Dr Paul Allen

The Immaculate Conception of the Venerable Ones, or of Soult (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) In the Rosary, Mary is addressed as the “ mother of God .” This title has its roots in the creedal formulations of the ancient church wherein Mary is called Theotokos or “mother of God” (more technically the “bearer of God”).  The intent of this formulation was not so much designed to tell us something about Mary, but to make a bold affirmation concerning the child that she bore. Mary is the mother of God not in the sense that Jesus derived His divine nature from her but in the sense that Mary was the mother of a child who indeed is God incarnate. Given the church’s full confession of the deity of Christ it is a perfectly appropriate title for the woman who was His earthly mother. To esteem Mary as the mother of God is the common heritage of all Christendom and should not be a point of dispute among us. That Mary performs a role of intercessor is a point of dispute between Roman Catholicism

Mary, mother of Jesus, as the Immaculate Conception. Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. Museo del Prado. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14a). What a mighty miracle was Jesus ’ conception, and yet so simple. One moment the egg in Mary’s body was unfertilized; the next, it had become a living, growing entity—the unborn Christ .  The normal means of procreation were bypassed and from that moment Christ was set apart. It is important to note that the creed is not affirming the Immaculate Conception , the Roman Catholic doctrine that holds that Mary was conceived without original sin.  That doctrine aims to circumvent any charge that Jesus inherited a corrupt nature from Mary. Though Mary was indeed fallen, yet Christ did not inherit her nature. He was like us in every respect, yet without sin, real or original (Heb. 4:15). The affirmation of the Virgin Birth further sets Jesus apart, stressing His advent as miraculous and guarding aga

English: Picture of Mary Immaculate in Orthodox Church in Perlez, Vojvodina (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Hail Mary, full of grace, blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus . Holy Mary, mother of God , pray for us sinners, now and in the hour of our death. Amen. These excerpts from the Rosary are an important dimension of the devotional life of millions of adherents of Roman Catholicism. The first section is taken virtually from Scripture itself, reflecting Elizabeth’s words to Mary on the occasion of Mary’s visit to her during their pregnancies (see article on pp. 8ff.). The second is an appeal to Mary’s intercession for sinners both in the present and at the time of death. In the Rosary, Mary is addressed as the “mother of God.” This title has its roots in the creedal formulations of the ancient church wherein Mary is called Theotokos or “mother of God” (more technically the “bearer of God”). The intent of this formulation was not so much designed t

emblem of the Papacy: Triple tiara and keys Français : emblème pontifical Italiano: emblema del Papato Português: Emblema papal. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) There are five most glaring and significant issues that separate the Catholic Church from the gospel of grace: 1) Justification Evangelicals teach that sinners are justified on the basis of faith alone, and that ones’ faith is placed in the finished substitutionary work of Jesus on the cross, confirmed by his glorious resurrection, and that this is a gift based entirely on his grace. Finally, that justification is complete and total at the moment of our conversion, and that believers never grow more justified. In contrast the Catholic church teaches that justification is a process that includes works (with those works “infusing” one’s faith), and that those works are the cause of the justification process. Beyond that, the Catholic Church teaches: “If anyone says, that by faith alone the impious is justified; let him be anath