These daily Advent studies are provided for your personal devotionals or for your daily family Advent devotionals during the evening meal. They are an excellent way to introduce daily Bible readings and discussions at the evening meal. Once begun during the Advent season the tradition can become a lifelong practice of your family. They seek to challenge both you and your children beyond the simplicity and often erroneous information provided in so called Advent calendars and children’s Christmas books. May you find it a blessing and may they be a starting point for your family in daily readings, discussions and meditations on the holy, eternal, inerrant written Word of God.
(T = True; F = False) According to the Bible... 39_____After the birth of Jesus, Mary remained a virgin and in a state of perpetual virginity and purity devoted herself to the service of God all her life.
Answer Key
39 F - After the birth of Jesus, Mary remained a Virgin. In this state of perpetual virginity and purity she devoted herself to the service of God all her life. The fable concerning Mary’s perpetual virginity flies in the face of numerous passages in the Word of God. From the divine revelation of God the Holy Spirit we learn that...
1.) Marry married Joseph Matthew 1:16 “ Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” Matthew 1:24 “Joseph... took her as his wife,”
2.) Mary was publically associated with Joseph as his wife Matthew 13:55 "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?” John 1:45 “Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."” John 6:42 “And they were saying, ‘Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?’...”
3.) After the birth of Jesus, Mary bore other children as a result of her union with Joseph her husband Matthew 13:55 "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?” Luke 8:19-20 “And His mother and brothers came to Him, and they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd. And it was reported to Him, ‘Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You’." John 2:12 “After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother, and His brothers, and His disciples; and there they stayed a few days.” John 7:3 “His brothers therefore said to Him, ‘Depart from here, and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may behold Your works which You are doing’.”
4.) The fact that Mary bore Joseph other children was a fact publically known and held in the early church and carried with it no stigma or loss of status on the part of Mary. Acts 1:14 “These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.” 1 Corinthians 9:5 “Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?”
5.) There is no special grace or righteousness associated with preserving ones virginity in marriage. In fact just the opposite is true. Not only is it not spiritual or righteous for a woman to preserve her virginity after marriage, it is sin to abstain for more than brief periods from sexual activity. (I Corinthians 7:1 – 5) In fact it is a blessing for a wife to minister to her husband’s sexual needs and desires and this extends beyond mere procreation to include the enjoyment of their intimate moments together for love’s sake. (Proverbs 5:18 & 19; Song of Solomon 1:13 – 16)
Very little is known of Mary’s life during the ministry of Jesus, but enough is known to establish that she did not live the life of Anna in fasting, prayer and abstinence at the Temple. Rather Mary lived the life of a wife and mother who was publically associated with her husband, was known by all for her role as wife and mother, was sexually active and bore Joseph at least four natural children.
Older
Top
