Mary and the Roman Catholic Church

2. Mother of God

There is no doubt that Jesus is Mary’s son. And there is no doubt that Jesus is God. And so the problem starts here with the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) saying that since Jesus is God, and Mary is his mother, therefore Mary is “the mother of God”.

But this equation can never be true because Mary never became mother of “God – Jesus”, but only of “man – Jesus”. Jesus did not come to earth as 100 percent human and at the same time 100 percent God, nor 50% man and 50% God at the same time. When Jesus came to earth through Mary, He became 100 percent human, in the form of human flesh:

John 1:14

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. Hebrews 2:17

Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

Philip. 2:6-8

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

It would be unscriptural to think that Jesus is God and human at the same time when He came in human form. Hebrew 2:17 (see above) states that Jesus had to be made fully human “to be made like unto his brethren”. And Philippians 2:7 (see above) is so very clear, that “(Jesus) made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men”. If Jesus is God and man, then this verse (Philip.2:7) will not make sense! The only way for this verse to make sense is if Jesus is indeed 100% man and 0% God. Second, any “God” does not need human attention or care, the way Jesus was being taken care of by His parents, especially while He was still young. And any “God” doesn’t need food to eat, doesn’t need to work to earn a living, and all these Jesus did while He was on earth. Third, if Mary is the mother of God, then she must be God herself, a mother of both God the Father and God the Son (Jesus)! Can you realize how foolish it becomes if indeed Mary is God’s mother? An apple tree cannot bear grapes, nor can a mango tree bear bananas. As the Bible states, “Each tree is recognized by its own fruit” (Luke 6:44). Mary herself admitted that she needed a Savior, that she is just a human servant of God and NOT God’s mother:

Luke 1:46-48

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 48For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

But the best evidence that Jesus came on earth only as a human person and not as one person with both human and divine natures is when He died on the cross, because a “God” is immortal and cannot die! And when Jesus died, Mary’s role as her mother also ends, that is, in the case of Mary, at the foot of the cross! And when Jesus was raised from the dead by God the Father, He (Jesus) was back as God again, as 100% divine being again, with NO MOTHER because “God” does not have a mother, and Mary is not God (see Luke 1:46-48, above)! Besides, Mary did not raise Jesus from the dead. Mary did not “create” God the Son. Mary did not “mother” God the Son nor God the Father, to be called “Mother of God”! Rather, it was Jesus who created Mary (see Col.1:15-16, below), it was Jesus who “mothered” Mary (Mary being part of Jesus’ body, the Church – Eph.2:29 and 1st Peter 2:1-3, see below), and not the other way around:

Col. 1:15-16

Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

1 Peter 2:1-3

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Ephes. 5:29

For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

Mary was never called “mother of God” in the Bible, only the “mother of Jesus”:

Acts 1:14

These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

Mark 3:31-32

There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. 32And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.

Luke 8:19-20

Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press. 20And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee.

John 2:1-3

And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. 3And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

In Luke 1:43, Elizabeth referred to her (Mary) as “the mother of my Lord”, which RCC claims is also equivalent to “mother of God”. No, it cannot be! The Greek word used in this verse is Kyrios, which means “lord, master, and possessor”. This word is not equivalent to the Greek word Theos, which means “God”, nor is it equivalent to the Hebrew word Adonai, because Adonai is not the word used here in Luke 1:43.