there is an enormous chasm between honoring Mary and worshiping Jesus, at least there should be, but this is why Mary is special and a beautiful example to Christian women. Look at Mary through the eyes of the Jewish people. In historical context, the early Christians saw Mary as the New Ark of the Covenant and the New Eve. This is why you see statues of Mary standing on a snake near Roman Catholic Churches because Eve was tempted by the serpent. Yet Mary did the opposite by defeating the serpent.   Eve brought the death of sin into the world.  Mary brought forth life by bringing our Savior into the world.

Let's see what the Church Fathers and Councils said about Mary being the New Ark of the Covenant and the New Eve. There are countless quotes from the Early Church Fathers and Councils about Mary that will come in the nest two blog posts.
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Mary the New Eve 


Irenaeus of Lyons Adversus Haereses (Book V Chapter 19) [120-180 AD]
"The Lord then was manifestly coming to his own things, and was sustaining them by means of that creation that is supported by himself. He was making a recapitulation of that disobedience that had occurred in connection with a tree, through the obedience that was upon a tree [i.e., the cross]. Furthermore, the original deception was to be done away with—the deception by which that virgin Eve (who was already espoused to a man) was unhappily misled. That this was to be overturned was happily announced through means of the truth by the angel to the Virgin Mary (who was also [espoused] to a man). . . . So if Eve disobeyed God, yet Mary was persuaded to be obedient to God. In this way, the Virgin Mary might become the advocate of the virgin Eve. And thus, as the human race fell into bondage to death by means of a virgin, so it is rescued by a virgin. Virginal disobedience has been balanced in the opposite scale by virginal obedience. For in the same way, the sin of the first created man received amendment by the correction of the First-Begotten" 
                          
Tertullian The Flesh of Christ ch 17 [160-240 AD]
"And again, lest I depart from my argumentation on the name of Adam: Why is Christ called Adam by the apostle [Paul], if as man he was not of that earthly origin? But even reason defends this conclusion, that God recovered his image and likeness by a procedure similar to that in which he had been robbed of it by the devil. It was while Eve was still a virgin that the word of the devil crept in to erect an edifice of death. Likewise through a virgin the Word of God was introduced to set up a structure of life. Thus what had been laid waste in ruin by this sex was by the same sex reestablished in salvation. Eve had believed the serpent; Mary believed Gabriel. That which the one destroyed by believing, the other, by believing, set straight" 

Tertullian On the Flesh of Christ [160-240 AD]
CHAPTER 17 The similarity of circumstances between the first and the second Adam, as to the derivation of their flesh. An analogy also pleasantly traced between Eve and the Virgin Mary.

Mary Ark of the Covenant 
Hyppolytus Extant works and Fragments Fragment 2 par 6 (170-236 ad)
At that time, then, the Saviour appeared and showed His own body to the world, (born) of the Virgin, who was the "ark overlaid with pure gold," with the Word within and the Holy Spirit without; so that the truth is demonstrated, and the "ark" made manifest.

Hyppolytus Extant works and Fragments Commentary on psalm 22 (170-236 ad)
And, moreover, the ark made of imperishable wood was the Saviour Himself. For by this was signified the imperishable and incorruptible tabernacle of (the Lord) Himself, which gendered no corruption of sin. For the sinner, indeed, makes this confession: the Lord was without sin, made of imperishable wood, as regards His humanity; that is, of the virgin and the Holy Ghost inwardly, and outwardly of the word of God, like an ark overlaid with purest gold.

Gregory Thaumaturgus 1st homily on the Annuciation (213-275 ad)
Come, then, ye too, dearly beloved, and let us chant the melody which has been taught us by the inspired harp of David, and say, "Arise, O Lord, into Thy rest; Thou, and the ark of Thy sanctuary." For the holy Virgin is in truth an ark, wrought with gold both within and without, that has received the whole treasury of the sanctuary.

John Damascene Sermon 2 on the Assumption (676–749 ad)
When the Ark of God, departing from Mount Sion for the heavenly country, was borne on the shoulders of the Apostles, it was placed on the way in the tomb.

John Damascene Sermon 2 on the Assumption (676–749 ad)
To-day the sacred and living ark of the living God, who conceived her Creator Himself, takes up her abode in the temple of God, not made by hands. David, her [174] forefather,* rejoices. Angels and Archangels are in jubilation, Powers exult, Principalities and Dominations, Virtues and Thrones are in gladness: Cherubim and Seraphim magnify God. Not the least of their Praise is it to refer praise to the Mother of glory. To-day the holy dove, the pure and guileless soul, sanctified by the Holy Spirit, putting off the ark of her body, the life-giving receptacle of Our Lord, found rest to the soles of her feet, taking her flight to the spiritual world, and dwelling securely in the sinless country above. 

John Damascene Sermon 2 on the Assumption (676–749 ad)

Let us dance in spirit with David; to-day the Ark of God is at rest. With Gabriel, the great archangel, let us exclaim, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Hail, inexhaustible ocean of grace. Hail, sole refuge in grief. Hail, cure of hearts. Hail, through whom death is expelled and life is installed."
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Quoted from Agape Bible Study

The Ark of the Covenant	The Virgin Mary The Ark of the New Covenant
God the Holy Spirit overshadowed and then indwelled the Ark. The Ark became the dwelling place of the presence of God [Exodus 40:34-35]	God the Holy Spirit overshadowed and then indwelled Mary. At that time Mary's womb became the dwelling place of the presence of God [Luke 1:35].
The Ark contained the Ten Commandments [the words of God in stone], a pot of manna, and Aaron's rod that came back to life [Deuteronomy 10:3-5; Hebrews 9:4].	The womb of the Virgin contained Jesus: the living Word of God enfleshed, the living bread from heaven, "the Branch" (Messianic title) who would die but come back to life [Luke 1:35].
The Ark traveled to the hill country of Judah to rest in the house of Obed-edom [2 Samuel 6:1-11]	Mary traveled to the hill country of Judah (Judea) to the home of Elizabeth [Luke 1:39]
Dressed in a priestly ephod, King David approached the Ark and danced and leapt for joy [2 Samuel 6:14]	John the Baptist, son of a priest who would himself becomes a priest, leapt for joy in Elizabeth's womb at the approach of Mary [Luke 1:43]
David shouted for joy in the presence of God and the holy Ark [2 Samuel 6:15]	Elizabeth exclaimed with a loud cry of joy in the presence God within Mary [Luke 1:42]
David asked, "How is it that the Ark of the Lord comes to me?" [2 Samuel 6:9]	Elizabeth asks, "Why is this granted unto me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" [Luke 1:43]
The Ark remained in the house of Obed-edom for 3 months [2 Samuel 6:11]	Mary remained in the house of her cousin Elizabeth for 3 months [Luke 1:56].
The house of Obed-edom was blessed by the presence of the Ark [2 Samuel 6:11]	The word "blessed" is used 3 times in Luke 1:39-45 concerning Mary at Elizabeth's house.
The Ark returned to its sanctuary and eventually ends up in Jerusalem where the presence and glory of God is revealed in the newly built Temple [2 Samuel 6:12; 1 Kings 8:9-11]	Mary returned home from visiting Elizabeth and eventually comes to Jerusalem, where she presents God the Son in the Temple [Luke 1:56; 2:21-22]
God made Aaron's rod (which would be kept in the Ark) return to life and budded to prove he was the legitimate High Priest [Numbers 17:8].	God would resurrect His Son, who had become enfleshed in Mary's womb and born to bring salvation to all mankind, to prove He is the eternal High Priest [Hebrews 4:14].
When the Ark was outside the Holy of Holies [when it was being transported] it was to be covered with a blue veil [Numbers 4:4-6]	In Mary's appearances outside of heaven visionaries testify that she wears a blue veil.
In Revelation 11:19 John sees the Ark of the Covenant in heaven [this is the last verse of chapter 11]	In Revelation 12:1 John sees Mary in heaven. It is the same vision Juan Diego saw of Mary in 1531 — the Woman clothed with the sun and standing on the moon.

Tomorrow we will talk about the four primary dogmas/doctrines of Mary that were believed by all Christians for 1500 years and even some of the early Protestant Reformers.  God bless!---Julie

Luke 1:42-43; Luke 1:48; Revelation 12:1-17; John 19:25-27; Hebrews 2:11;    Queenship' 1 Kings 2:20, 2 Samuel ch. 6;

siblings - cousins,