Text: Luke 11:27-28<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nI. Many of the world’s denominations share common beliefs. They do not accept all beliefs;\neach has its own unique mix, but there are many common threads found in the\ndenominational world.\n A. The Roman Catholics, largest of the world’s denominations, does have a belief that\nis unique to itself – the glory they bestow upon Mary, the mother of Jesus\n B. More Catholic church buildings are named after Mary than any one else, including\nthe Godhead\n
C. A whole series of prayers are offered up to Mary.<\/p>\n D. I was taken to task by one young Catholic man for stating that Catholics, for all\nintents and purpose, worship Mary. “We don’t worship Mary. We honor Mary for\nthe birth of Jesus and prayers to her are asking her to pray for us sinners. If you\nask me to pray for you, does that mean you are worshiping me? No, I am helping\nyou relay a message to God.”\n
II. What constitutes worship?<\/p>\n A. Most references to worship in the Old Testament come from the Hebrew word\nshachah<\/i> and in the New Testament from the Greek word proskueneo<\/i>. Both words\nrefer to a person who willingly bows himself to the ground before someone\ngreater.\n 1. While it is sometimes used of bowing before a man in a greater position, it\nis generally used in regards to giving honor and respect to a divine being.\n
2. This is why worship of man and angels is rejected<\/p>\n
a. Cornelius trying to worship Peter – Acts 10:25-26<\/p>\n
b. John trying to worship an angel – Revelation 19:10<\/p>\n B. The Greek word for prayer, proseuchomai<\/i>, is related to the word for worship. It\nmeans to beseech or ask favors of a divine being\n 1. When a person prays to something or someone, there is an implication that\nthe thing or being prayed to is divine.\n
C. In other words, a word came is going on. <\/p>\n
1. “I’m not worshiping. I’m just praying.” <\/p>\n
2. But prayer is a form of worship<\/p>\n
III. Is praying to Mary similar to asking someone to pray for you?<\/p>\n
A. We are to offer prayers on behalf of others – James 5:16<\/p>\n B. But I don’t go into my room and pray to a friend across town to offer a prayer on\nmy behalf.\n
1. My friend wouldn’t hear my prayers – I Corinthians 2:11<\/p>\n
2. Only God knows the mind of men – Psalm 139:1-2<\/p>\n
3. Thus to claim that Mary can hear prayers is to say she is divine<\/p>\n C. But then again Mary died quite a while ago. The dead are unaware of events on\nthe earth – Ecclesiastes 9:5-6\n
IV. What Catholics teach about Mary<\/p>\n
A. Mother of God (Dogma)<\/p>\n
1. The myths regarding Mary grew from a simple, but faulty line of thinking<\/p>\n
a. Mary was Jesus’ mother<\/p>\n
b. Jesus was God<\/p>\n
c. Thus Mary is the mother of God<\/p>\n 2. “She is exalted above the angels, for surely God’s mother is nearer to him\nthan the angels” [Catholic Dictionary<\/i>, page 554]\n 3. From there it was extended that if she is Jesus’ mother then in a sense she\nis basically God’s companion, so she is also called “Queen of the\nUniverse.”\n 4. The fatal flaw is that Mary is never called the Mother of God in the\nScriptures\n
a. She is the mother of Jesus – John 2:1<\/p>\n
b. The mother of my Lord – Luke 1:43<\/p>\n
c. Jesus is God – John 1:1 <\/p>\n
(1) As God he pre-existed the world – John 8:58<\/p>\n
(2) For Mary to be the Mother of God would she have to pre-exist her son?<\/p>\n (3) Since this cannot be the case, the title “Mother of God” is\nnot proper.\n
5. Mary was blessed to have been chosen to bear the Son of God – Luke 1:43<\/p>\n
a. But it doesn’t afford her any special status – Luke 11:27-28 <\/p>\n
B. Perpetual Virgin (Dogma)<\/p>\n 1. “The doctrine of Mary’s ‘perpetual virginity’ … first appeared in the second\ncentury, among the silly and imaginary fables of the Apocryphal writings, in\nconnection with dogmatic consideration of the superior sanctity of\ncelibacy” [Halley’s Bible Handbook<\/i>]\n 2. The fact is that Mary had other children according to the Bible – Matthew\n13:55-56\n
3. The idea of denial of the flesh is a false doctrine – Colossians 2:20-23<\/p>\n
C. Immaculate Conception (Dogma)<\/p>\n
1. Pope Pius IX, December 8, 1854, decreed Mary to be free from sin.<\/p>\n 2. Since Catholics believe that sin is inherited, they needed a way to explain\nhow Jesus, who knew no sin, was born without sin.\n a. To accomplish this, they declared that Mary’s birth was a miracle\nand she was born without sin.\n
b. But then why not just say Jesus was born without sin directly?<\/p>\n c. If it takes sinless parents to create a sinless child, then wouldn’t\nMary’s parents be without sin?\n d. Continue the idea and soon no one is born in sin, which happens to\nbe the truth anyway.\n
3. All people sin – Romans 3:23<\/p>\n
4. Jesus Christ is the only exception – II Corinthians 5:21<\/p>\n
D. Bodily Assumption (Dogma)<\/p>\n
1. From The Question Box<\/i>, 1929: <\/p>\n a. Question: “Is there any biblical or historical proof of the ascension\nof the Virgin Mary into heaven?”\n b. Answer: “The dogma of the Assumption means the Blessed\nVirgin’s entrance into heaven, body and soul by the power of God.\nThe active term Ascension is used only of Jesus Christ’s entrance\ninto heaven by His own divine power. The doctrine has never been\ndefined by the Church, although its wide acceptance since the sixth\ncentury renders it a certain doctrine, that cannot be denied by\nCatholics without rashness. It cannot be proved from the Bible or\nfrom contemporary historical witness, but it rests on such solid\ntheological principles, that many Bishops have written the\nApostolic See, requesting as a dogma of faith.”\n c. The answer goes on to explain that the earliest reference to a belief\nthat Mary was assumed into heaven by St. Gregory of Tours in 539\nA.D. who wrote “The Lord has the most holy body of the Virgin\ntaken into heaven, where, reunited to her soul, it now enjoys with\nthe elect, happiness without end.”\n (1) This book, In Gloriam Martyrum<\/i>, is essentially a\nmythological tale of how Jesus and His angels appear at\nMary’s death and carries her off to heaven.\n (2) Tanis in his book What Rome Teaches <\/i>says, “There is no\nmore evidence for the truth of this legend than for the ghost\nstories told by our grandfathers.”\n d. What, then are the theological principles that this assumption of\nMary is supposed to be based? \n (1) Well, if we had continued reading we would find the author\nsaying “It certainly seems most fitting …”\n
(2) We see this argument throughout Catholic writings.<\/p>\n (3) “It was fitting that she, who had kept her virginity intact in\nchildbirth, should keep her own body free from all\ncorruption even after death. It was fitting that she, who had\ncarried the Creator as a child at her breast, should dwell in\nthe divine tabernacles. It was fitting that she, who has seen\nher Son upon the Cross and who had thereby received into\nher heart the sword of sorrow, which she had escaped in the\nact of giving birth to Him should look upon Him as He sits\nat the right hand of the Father. It was fitting that God’s\nMother should possess what belongs to her son, that she\nshould be honored by every creature as the Mother and as\nthe Handmaid of God.” [John of Damascus, Homily 2 on\nthe Assumption<\/i>, 8th<\/sup> century]\n (4) In other words the “solid theological principles” is merely\nthat they thought it was fitting. Or, it seems like it ought to\nbe true, therefore we are declaring that it is true.\n 2. “By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the blessed apostles Peter\nand Paul and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare and define it to\nbe a divinely revealed dogma: that the immaculate Mother of God, the ever\nVirgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed\nbody and soul into heavenly glory” [Pope Pius XII, November 1, 1950]\n E. Mediatrix and Advocate<\/p>\n 1. “Whoever asks and wishes to obtain graces without the intercession of\nMary, attempts to fly without wings” [Liguori, Glories of Mary<\/i>, page 189]\n 2. The Catholics argue that since everyone listens to their mother, if Mary\nargues on behalf of a soul, why then Jesus, being a faithful son, would give\nplace to her.\n a. “What poor sinners we should be if we had not this advocate, so\npowerful and so merciful, and at the same time so prudent and so\nwise, that the judge, her Son, cannot condemn the guilty, if she\ndefends them. … Precisely the same thing does Mary continually in\nheaven, in behalf of innumerable sinners: she knows so well how to\nappease the divine justice with her tender and wise entreaties, that\nGod himself blesses her for it, and as it were thanks her, that thus\nshe restrains him from abandoning and punishing them as they\ndeserve” [Liguori, Glories of Mary<\/i>, page 220]\n b. “Now He lifts His eyes to her, knowing that she is His mother. At\nevery nod of her eyes He plays the part of the ‘subdeacon’ and\ngrants her every wish” [Borgmann, New Interpretations of the\nMass<\/i>, page 57]\n 3. Jesus is the only mediator – I Timothy 2:5<\/p>\n 4. Only Jesus is referred to as our Advocate – I John 2:1<\/p>\n F. Co-Redemptrix or Co-Redeemer<\/p>\n 1. As Mary “ was in a special way close to the Cross of her Son, she also had\nto have a privileged experience of his Resurrection. In fact, Mary’s role as\nco-redemptrix did not cease with the glorification of her Son.” [Pope John\nPaul II, Allocution at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guayaquil<\/i>, Jan. 31,\n1985]\n 2. If Mary can advocate without interference, why then she is involved in\nsaving people’s souls!\n a. Mary is called “the gate of heaven, because no one can enter that\nblessed kingdom without passing through her.” [St. Bernard, 1090-1153]\n b. “But now, if God is offended with any sinner, and Mary undertakes\nto protect him, she restrains the Son from punishing him and saves\nhim” [Liguori, Glories of Mary<\/i>, page 133]\n c. “Very glorious, oh Mary, and wonderful, exclaims St. Bonaventure,\nis thy great name. Those who are mindful to utter it at the hour of\ndeath, have nothing to fear from hell, for the devils at once abandon\nthe soul when they hear the name of Mary” [Liguori, Glories of\nMary<\/i>, page 163]\n d. “The devils have presented my sins before the tribunal of the Lord,\nand already they were dragging me to hell, but the holy Virgin came\nand said to them: ‘Where are you taking this youth? What have you\nto do with one of my servants who has so long served me in the\ncongregation?’ The devils fled, and thus I have been saved from\ntheir hands” [Liguori, Glories of Mary<\/i>, page 667]\n e. “Thou, then oh Mary, being Mother of God, canst save all men by\nthy prayers, which are enforced by a mother’s authority” [Liguori,\nGlories of Mary<\/i>, page 211]\n f. “Rightly, therefore, the Fathers see Mary not merely as passively\nengaged by God, but as freely cooperating in the work of man’s\nsalvation through faith and obedience. For as St. Irenaeus says, she\nbeing obedient, became the cause of salvation for herself and for the\nwhole human race. Hence not a few of the early Fathers gladly\nassert with him in their preaching … ‘death through Eve, life\nthrough Mary.’ This union of the mother with the son in the work\nof salvation is made manifest from the time of Christ’s virginal\nconception up to his death.” [Vatican II, Lumen Gentium:\nDogmatic Constitution of the Church<\/i>, Chapter 8, “The Blessed\nVirgin Mary, Mother of God in the Mystery of Christ and the\nChurch,” pages 380-381]\n 3. Notice the claim that Mary became the cause of salvation for herself –\nJeremiah 10:23\n 4. In prophesying of the need for a Savior, God noted that a Savior cannot\narise from among man – Isaiah 59:16\n 5. Speaking of Jesus, Peter said there is no salvation in any other – Acts 4:12<\/p>\n 6. There is no other way to God – John 14:6<\/p>\n G. Position and Authority<\/p>\n 1. “Mother of God … is placed on the highest summit of power and glory in\nheaven … [She] has a favor and power with her son greater than any human\nor angelic creature has ever obtained or ever can gain” [Pope Leo XIII,\nRosary of Mary<\/i>, page 1-2]\n 2. She is “surpassing in power all the angels and saints in heaven.” Hence, the\n“power thus put into her hands is all but unlimited” [Pope Leo XIII,\nRosary of Mary<\/i>, page 113, 130]\n 3. “By the ordinance of God, her power is without limit” [Legio Mariae<\/i> (The\nLegion of Mary), page 11]\n 4. “She possesses, by right, the whole kingdom of her son” [Liguori, Glories\nof Mary<\/i>, page 280]\n 5. “Mary whom He has made sovereign of heaven and earth, general of His\narmies, treasurer of His treasures, dispenser of His graces, worker of His\ngreatest marvels, restorer of the human race, mediatrix of men,\nexterminator of the enemies of God, and the faithful companion of His\ngrandeurs and His triumphs” [DeMontfort, True Devotion to the Blessed\nVirgin<\/i>, page 15]\n 6. “In practice, the Catholic church looks upon the Mother of God as being\nan unbounded power in the realm of grace … Mary is simply … the most\nuniversal supernatural power in heaven and on earth, outside the three\ndivine persons” [Legio Mariae<\/i> (The Legion of Mary), page 317]\n 7. Oh, but it doesn’t stop there. If she can overrule God in matters of\njudgment, well then, who is greater?\n a. “God is also subject to her will” [Liguori, Glories of Mary<\/i>, page\n201]\n b. “And therefore, says St. Peter Damian, the Virgin has all power in\nheaven as on earth” [Liguori, Glories of Mary<\/i>, page 201]\n c. “St. Bernardine of Sienna does not hesitate to say that all obey the\ncommands of Mary, even God himself” [Liguori, Glories of Mary<\/i>,\npage 202]\n 8. Thus the Catholic church deifies Mary<\/p>\n a. “Holy Virgin, Mother of God, succor those who implore thy\nassistance. Turn to us. But, having been deified, as it were, hast\nthou forgotten men?” [Liguori, Glories of Mary<\/i>, page 331]\n b. “The divine Mary is the terrestrial Paradise of the New Adam …”\n[DeMontfort, True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin<\/i>, page 2-3,\n40-41, 59, 117, and 129] \n 9. A direct contradiction of Jesus’ own statement – Matthew 28:18<\/p>\n 10. Paul noted that Jesus rule continues until death is conquered – I Corinthians\n15:24-28\n 11. In running with human philosophy and poor logic, the Catholic church has\ncreated for itself another god – I Corinthians 8:4\n V. Not all Catholics agree<\/p>\n A. “It seems to put her on an equal footing with Christ that just won’t do” [John\nRoten, director of the International Marian Library, Dayton, Ohio]\n \t B. “Mary is the model of our faith, but she is not divine. There is no mediation or co-redemption except in Christ. He alone is God.” [Rene Laurentin, a French monk\nand a Mary scholar]\n C. Like the Pharisees of old, traditions of men are elevated above the word of God –\nMatthew 15:8-9\n D. But since the Catholic church believes it, not God’s word, is the source of truth\nand that it has the right to change truth, where else will things go but downhill?\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Text: Luke 11:27-28 I. Many of the world’s denominations share common beliefs. They do not accept all beliefs; each has its own unique mix, but there are many common threads found in the denominational world. A. The Roman Catholics, largest of the world’s denominations, does have a belief that is unique to itself – the glory…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[278,1599],"class_list":["post-6748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermon","tag-mary","tag-roman-catholic-church"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":18531,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/catholics-venerate-mary-they-dont-worship-her\/","url_meta":{"origin":6748,"position":0},"title":"Catholics venerate Mary, they don’t worship her","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 28, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Allow me to begin by saying that I am not a member of your congregation. Please attend to your own flock before this is taken into account. I am a practicing Catholic that believes strongly in building character through criticism. I also do my best to apply this in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":91952,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/mary-no-longer-called-co-redemptrix\/","url_meta":{"origin":6748,"position":1},"title":"Mary No Longer Called Co-Redemptrix","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Source: Talia Wise, \"Pope Leo Declares Jesus Alone Saved the World, Rejects Title of Mary as 'Co-Redeemer',\" CBN, 7 November 2025. \"A decree from Pope Leo's office firmly rejects the claim that Mary, Jesus' mother, helped save the world from damnation, settling a debate that has baffled the Catholic community\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Issues"","block_context":{"text":"Issues","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6745,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/further-objections-to-the-idea-that-catholics-worship-mary\/","url_meta":{"origin":6748,"position":2},"title":"Further objections to the idea that Catholics worship Mary","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 26, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Your answers are generally very straightforward, and I assume that you appreciate straightforward responses, so I'll get directly to the point: you're not telling the truth about the Catholic Church and its teachings about Mary.\u00a0 As someone who seems devoted to the Truth (though somewhat misled on several important\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":32280,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/where-did-you-get-your-facts-what-you-say-about-roman-catholic-beliefs-doesnt-match-what-i-was-taught\/","url_meta":{"origin":6748,"position":3},"title":"Where did you get your facts? What you say about Roman Catholic beliefs doesn’t match what I was taught.","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 25, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, As a fresh convert to Catholicism, I have some questions regarding the information on your site. What I learned directly from my parish priest contradicts several things you state in \"What is wrong with Catholicism?\", particularly at the end of your article. I want to say right now\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":40398,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-is-it-so-important-to-you-that-mary-had-other-children-what-difference-does-it-make\/","url_meta":{"origin":6748,"position":4},"title":"Why is it so important to you that Mary had other children? What difference does it make?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 23, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have always been puzzled why the members of the church of Christ are so adamant that Mary, the mother of Jesus, had additional children with her husband, Joseph. I know the Catholic teaching is that Mary was a perpetual virgin; why does it matter to the church of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":14315,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-you-help-me-explain-why-it-is-not-right-to-call-mary-our-heavenly-mother\/","url_meta":{"origin":6748,"position":5},"title":"Can you help me explain why it is not right to call Mary “our heavenly mother?”","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 10, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Can you please help me explain to a Catholic why it is not right to call Mary ''our heavenly mother''? Answer: The problem is that Mary is not our mother in any sense of the word. God is our Father because He created man. 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