Mary cannot be Queen. (2)

[Thekla]

Anepsios means more literally "sister's son" in its NT usage.

Adelphos is used in the NT for step-brother (Herod and Phillip, Joseph and his brothers); John reports two women named Mary who are sisters.

The LXX uses the term adelphos repeatedly for uncle, nephew, cousin, step sibling, etc. as well as uterine sibling.

The narrowing of the term adelphos to just one meaning is incorrect, as demonstrated in the Bible.

 

[narnia59]

I suspect that you are attempting to belittle me.. .but I take it as a great compliment... yes, I go to scripture.... Starting from scratch, scripture is what the Bereans did and I think I will follow their lead... if I read a church father, I will go to scripture to see if what they say is true. Sometimes they are and sometimes they aren't and sometimes they say things that can't even be found in scripture. This I cannot trust as the word of God as there is no EVIDENCE that what they say is actually God breathed. Thank God, God in His mercy and wisdom had His word written down.

The Bereans did not "start from scratch" with Scripture. They started with the oral testimony of Paul, who professed to them that the person Jesus Christ had been born of a virgin, crucified, died, and resurrected from the dead. None of that was in their Scripture (the OT). The OT prophecies were there, but no evidence that the person Jesus Christ had fulfilled them in their midst. They verified that the OT prophecies did indeed state those things, but then they accepted Paul's oral witness that the person Jesus had done those things. If they had limited themselves to Scripture alone, they would still be Jews, just like the Thessalonians did and were. Paul reasoned with the Thessalonians from Scripture just as he did the Bereans, but they rejected Paul's oral testimony and witness that the person Jesus Christ had fulfilled the OT prophecies. The Bereans were more noble not because they searched Scripture, but they eagerly accepted Paul's oral testimony in addition to what they found in the Scripture. No one can legitimately claim to follow the Bereans when rejecting the oral word of God and accepting only the written.

Scripture is not the only thing that is God-breathed. Jesus literally breathed His Spirit into the church via the apostles. The church is every bit as much God-breathed as Scripture, and it too in Scripture is referred to as the "word of God". The word of God is not, and never has been Scripture alone. It has also been the oral word spoken through the prophets and the apostles and the church. At least that's what the Scripture you profess to believe says.

 

[justinangel]

1. "Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger." [Jeremiah 7:17-18]

In this section of Jeremiah, God is telling Israel why He is about to physically destroy them as a nation. God is acting much like a Prosecutor who is informing the accused as to the charges against them. Notice that God is very angry that these people are preparing to worship the Queen of Heaven. He is saying that this worship of the Queen of Heaven is "provoking" Him to anger!

2. "As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil. And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?"

The question, then, is, who is this Queen of Heaven which the Israelites were worshipping, that provoked God to such anger? Fortunately, Jewish historical records tell us exactly what this Queen of Heaven was that so angered God.

First, let us examine the ancient Queen of Heaven. Most of this information is taken from Alexander Hislop's book, "The Two Babylons", 1917. Hislop traces the Babylonian worship of the Queen of Heaven back to the days following the death of Nimrod. The dating of this event is not known exactly, but seems to date 400+ years after the flood. After Nimrod's death, his wife, Semiramis, was determined to retain her power and wealth. She concocted the story that Nimrod's death was for the salvation of mankind. Nimrod was touted as "the woman's promised seed, Zero-ashta, who was destined to bruise the serpent's head, and in so doing, was to have his own heel bruised." (p. 58-59)

The Queen of Heaven has nothing to do with Mary ,but is the Catholic Church action of bringing paganism into Christianity.Just like people praying to statues, confessing sins to Popes, priests and a whole bunch of other errors.

There is no basis in your accusation that Catholics worship Mary. The governing Church authority forbids Catholics to worship anyone other than God. One can light votive candles or even offer sincere tokens of appreciation to Mary, such as placing a vase of flowers by an icon of her, without necessarily worshipping her. However, there did exist a heretical sect of Mary worshippers between A.D. 350 and 450 comprised mostly of women who embraced a radical feminist theology. They were known as the Collyridians, and they did assimiliate pagan rituals (Thracian in origin) in their private gatherings of worship. They offered up a sacrifice of bread rolls to Mary in place of the Eucharistic sacrifice of the Mass in their celebrations. taking their eyes off Jesus, the paschal Lamb of God, who continually intercedes for us before God as our High Priest and victim with his blood.

Epiphanius, the Bishop of Salamis, and a Marian theologian in his time, wrote his great work Panarion partly to combat this sect and defeat it, for its teachings and practices were an offense to the traditional orthodox faith. Heresy takes two forms: either the exaggeration of a truth or the denial of a truth. Collyridianism exaggerated the traditional Marian devotion of the Church. Faithful Catholics have never offered sacrifices of appeasement and satisfaction to Mary believing she is a goddess who exercises providential rule. One errant sect of believers in the Church does not represent the Church. True Catholics venerate Mary and do not adore her as they do God. In fact, such heretical groups are anathematized by the Church and offend Mary.

Meanwhile, the Church had to wrestle with another heretical Marian group known as the Antidicomarianites in the 4th century (Arabic in origin). The Antidicomarianites denied the truths about Mary that were traditionally held by the orthodox faithful as taught by the Church in accord with the deposit of faith: Scripture and Tradition. The heresy of Antidicomarianism essentially attacked and debased Mary's divine maternity, perpetual virginity, sinlessness, her role as the new Eve in the economy of salvation, her powerful intercessory role, conferred upon her by the Son in participation with him but not in coordination with his principal merits, and her transition into heaven. What Epiphanius writes about these Marian truths in Panarion are affirmations of traditional orthodox beliefs in opposition to the heterodox denials of the Antidicomarianites as well. Sadly, this heresy eventually resurfaced in Protestantism, although it was condemned by the Church about a millennium earlier.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

"Adoration is the acknowledgement of God as God, creator and saviour, the Lord and master of everything that exists as infinite and merciful love."
(CCC # 2096)

"Adoration is homage of the spirit to the King of glory, respectful silence in the presence of the ever greater God."
(CCC # 2628)

" ' All generations will call me blessed.' 'The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship.' The Church rightly honours 'the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honoured with the title 'Mother of God', to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs...This very special devotion...differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration.' The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God, and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, 'an epitome of the whole Gospel,' express this devotion to the Virgin Mary."
(CCC # 971)

Pax Christu
J.A.

 

[LOCO]

I studied this. The queen was always the mother of the king, like Bethsheeba. Mary is the mother of our king so she is queen.

Thats a great example AveMaria,

I don't know why folks complicate simple logic.

We know that Jesus is God (made flesh)
We know that Mary is Jesus' mother
Therefore Mary is the Mother of God

We know that Jesus is king of Heaven
We know the Bible refers to a Queen of Heaven
We know that Mary is Jesus' mother
We know according to Jewish custom the Queen is always the Mother of the King
Therefore Mary is the Queen of Heaven

I would like anyone who doesn't agree to give me their opinion of who the Queen of Heaven as mentioned in scripture is?

I do have an eccentric Protestant friend who believes that Mary Magdalene is the Queen of Heaven as Jesus was in love with her. I think she got that from a Dan Brown novel. God love her.