Mary the Virgin?

Thursday 15 August is a feast day for Mary, Jesus’ mother. In the Roman Church, the Orthodox Church and a few Anglican Churches, it is celebrating her assumption into heaven at the end of her life. This idea, which has no clear Biblical support, became dogma on 1 November 1950, which Pius XII defined the dogma. The was pronouncement is the only time a pope has issued an infallible teaching since 1870 when the Church declared his ex cathedra pronouncements infallible. (It’s a long, technical story which has nothing to do with this post, so I’m not going there.) Whether or not Mary was dead when the assumption took place is left unspecified, so one may believe she was still living when taken to heaven.

The idea of her assumption flows naturally, the Church argues, from her perpetual virginity and the doctrine of her as Mother of God, as some call her. However, it’s interesting to note than for about the first 50 years after Jesus’ resurrection, belief that she was a virgin was not on the radar.

Paul’s surviving letters date from the 50s and 60s. These were the first known Christian documents and, in none of them does Paul mention directly or indirectly Mary’s virginity. For that matter, he also makes no mention of the circumstances of Jesus’ birth. Paul’s Gospel is built around the idea of Jesus’ death and resurrection and their benefits to humankind, and in fact, all creation. 

Did Paul know anything about Jesus’ birth or his mother and just failed to mention them? It’s possible. We know that he visited Jerusalem and met with at least some of the Apostles. One would imagine they talked about more than whether Gentiles could become followers or whether they need to be Jewish first. But, there is no evidence to support that idea. Could it be that Mary as a virgin wasn’t a belief of the early Jerusalem followers?

Well, twenty years after Paul started writing, a Gospel emerged which came to be called Mark. This is generally believed to be the first Gospel and it dates from about 70. Mark’s story of Jesus begins with his baptism. He isn’t interested in Jesus’ birth or its circumstances. The next Gospel Luke or Matthew, date from about 15 to 20 years later. Both have well developed stories of the birth and seem to indicate that Mary was a virgin. Ten or so 15 years later, John’s Gospel is written and Mary isn’t a part of the story. The take away is that for many years, pockets of Christians did not hold the belief that Mary was a virgin as a part of their core beliefs.

The earliest baptismal creed was the statement, “Jesus is Lord.” In the second century, (125 or 135) Rome seems to have developed a creed which has come to be called the Old Roman Symbol (or Creed) which was used at baptisms. This Creed includes the phrase of Jesus that he, “Was born from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary.” The Apostles’ Creed is thought to have developed from this older and shorter creed.

So, somewhere between 85 or so and 135 or so, those to be baptized had to profess their belief in the virgin birth. Prior to that it is likely that some communities required it and some didn’t. With this background, we can now ask, “So what?”

I take the minimalist position on Mary. We certainly owe her a debt for her part in rearing Jesus, no matter how he came to be conceived. I think she was present at his death, and I can’t imagine the pain she must have felt to have lost her son this way. Was she a virgin when he was conceived? 

In Hebrew, the word that was translated as virgin in the Old Testament is more correctly, “young woman” or “woman of marriageable age.” Which in Mary’s day would have been sometime close in time to a girl’s first menstrual period, probably 13 or so. In the Greek of the New Testament, the word used in the story is parthenos which can mean “virgin” or “chaste.” When Matthew 1:22 states (quoting the OT), “A virgin shall be with child, and bring forth a son, etc.” he uses parthenos. But, as stated above, the Hebrew word he is translating is ambiguous. Bottom line on the question: many Christians have believed she was a virgin, others never made it a test of faith.

What you decide to do about Mary can be supported by tradition and/or by reason. Both are necessary as we shape our beliefs. For me, it’s not troubling to think she wasn’t a virgin. But, then, I’m okay with the idea that Jesus might have been married. Both ideas give you something to chew on. Finally, more important than Mary’s virginity is the baby she bore, our relationship to him, and our faithfulness in living what he taught. At least, this is where I come down.

Hope you’re not too confused. Jerry+