I'll be going through two dogmas here. Firstly the perpetual virginity of Mary, and Mary as the Mother of God. 

 

A virgin as a biological mother, that's logically impossible… isn't it? Well, yes, however through the power of God, it's not. Firstly, let's speak about Mary as a virgin. Early Christians believed that Mary was a virgin when she conceived Jesus because that's what Scripture says. "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14) Isaiah gives a prophecy that a virgin will conceive a son who will save the people. As we all understand, this verse is speaking of the Virgin Mary, giving birth to Jesus Christ. 

 

In Luke 1, Mary confesses being a virgin when the angel encounters her. "Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" (Luke 1:34), some translations say that Mary "do not know man". This implies that even though she's met men in her life and is betrothed to one, she hasn't had any sexual relations with them. Throughout the Gospels, we may become confused with some of the language expressed, especially in Matthew, where it says Mary was engaged to Joseph. Still, in some other translations, it implies that Mary was already married. So was Mary married or not? 

We must understand that the context of language has changed over time, and might be different in various cultures and backgrounds. For example, when it says Mary was engaged, it doesn't necessarily mean that she was awaiting marriage, like we understand engagement today; nor does being betrothed mean that you live together. In Mary's case, it is said that she was legally married to Joseph; however, not living with him yet as they hadn't had their ceremony yet. Therefore, if Mary were to be found with another man, she would suffer all the consequences as if she was fully married.

 

Mary's virginity reveals firstly that God's power is beyond limits. Secondly, it gives evidence that this is no ordinary human birth, but the one sent by God to deliver His people out of the bondage of sin. No one can explain how a virgin can give birth, but the answer is one of God's mysteries that we must have faith to believe in it. After Mary asks the possibility of being a virgin and conceiving a child, the angel says "'For nothing will be impossible with God." (Luke 1:37)

 

But a bigger question, did Mary stay a virgin all of her life? Many say yes, many say no, so how do we find the answer? Many Early Church Fathers, and Protestant reformers believed that Mary was an ever-virgin. Some verses that back this up is John 19, where Jesus gives His mother "away" to the disciple He loved. "When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, "Woman, here is your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Here is your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home." (John 19:26-27). We can see that Joseph is no longer there. However, the question we need to ask is, if Jesus had siblings, why wouldn't He pass Mary onto them rather than one of His friends? 

 

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, says this about Mary being ever-virgin: "The Blessed Virgin Mary, who as well after as when she brought him forth, continued a pure and unspotted virgin" Letter to a Roman Catholic," quoted in A. C. Coulter, John Wesley, New York: Oxford University Press, 1964, 495

 

Heinrich Bullinger, a Swiss reformer says, "the Virgin Mary… completely sanctified by the grace and blood of her Son and abundantly endowed by the gift of the Holy Spirit and preferred to all… now lives happily with Christ in Heaven and is called and remains ever-virgin and Mother of God" In Hilda Graef, Mary: A History of Doctrine and Devotion, combined ed. of vols. 1 & 2, London: Sheed & Ward, 1965, vol.2, pp.14-5. 

 

Many Protestants would claim however that through the Gospels, Jesus calls other people His brothers and sisters, revealing that Mary would have had other children. Two things I particularly want to point out. Firstly, we’re all brothers and sisters in Christ, are we not? All believers in Christ are in God’s chosen family, hence why we are usually referred to brother and sister to each other within Christianity. Calling someone a brother and sister is not always identifying them as biological brothers and sisters, but people who you are very close to. 

 

Next thing that is important to share is as we’ve already mentioned, some language meanings are different to what they mean in the 21st century. The Greek meaning for "Brother" is adelphos, which can also refer to a broader understanding of extended family as a whole.

 

As many of us know and believe that Mary is the Mother of Jesus, and since Jesus is God, Mary is the Mother of God. Yet, saying Mary is the Mother of God is not suggesting that Mary is the mother of the Trinity, that she created the Trinity or anything like that. Mary is Jesus' earthly mother, and was created by God the Father like anyone else. 

 

Jesus was both fully Divine (was the 2nd person of the Trinity) but also fully human. Jesus came to earth just like any other human being. Scripture tells us this. Therefore, if He came to earth the usual way, then He would have to have a mother. 

 

 "And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?" (Luke 1:43). Elizabeth speaks to Mary as the mother of my Lord. Throughout the New Testament, Mary is referred to as the mother of the Lord. In Matthew 1, after the genealogy of Jesus, Mary is referred to as the Mother of Jesus. "Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 1:18).

 

“When, therefore, they ask, ‘Is Mary mother of man or Mother of God?’ we answer, ‘Both!’ The one by the very nature of what was done and the other by relation. Mother of man because it was a man who was in the womb of Mary and who came forth from there, and the Mother of God because God was in the man who was born.” Theodore of Mopsuestia, [The Incarnation 15 (c. A.D. 410)]

 

“Thus Christ by being born of a Virgin who, before she knew who was to be born of her, had determined to continue a Virgin, chose to approve, rather than to command, holy virginity. And thus, even in the female herself, in whom he took the form of a servant, he willed that virginity should be free.” St Augustine of Hippo [Holy Virginity 4:4 (A.D. 401)]