Is Mary, the Mother of Jesus, Historically Insignificant?

[Coffee99]

Originally Posted by Pastor Poster

I lifted this little quote from "The Jesus I Never Knew," by Philip Yancey

"The virgin Mary though, whose parenthood was unplanned, had a different response. She heard the angel out, pondered the repercussions, and replied, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said." Often a work of God comes with two edges, great joy and great pain, and in that matter-of-fact response Mary embraced both.

She was the first person to accept Jesus on His own terms, regardless of the personal cost."

I found Yancey's thought about Mary strikingly beautiful in it's truthfulness. Upon reading it, I wondered if we Pentecostals - because of our opposition to the fictitious doctrinal view of Mary taught by Catholics - have relegated Mary to insignificance.

I offer three questions to those interested in the topic at hand.

1. Why did God choose Mary as the incubator for His Son?

2. Is Mary, the mother of Jesus, historically insignificant?

3. Is Mary, the mother of Jesus, the most important bible character - other than her Son?

IMO, we have. You may hear her mentioned a bit at Christmas - but that is it. She is given no honor - not even that of a good example for us. I've always thought it interesting that God found her worthy enough that He gave her the honor to be the human vessel for Christ, yet by and large, pentecostals barely acknowledge her and by and large, give her far less respect than we would give any mother.

If one looks at how she was/is regarded by the Orthodox, from whom the RCC pulled away, it seems there may be a clearer picture of her place. The RCC's doctrine on Mary is recent in the historical church - it wasn't put in place as it is today until the mid-1800's and then expanded at Vatican II, I believe. And they continue to revise it. Some of the Orthodox teachings are that she was the first human to experience the life-changing power of Jesus. They also teach that her life is an example of the kind of life God wants us to lead. They believe that the RCC teaching is heresey and that it demeans the life-changing power that Jesus offers. The Orthodox give her tremendous honor, on the level that they give the Apostles. They do, however, they believe that the RCC has tried to put her on par with God.

[Nahum]

Originally Posted by Coffee99

IMO, we have. You may hear her mentioned a bit at Christmas - but that is it. She is given no honor - not even that of a good example for us. I've always thought it interesting that God found her worthy enough that He gave her the honor to be the human vessel for Christ, yet by and large, pentecostals barely acknowledge her and by and large, give her far less respect than we would give any mother.

If one looks at how she was/is regarded by the Orthodox, from whom the RCC pulled away, it seems there may be a clearer picture of her place. The RCC's doctrine on Mary is recent in the historical church - it wasn't put in place as it is today until the mid-1800's and then expanded at Vatican II, I believe. And they continue to revise it. Some of the Orthodox teachings are that she was the first human to experience the life-changing power of Jesus. They also teach that her life is an example of the kind of life God wants us to lead. They believe that the RCC teaching is heresey and that it demeans the life-changing power that Jesus offers. The Orthodox give her tremendous honor, on the level that they give the Apostles. They do, however, they believe that the RCC has tried to put her on par with God.

What are we to do with Mary?

Catholicism deified and mysticized her beyond biblical recognition. Pentecostalism, historically, has categorically rejected her New Testament influence.

How did the early Christian church view her?

What is her proper place in twenty-first century bibliology?

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Coffee99

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...
If one looks at how she was/is regarded by the Orthodox, from whom the RCC pulled away, it seems there may be a clearer picture of her place. The RCC's doctrine on Mary is recent in the historical church - it wasn't put in place as it is today until the mid-1800's and then expanded at Vatican II, I believe. And they continue to revise it. Some of the Orthodox teachings are that she was the first human to experience the life-changing power of Jesus. They also teach that her life is an example of the kind of life God wants us to lead. They believe that the RCC teaching is heresey and that it demeans the life-changing power that Jesus offers. The Orthodox give her tremendous honor, on the level that they give the Apostles. They do, however, they believe that the RCC has tried to put her on par with God.

If you notice, the Orthodox icons of Mary do not show her alone, but with Jesus. She is known to them as the Theotokos or God bearer.

[Coffee99]

Originally Posted by Sam

If you notice, the Orthodox icons of Mary do not show her alone, but with Jesus. She is known to them as the Theotokos or God bearer.

Sam, you are correct. The Orthodox always show her with Jesus and NEVER alone, even from earliest times I believe.

The RCC, on the other hand, very frequently have her on her own and it seems she is referenced as much or more than Jesus.