"Joseph did not know his wife until Mary gave birth"
Supporters of ever-virginity use these points:
1) "In the same way parents say 'behave until I get back' doesn't mean they want their kids to start misbehaving when they return, 'until Mary gave birth' doesn't mean they had sex after Christ was born".
There's a BIG difference here.
Parents always expect there kids to behave. being a virgin was never an expectation placed on Mary. therefor, "until" Jesus was born, would logically mean that they waited for that time to come before having sex.
The other example used, is:
2) "Jesus said 'I will be with you until the end of the age'. That doesn't mean that he'll stop being with us when that end comes."
Again: according to the Bible, those who obey him, are to always expect to be with Christ, forever.
Mary was never expected to be a virgin, always and forever. Therefore, the word "until" in that passage has a logical limitation for Joseph and Mary not having sex with each other.
So using these arguments as counter-points for "until Mary gave birth" is incorrect.
Peace.
Supporters of ever-virginity use these points:
1) "In the same way parents say 'behave until I get back' doesn't mean they want their kids to start misbehaving when they return, 'until Mary gave birth' doesn't mean they had sex after Christ was born".
There's a BIG difference here.
Parents always expect there kids to behave. being a virgin was never an expectation placed on Mary. therefor, "until" Jesus was born, would logically mean that they waited for that time to come before having sex.
The other example used, is:
2) "Jesus said 'I will be with you until the end of the age'. That doesn't mean that he'll stop being with us when that end comes."
Again: according to the Bible, those who obey him, are to always expect to be with Christ, forever.
Mary was never expected to be a virgin, always and forever. Therefore, the word "until" in that passage has a logical limitation for Joseph and Mary not having sex with each other.
So using these arguments as counter-points for "until Mary gave birth" is incorrect.
Peace.