Expert: Tom Smith - 5/30/2010

Question
Dear Tom

I am doing an assignment on comparing the beliefs of Catholic, Lutheran and Baptist churches and I haven't been able to find the belief on Mary anywhere. What I need to know is what is the Baptist churches view on Mary? Is she a divine or just human? Is is okay to worship her or would that be idolatry? things of that nature. My assignment is due Wednesday and this is the only section I cannot find. Please help me. Oh yes, and anything you say I will write down in my bibliography that I had referenced you.

Anything you can offer would be fantastic.

Charlotte.

Answer
Charlotte,

I will provide you with a brief overview. Please feel free to ask follow-up questions if you feel that I can help further.

There is no single Baptist denomination therefore there is no specific document that would provide you with the defined doctrinal position for all Baptist churches. However with respect to Mary Baptist churches are typically all in agreement on the following points:

- Mary was a very godly woman who was devoted to God.
- She was the channel through whom God entered the world in the flesh (1 Tim 3:16).
- She is not the Mother of God. God pre-existed Mary. In a normal pregnancy, a new life is formed in the month at conception. In this case, God entered her womb. She was the mother of Jesus in the flesh, but since God pre-existed Mary, and entered her womb, she was not the mother of God.
- She declared that she was giving birth to her Saviour (Luke 1:47), therefore required salvation from her sins, making her a sinner just like the rest of mankind (Rom 3:23)
- She was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus (Is 9:6) but subsequently gave birth to other children (Mark 6:3) and thus did not remain a virgin.
- Though a godly woman, and a woman who was honoured by God above all women by being chosen to be the vessel through whom Jesus entered the world, she is not to be adored or venerated above any other person. She holds no special place as seen by the absence of any veneration of her by the church in the New Testament.
- Jesus not Mary is the sole redeemer and mediator between God and man (1 Tim 2:5)
- Scripture says nothing regarding Mary being assumed into heaven, therefore the position of the Baptists is that Mary died and was buried.
- Mary is not "Queen of Heaven" (Jer 7 and Jer 44)
- Worship is due to God alone and to worship or pray to Mary or any person is idolatry and blasphemy.

I will also provide you with some information regarding the Roman Catholic position in case this may be of help to you and to provide the contrast to the Baptist position given above. The official position is presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and includes the following:

CCC 496-507 Mary remained a virgin throughout her entire life.

CCC 829: In Mary, the church is perfected and all-holy

CCC 495, 963 Mother of God, of the Redeemer, of the church of the members of the church

CCC 411, 491-492, 966 Mary was and is always without sin

CCC 966 Mary was assumed into heaven and never died.

CCC 969-970 She brings us salvation - the view here is that while Jesus died on the cross for us, she is the co-redemptrix because she suffered for us while watching Jesus on the cross, and as a resulting is the channel through which salvation comes to those who are saved. She is also our mediator.

CCC 971 Mary is to be venerated. Roman Catholics will typically say that they do not "worship" Mary, just venerate her. Though other official documents (as I will show later) do say worship.

You can verify these positions on line at the Vatican website:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM

The following are clarifications presented by a doctor of the Roman Catholic Church - Alphonse Liguori. There have only been 30 some doctors appointed since the Roman catholic church was formed - these are deemed to be the teachers who have most faithfully presented the doctrine of the church.


Here are quotes, with page references:

"At the command of Mary all obey-even God."

Page 155 in the paperback version that I have, a short ways into Chapter VI.

"The Way of salvation is open to none otherwise than through Mary."

Page 143 in the paperback, but if you read the entirety of Chapter V, you will see this restated over and over and over many times so that it is abundantly clear.

"The Holy Church carefully teaches us her children with what attention and confidence we should unceasingly have recourse to this loving protectress; and for this reason commands a worship peculiar to Mary"

Page 106 in the paperback, right near the start of Chapter IV.

- Immediately after the reference to worship, on page 107, he refers to her as the "Divine Mother" (his capitalization. This term is used from end of the book to the other.
- Further down on page 107, he says that she does not desire the honour and *veneration* but rather she deserves them. Page 109 quotes Boniface who says that Mary is salvation for all who call upon her.
- Page 112 and elsewhere suggests that her mercy never fails, but because Jesus is also our judge, and thus it is better to go to Mary than to Jesus for salvation since we can be assured of her mercy and compassion
- Though Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood for our salvation, we can only be saved through Mary since she dispenses the blood (P.116)
- She conquered Satan, hell and the demons and crushed the head of Satan (which scripture says was Jesus). p.117
- At the name of Mary, the devils tremble and every knee bows (p.123).
- Mary is "Queen of Heaven"

Source:

Title: Glories of Mary

Author St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, Bishop of St. Agatha of the Goths, and founder of the congregation of the most Holy Redeemer; revised by the Right Rev Robert A. Coffin late Bishop of Southwark (August 17, 1868).

Publisher: Tan Books and Publishers Inc., Rockford Illinois 61105; originally published by Burns, Oates & Washington Ltd., London. Reprinted under arrangement with Burns, Oates & Washington Ltd., in 1977, 1978, 1980 and 1982.

ISBN: 0-89555-021-0

Approvals:

"We hereby approve of this Translation of the Glories of Mary, and cordially recommend it to the faithful", signed Nicholas Card Wiseman, archbishop of Westminster, given at the Feast of St Alphonse de Liguori, AD 1852.

Second Edition, "We heartily recommend this translation of the Glories of Mary to all disciples of her Divine Son.", signed Henry E., Archbishop of Westminster, Aug 11, 1868.


I hope that this helps.

Regards,
Tom
http://discern.ca