Reformed Churchmen

We are Confessional Calvinists and a Prayer Book Church-people. In 2012, we remembered the 350th anniversary of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer; also, we remembered the 450th anniversary of John Jewel's sober, scholarly, and Reformed "An Apology of the Church of England." In 2013, we remembered the publication of the "Heidelberg Catechism" and the influence of Reformed theologians in England, including Heinrich Bullinger's Decades. For 2014: Tyndale's NT translation. For 2015, John Roger, Rowland Taylor and Bishop John Hooper's martyrdom, burned at the stakes. Books of the month. December 2014: Alan Jacob's "Book of Common Prayer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Book-Common-Prayer-Biography-Religious/dp/0691154813/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417814005&sr=8-1&keywords=jacobs+book+of+common+prayer. January 2015: A.F. Pollard's "Thomas Cranmer and the English Reformation: 1489-1556" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-English-Reformation-1489-1556/dp/1592448658/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420055574&sr=8-1&keywords=A.F.+Pollard+Cranmer. February 2015: Jaspar Ridley's "Thomas Cranmer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-Jasper-Ridley/dp/0198212879/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422892154&sr=8-1&keywords=jasper+ridley+cranmer&pebp=1422892151110&peasin=198212879

Saturday, October 27, 2012

St. Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh: "All Creatures of our God and King"



Choir of St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh
Canticle of the Sun (St Francis of Assisi), paraphrased by William Henry Draper (1855-1933)

1 comment:

zuma said...

Is it rational to treat Mary to be the Mother of God?

Hebrews 7:3, “He is without father or mother or genealogy, and has neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest for ever.”

What does the phrase, resembling the Son of God,, in Hebrews 7:3 refer to? It undoubtedly refers to Jesus Christ.

As the phrase, He is without father or mother or genealogy, is mentioned in Hebrews 7:3, it implies that there is no relationship between Mary and Jesus.

The birth of Jesus is purely not the physical interaction between Mary and Joseph and there should not be any trace of relationship between them since the phrase, He is without father or mother or genealogy, is mentioned in Hebrews 7:3.

The above is the reason why Protestant Churches treat Mary not to be the Mother of God.

God did not oppose the marriage between Joseph and Mary so as to demand her to remain virgin after the birth of Jesus. The following is the extract:

Matthew 1:16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

Matthew 1:20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost

If God’s intention for Mary is to remain virgin after the birth of Jesus, why should the angel of the Lord convey with the message, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, in Matthew 1:20?

The following are the verses seem to give the implication that Mary was no longer to be virgin after the birth of Jesus:

Mark 6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

As the phrase, the son of Mary, is mentioned in Mark6:3 with the phrase, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon, it gives the implication that Jesus had four brothers.

If Mary would remain virgin after His birth, there should not be any reason why James, Joses, Juda and Simon had been called to be His brothers then.