Mariolatry (Pt. 7) Mary the Mediatrix of all Graces?

Is Mary really the Mediatrix of all Graces?

NO!

Biblical Evidence against Mary as Mediatrix of all Graces

First, let’s start with the Biblical evidence against Mary being the Mediatrix of all Graces.

Because the average life-expectancy of the 1^st century society in relation to the New Testament was probably around 20-25 years, it’s fairly reasonable to conclude that Mary died before most of the later New Testament books were written. With this in mind, it’s fascinating to observe that when these New Testament books talk about the subject of the application of heavenly Grace, they invariably declare that it comes from God, never Mary. For instance, Scholars date the Book of Revelation after 66 A.D. In fact, most of these later New Testament books are around 90 to 95 A.D. Now, if Rome is correct that Mary should have been applying grace to all men around this time, the fact remains that Revelation 1:4 states that grace is given by God, not Mary.

“Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come” (Rev. 1:4)

Furthermore, the Second letter of John was at some point written after 80 A.D. And this Epistle also attests to the fact that Grace comes from God the Father and Jesus Christ, not Mary.

“Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.” (2 John 1:3)

Moreover, Scripture says that there is only One Mediator.

“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5)

Catholics will object to this, saying that just because the verse says “One Mediator”, doesn’t mean that no one else can participate in the mediation. So there are lesser mediators such as Mary and the saints participating in mediation.

Well let’s allow this logic and apply it not just to the “One Mediator”, but to the “One God”. By the Catholics logic, we can say that just because there’s “One God”, doesn’t mean that no one else can participate in Deity.  Therefore, there are lesser gods participating in God’s deity.

You see how the Catholic’s logic fails. Scripture plainly and emphatically tells us that there is only one true God (Deut. 4:39; 6:4) And Scripture plainly and emphatically tells us there is only one true Mediator, and there is no other.

Similarly, Acts 4:12 declares, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” There is only one name and there is only one Mediator, and that is Jesus Christ. Yet, the Catholic Church blasphemously proposes another mediator.

One must understand that the reason why Jesus is our only Mediator is because He has a basis upon which to mediate, and that basis for mediation is that He shed His blood on our behalf. Thus, when Jesus mediates for us He has a basis upon which He intercedes for us, and that is what He did on the Cross. Jesus Christ is our only Mediator because He alone died and made restitution for our sins. He died as our perfect substitute. He bore our sins in His body upon the tree. Mary and the saints have absolutely no basis upon which to mediate. Mary did not bear my sins in her body. And even the Catholics admit that everything that Mary and the saints have they have from Christ. Therefore, since they cannot be mediators in the sense that Christ is, they cannot participate in Christ’s one mediation, and thus, they cannot mediate for us.

Hence, Mary is NOT the Mediatrix of all Graces.

As a further matter, in order for Mary to be capable of applying grace to billions of believers across the world at the same time, without interruption until the end of the world, as Vatican II claimed, she would need to be capable of being in various places simultaneously. Only an omnipresent being can be present everywhere at the same time. Yet, only God has the divine attribute of Omnipresence (1 King 8:27). Mary would also have to know who to give grace to, which means that she would have to be omniscient. Yet, only God has the divine attribute of Omniscience as well (1 John 3:20). Mary would also need to be powerful enough to apply grace to all believers across the earth simultaneously. And yet, only God has the divine attribute of Omnipotence (Job 42:2).

By declaring Mary as the Mediatrix of all Graces, Catholics end up ascribing to Mary divine attributes that God alone possesses and that serves to glorify God alone.

It should also be noted that in Catholic theology there is this principle idea that Mary is close to Jesus because she’s the ark, the vessel that gave birth to Him. It’s because of this concept that Catholics are taught to pray to Mary because she can speak to Christ for us, since she is His mother, and thus, is closer to Him than we are. This Catholic notion is completely false because Jesus Himself said in Matt. 12:48-50 that those who do the will of the Father are His brother, sister, and mother to Him. Therefore, Mary is no closer to Jesus than we are by the Blood shed for us on the Cross.

Our Lord Jesus Christ said in Matt. 11:28, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

And the Apostle Paul teaches us in Heb. 7:25 that Jesus “is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them”

And in Rom. 10:13 we are taught that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”

Hence, Scripture teaches us that we can go directly to Jesus Christ since He is our ONE and ONLY Mediator. This is the very reason why Jesus came into this world, to save all of us from our sins and give us Eternal Life through Him alone. There is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in Scripture that talk of a Co-Mediatrix of all Graces with Jesus. There are no two mediators. Just ONE! And there is no need for another mediator. Scripture clearly does NOT teach nor has it EVER taught that we somehow need to come to the Father through Jesus via Mary.

Historical Evidence against Mary as Mediatrix of all Graces

Now, we look at the historical evidence that Mary is NOT the Mediatrix of all Graces.

In analyzing the disciples of the Apostles, the Apostolic Fathers, we find no indication that they thought Mary applies all graces to humanity from heaven. It’s the same situation when we look at the 2^nd century apologists as well as later generations of Church Fathers. According the HarperCollins Encyclopedia of Catholocism, this doctrine is first found in the “late medieval era”. Catholic Scholar Ludwig Ott acknowledges that “Express testimonies, though few in number, to Mary’s position as mediatrix of grace are found since the eighth century” (Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, p. 214).

As stated by Ott, it’s not until about 700 years after Christ’s death that people begin to assert that Mary is mediatrix of all graces. Even the Patristic Scholar, J.N.D. Kelly, agrees that “centuries had to elapse before the doctrines of...her position as intercessor and mediator...could become elements in the day-to-day faith of Catholic Christians” (Early Christian Doctrines, p. 499).

Not only did none of the Patristic Fathers bear witness to this doctrine, proving that the Apostles never passed on this teaching to the Church for all to believe in, but many Patristic Fathers have testified to holding beliefs contrary to this teaching. These Fathers clearly taught that it’s God that gives grace to men, not Mary.

For instance, Clement of Alexandria stated, “For it were truly monstrous that that which is not complete should be called a gift (or act) of God’s grace. Being perfect, He consequently bestows perfect gifts.As at his command all things were made, so on His bare wishing to bestow grace, ensures the perfecting of His grace” (The Paedagogus, Book I, 6).

Likewise, John Chrysostum said, “For the whole is of God who wills to bestow upon many, so that the grace may appear the greater” (Homily 9 on 2 Corinthians)

Moreover, Jerome declared, “It Has been established that the Lord, by the same grace wherewith He bestowed upon us free choice, assists and supports us in our individual actions” (Against the Pelagians, Book III, 6)

In John’s Gospel Chapter 17 our Lord Jesus Christ proclaims, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3). This statement sums up everything we need to know for our eternal salvation and eternal life. To know our Lord Jesus Christ is to know the only true God. Hence, there is no need of Mary for eternal life since our Lord Jesus himself never mentions her anywhere in Scripture concerning eternal life.

Discussing on the medieval Roman misuse of Luke 1:28 in order to support this false doctrine, Church Historian, Alister Mcgrath, said it was disproven by the Catholic Scholar Erasmus saying, “According to the Vulgate, the angel Gabriel greeted Mary as ‘the one who is full of grace’ (gratia plena) (Luke 1:28), thus suggesting the image of a reservoir full of grace, which could be drawn upon at a time of need. But as Erasmus pointed out, the Greek simply meant ‘favored one,’ or ‘one who has found favor’. Mary was one who had found God’s favor, not necessarily one who could bestow it on others. Once more, an important feature of medieval theology seemed to be contradicted by humanist New Testament scholarship” (Historical Theology: An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought, p. 97)

Mariolatry (Pt. 6) Praying to Mary as a Mediator and Helper?

Should we pray to Mary as our Helper and Mediator?

No!

First, Prayer is a form of worship that is reserved to our Triune God alone. As Jesus said to Satan in Matt. 4:10, “It is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'”

Second, In Matt. 6:9, when Jesus taught his disciples to pray He said “In this manner, therefore, pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name’”. Also, the Apostle Paul taught us in Phil. 4:6 who it is that we should pray to, saying, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God”. And even James the brother of Jesus said in James 4:8, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

Therefore, No prayer is ever directed to Mary nor should it ever. The Catholic would have you believe that we should cast our cares and petitions to Mary, but Scripture is quite clear that we Christians should pray ONLY to Jesus, “casting ALL your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (1 Pet. 5:7)

Now some Catholics might object saying, “We don’t pray to Mary, we ask Mary to pray for us, just like you would ask your family or friends to pray for you, because Mary has direct access to Jesus and can see Him face to face”

There are two problems to this statement.

1. The Bible says “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Heb. 4:16; NIV). The Bible also tells us that it’s because of Jesus that we may approach God. As Eph. 3:12 proclaims, it’s “in whom [Jesus] we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.” (NKJV). “So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is MY HELPER; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (Heb. 13:6, ESV)

Believers in Christ can approach the throne of grace with confidence. Therefore, true believers have direct access to God Himself, which was signified at Christ’s death on the Cross when the veil in God’s Temple was ripped top to bottom, showing that all believers can now pray to God directly. There is no need for Mary or the saints to give you access to Jesus, since all those saved by Christ through faith can now enter into direct fellowship with God.

2. When a Catholic claims that they can pray to Mary or ask Mary to pray for you, he or she is assuming that Mary has the divine attributes of Omnipotence and Omnipresence which only God alone has. It is ridiculous to claim that Mary can answer prayers or pray for those asking her to pray for them, when millions of Catholics cry out to her at the same time, which would assume that Mary, a mere human being, is to a certain degree omnipotent and omnipresent. This is blasphemy. Mary is not our Mediator nor can she ever be our Mediator.

Now another Catholic might object saying, “Well, we don’t worship Mary, we venerate her.”

My response would be that, “the bigger issue is, how is it you venerate her in practice. You see it doesn’t matter what you call it, what matters is how it is in reality. Whether you call it worship or veneration, it’s all just semantics. One could say “We don’t eat, we feast”, or “We don’t cry, we weep” or “We don’t scream, we yell”. It’s all semantics, because in reality, when one venerates, one is giving their devotion, their heart, their life to a person who is no longer here on Earth.

For example look at these pictures of people venerating Mary.

Looking at these pictures one realizes that no matter how you put it, this is worship of an idol.

The Word of God in Exodus 20:3-4, says “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me” (NKJV)

Now we true Christians do respect greatly Mary, mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, but not in a way that belongs to God alone. The Glory, worship, honor, and praise belonging only to God, must be given to God alone and to no one else, not even to Mary. Scripture tells us in 1 John 5:21, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.” (NKJV)

And in Deuteronomy 4:15-19, “Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female,  the likeness of any animal that [is] on the earth or the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground or the likeness of any fish that [is] in the water beneath the earth.  And [take heed], lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and [when] you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the LORD your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage.”

The command is clear. One must not bow down to idols of any kind including Marian statues.

And even scripture shows us that no one was to worship any person whether human or angel. For example, in Acts 10:24-26, it says “And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends.  As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him.  But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I myself am also a man.”

Also in Acts 14:11-15, “Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!"  And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.  Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes.  But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them” (NKJV)

And in Revelation 19:9-10, “Then he (the angel) said to me, "Write: 'Blessed [are] those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' " And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God."  And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! ...” (NKJV)

Finally, Rev. 22:8-9, “Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.  Then he said to me, "See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!"  (NKJV)

As the Bible has shown, idolatry is a very serious matter that no one is allowed to worship any other thing or person, except God Himself.

Mediatrix of all Graces

There are two ways in which Catholics call Mary the Mediatrix of all Graces.

The first meaning is that Mary gave birth to Jesus. And since Jesus brings grace to all men, Mary can be said to be Mediatrix of all Graces. True Christians aren’t really opposed to this first meaning, nonetheless we wouldn’t use the term Mediatrix of all Graces.

The second meaning, however, is the one that causes Christians to rightly worry. We read in The HarperCollins Encyclopedia of Catholicism that “through her continual intercessions, Mary was seen as the dispensatrix  (Latin) who distributed and applied the graces of Christ” (“Mediatrix”, ed. Richard P. McBrien, [HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 1995], p.848).

Vatican II declared as fact that Mary is in Heaven supposedly continuously distributing and applying grace to all mankind till the end of the world. As it states, “This maternity of Mary in the order of grace began with the consent which she gave in faith at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross. This maternity will last without interruption until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect. For taken up to heaven, she did not lay aside this saving role, but by her manifold acts of intercession continues to win for us gifts of eternal salvation. By her maternal charity, Mary cares for the brethren of her Son... the Blessed Virgin is invoked by the Church under the titles of Advocate, Auxiliatrix (Helper), Adjutrix (Benefactress), and Mediatrix.” (Lumen Gentium, 62)

Catholic Theologian Ludwigg Ott explains in his book, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, that “Since her assumption into Heaven, Mary cooperates in the application of the grace of Redemption of man. She participates in the distribution of grace” (p.213)

For this reason, Pope Pius VII proclaims Mary as the “Dispensatrix of all graces” (Pius VII, Ampliatio privilegiorum ecclesiae B.M. Virginis ab angelo salutatae in cenobio Fratrum Ordinis Servorum B.M.V. Florentiae, A.D., 1806; Armand J. Robichaud, S.M., “Mary, Dispensatrix of all Graces”, Maiology, II, p.429)

Advocate

The Vatican Church also teaches that Catholics should pray to Mary and offer their needs and petitions to her, which she supposedly brings to Jesus as maternal intercessor, and that Mary turns away God’s anger and wrath for people. Catholic feminist theologian Elizabeth Johnson states that, “Mary had a maternal influence over God, that she could turn away Christ’s just anger and obtain mercy for sinners” (“Blessed Virgin Mary”, ed. Richar P. McBrien, The HarperCollins Encyclopedia of Catholicism, p.833)

Saint and Doctor of the Church, Alfonso de’Ligouri states in his book, The Glories of Mary, “Be comforted then, O you who fear’ will I say with Saint Thomas of Villanova; ‘breathe freely and take courage, O wretched sinners; this great Virgin who Is the Mother of your God and Judge, is also the Advocate of the whole human race: fits for this office, for she can do whatever she wills with God, most wise, for she knows all the means of appeasing Him” (Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary, [Tucker Printer Perry’s Place, 1852] p.161)

Pope Pius XI proclaimed “O Blessed Mother, our Queen and Advocate...gather together our prayers and we beseech you (our hearts one with yours) present them before God’s throne...that we may reach the portal of salvation” (Pius XI, papal allocation to French pilgrims present for reading of ‘de tuto’, Canonization of Antida Thouret, 15 August 1933, L’Osservatore Romano, August 15, 1993).

Furthermore, Pope Pius XII declared, “Our Advocate, placed between God and the sinner, takes it upon herself to invoke clemency of the Judge so as to temper His justice” (Pius XII, papal allocation at the Canonization of Louis Marie Grignon de Monfort, 21 July 1947, AAS 39, 408).

Some Catholics believe that the doctrine of Mary as Mediatrix of all graces is not official Catholic doctrine, and thus, they do not have to accept or justify it. However, this doctrine is regarded by the Vatican Church as part of the infallible teaching of the Ordinary Universal Magisterium. In others words, since this doctrine has for a long time been accepted and supported by Popes and by bishops united with them, it is infallible for all Catholics because the Vatican claims the Church could not have been in doctrinal error at such a high level within the Hierarchy for such a long time.

On the subject of this doctrine, Catholic Mariologist Mary Miravalle states in her book, Introduction to Mary, that “in light of the fact that the doctrine of Mary as Mediatrix of all graces has been universally taught in the Church by popes of the last two hundred years and by the bishops in union with them (ordinary Magisterium), and in virtue of this universal teaching of the Church, it has been the opinion of certain modern Mariologists that the doctrine of Mediatrix of all graces already possess the nature of a defined doctrine of faith. In short, the Marian roles of Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix of all graces represent essential Catholic teaching through the order of the ordinary Magisterium. This charism of the universal teaching authority of all bishops who, when in union with the pope, can exercise the ecclesial element of infallibilty, is disussed in Vatican II’s Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium, No. 25).” (p.111)

Some Catholics believe that these teachings are not official and therefore they do not have to believe them or defend them. However, these teachings constitute what is known as infallible teaching of the Ordinary Universal Magisterium. That is because these have been affirmed for so long by Popes and bishops in union with them it is infallible for Catholics since according to Rome the Church could not be in doctrinal error for so long in such a high level.

God's Creation, The Fall of Lucifer, and the Rise of the Messiah

This is a three-part video. The first is the Creation of the Universe by the Word of God, including the creation of the angels and the origin of Lucifer
The second is the Fall of Lucifer. While I do use Ezekiel 28:12-19 and Isaiah 14:12-15 to explain the fall of Lucifer, Lucifer's first speech is merely a construction that I myself made, which I based it upon certain verses of the Bible. I tried to be as faithful to the scriptures as possible when constructing what Lucifer might have said to God when wickedness was found in his heart. I also mention the fall of other angels who lusted after women and gave birth to the Nephilim.
Then, I move on to the third and final part, the rise of the Promised Messiah. I give several speeches, each one concerning every single name and title that is given to Jesus Christ.
Here is a google doc link to my narration speech with all the Bible verses used:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/14_qVEA9FV7bdIGQhB1mHI8wQnYStGFanYYYBEtg5Ghg/edit?usp=sharing
 Almost 99% of my narration is taken straight from the Bible.
One thing I might regret is that the music sometimes overpowers my voice. Despite that, I believe you can still clearly make out what I'm saying.
I own none of the vids and music used in this video.

Thanks and Credit:
All Glory, Honor, and Praise goes to my Triune God, to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Archangelclk- for the concept to my vid and his "Love like fire" music vid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av0OjugpMX8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUWkHUj4-PA
Roma Downey & Mark Burnett- For the Bible Series Extended Look trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wir4fH6hUxw
Sevenfold Films & Creation Science Evangelism- for both Genesis Series teaser trailers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbXUF9i47EU
www.genesisseries.com
Michaelegit- for the Creation of the world vid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RKByQf9jsk
Guy Tourgeman- for the earth zoom to universe vid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EanYhkv5P8
Blizzard Entertainment- for the Diablo 3 cinematic scenes
Konami & MercurySteam- for the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXyblWhsDys
Vigil Games and THQ- for the Darksiders 2 trailers & commercial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEw2oU2WH2w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJp6O53PiXE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2Uc-zmiS8o

Music:
The Audiomachine- The New Earth 0:00
Frozen Synapse OST- Deeper 3:06
Has Zimmer- Time 5:40
Audiomachine- Gaurdians at the Gate 8:52
Audiomachine- Epica 10:56
Two Steps From Hell- Love & Loss 15:39
Audiomachine- The Odyssey 17:28
Epic Score- Rightful Heir 20:51
Immediate Music- Serenata Immortale 23:17
Audiomachine- Reaching 26:56
God's blessings to you all, my Friends.
One Love, One Joy, One Peace = Jesus Christ



Mariolatry (Pt. 5) Mary the New Eve?

Is Mary the New Eve from Gen. 3:15?

NO!

Pope Pius IX argued that Gen. 3:15 established the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. He said, “the most holy Virgin, united with him [Christ] by a most intimate and indissoluble bond, was, with him and through him, eternally at enmity with the evil serpent, and most completely triumphed over him, and thus crushed his head with her immaculate foot” (Pope Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus, Interpreters of the Sacred Scripture, italics and brackets mine).

It’s ‘He’, Not ‘She’

As has been already explained in a previous post, the “she” and “her” in Gen. 3:15 of the Latin Vulgate is a mistranslation. In the Douay Rheims Bible, the verse reads as follows:

“I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: SHE shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for HER heel.” (DRB)

The DRB is a translation of the Latin Vulgate, which uses the Latin word “Ipsa”, that is, “she” in English. This is a complete error and mistranslation. It should have been “ipse”, masculine for “he”. The NRSVCE, a Catholic Bible, correctly renders the verse as follows:

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.

For a very long time the Roman Catholic Church knew very well of the Vulgate’s mistranslation. Romanist bishop Alphonsus Liguori (A. D. 1696 –1787), proclaimed Doctor of the Church, made mention of this problem prior to Pius IX’s definition of the Immaculate Conception:

“She will crush your head: some question whether this refers to Mary, and not rather to Jesus, since the Septuagint translates it, He shall crush your head. But in the Vulgate, which alone was approved by the Council of Trent, we find She.” (Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary, (adapted), [Catholic Book Publishing, 1981], p. 88.)

Even Modern Catholics themselves admit this mistranslation, as the New Catholic Encyclopedia states: “Much confusion has resulted from the fact that the second half of this verse [Genesis 3:15] was inaccurately translated in the Vulgate to read, “SHE shall crush your head.” This translation, which has strongly affected the traditional representations of the Blessed Virgin, is today generally recognized to be a mistake for “it [or “he,” i.e., the seed of the woman] shall crush...,” and consequently CAN NO LONGER BE CITED in favor of the Immaculate Conception.” (Volume VII, page 378)

And even the Catholic Encyclopedia, when talking about the Immaculate Conception, admits that, and I quote, “The translation "she" of the Vulgate is interpretative; it originated after the fourth century, and cannot be defended critically. The conqueror from the seed of the woman, who should crush the serpent's head, is Christ …”

Morever, the Nova Vulgate, the revised Latin version which was authorized by the Vatican, corrected this mistake, changing it from ‘ipsa’ to ‘ipsum’, “it” in the Latin. And in the footnotes of the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition, it states that the rendering “ipsa” could have been “due originally to a copyist’s mistake...”

All modern Bible translations which translate from the Septuagint and Masoretic Texts have correctly interpreted it as “He” or “it”, referring to the Seed of the woman who will crush the serpent’s head, which is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. As Rom. 16:20 testifies, “The God of peace will shortly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” (NRSVCE) Paul alludes to Christ’s anticipated Final victory over Satan in Rev. 20:2,10, while at the same time telling the church at Rome and to all believers that they will have victory over Satan and his schemes through our Lord Jesus Christ, NOT Mary. And as Is. 9.6 proclaims, Jesus is our mighty God, Father of Eternity, and “The Prince of Peace”.

Now, a Catholic might argue that the Hebrew word “hū”, used in Gen 3:15 to refer to the Seed, can also mean “she”. And that’s true, the word “hū” can mean “he”, “she”, or “it”, but that depends on the surrounding grammatical context being examined. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon confirms that “he”, NOT “she” or “it”, is the correct choice for Gen. 3:15 (Francis Brown, S. R. Driver, Charles A. Briggs, The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon Coded with Strong’s Concordance Numbers, [Hendrickson Publishers, 2010], p. 215). And since the Greek Septuagint (LXX, 3^rd-2^nd century B.C.) translates the Hebrew word  “hū” into the masculine “He” (“autos”, αὐτός), then “he” is certainly the accurate word to describe the Seed of the woman. This means that the Greek-speaking, pre-Christian Jews were expecting a single MALE person who would crush the Serpent’s head.

Furthermore, God’s Word reveals to us in Gen.  4:1 that Eve was expecting a MALE child to crush the serpent’s head: “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, ‘I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD’” (Gen. 4:1).

This is a clear and definite remark from Eve who believed that the promise of Gen. 3:15, in which a future seed would destroy Satan, was fulfilled with Cain’s birth. Though she was wrong about Cain, this proves to us that even Eve knew that Gen. 3:15 refers to a male offspring crushing Satan’s head, NOT a female. Therefore, there is a powerful, well-founded case grammatically, historically, and biblically for the rendering “he will crush your head”. No other case can be made for the rendering “she” as the Greek grammar has shown. No honest and serious scholars or modern translations can nor will make such a case.

Therefore, Pope Pius IX, expressing Jerome’s false translation, was in error when asserting that Mary crushed Satan’s head.  His biblical arguments in his very own encyclical culminating in his supposedly infallible dogmatic definition of the Immaculate Conception were misleading and deceptive. Still, Rome wants people to believe the dogmatic definition itself is infallible. The many evidences reveal that Gen. 3:15 does in fact mean that God puts enmity between Satan and Eve, and between Satan’s seed and Eve’s seed. Jesus, as Eve’s offspring, will crush Satan’s head and Satan will bruise Christ’s heel. Mary is not the one who crushes Satan’s head.

Yet, Catholics still want to say that Mary crushed Satan’s head through Jesus. The problem is that, One, Mary was not sinless. And Two, she did not die for our sins. Only Jesus was sinless and only Jesus died for our sins. Mary was merely the blessed instrument by which Jesus would become human.

The ‘Woman’ is Eve, Not Mary

Since it is clearly obvious Mary is NOT the one to crush the serpent’s head, Romanism has recently devised another argument in order to somehow say that Mary is in Gen. 3:15. Now they say that although Mary is not the one who crushes Satan’s head, she is instead the woman who is at enmity with Satan and bears a seed (Christ) who crushes Satan’s head. Thus, according to this argument, one might interpret the text as follows:

“and I will put enmity between Satan and Mary and between Satan’s seed and Mary’s seed: Jesus shall crush Satan’s head, and Satan shall bruise his heel.”

For instance, Roman scholar Stephano M. Manelli gives his thoughts:

“the Mariological dimension in reference to the ‘woman’ must be also understood literally to be exclusive to that ‘woman,’ to Mary, that is, to the Mother of the Redeemer, and not to Eve” (Stephano M. Manelli, All Generations Shall Call me Blessed: Biblical Mariology, [Academy of the Immaculate Conception, 2005], pp. 23-24).

On the contrary, the context is plainly clear that Eve is the “woman” (Hb. hā·’iš·šāh) of Gen. 3:15, NOT Mary. The reference to “woman” is evidenlty Eve all through the chapter in the context of the same ‘fall of man’ event with Adam, Eve and the serpent in the garden (e. g. vv. 1-2, 4, 6, 12-13, 16). Therefore, when v. 15 mentions the “woman” in the same story, in God’s address to the serpent that had just deceived Adam and Eve, it is misleading and deceptive to claim Mary is all of a sudden in view. Furthermore, Eve’s assumption in Gen. 4:1 that her son Cain fulfilled what God promised in Gen. 3:15 (i.e., that her seed would crush the serpent’s head) confirms it was instantly known that the woman here is Eve, NOT Mary.

And yet the Catholic will respond saying: Jesus is Mary’s seed, not Eve’s. Hence, Catholics assert that Mary has to be this ‘woman’. As Roman scholar Mark I. Miravalle contends, “Since the ‘seed’ of the woman is Jesus Christ, who is to crush Satan victoriously in the Redemption, then the woman must in fact refer to Mary, Mother of the Redeemer, from whom the seed of victory comes” (Mark I. Miravalle, Introduction to Mary: The Heart of Marian Doctrine and Devotion, [Mark I. Miravalle, S.T.D., 2006], pp. 64-65).

Contrary to this argument, it is contextually wrong to limit the word “seed” (Heb. zera‛) to a recent descendant and rule out the broader sense of a future descendant. The word zera‛ can denote the seed of a person many generations in the future. For instance, we read in 2 Sam. 22:51, “He is the tower of salvation for his king: and sheweth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore.” Hence, David’s seed does refer to future descendants until the end of time, and thus, it’s not restricted to his immediate descendant. Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words indicates the word can pertain to “‘offspring’ or ‘descendents’ of an individual. At times zera‛ designates a single descendent” (William D. Mounce, Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, [Zondervan, 2006], p. 625 italics mine). The word isn’t limited to immediate offspring, but can also refer to future children.

Moreover, the New Testament uses the term “seed” (Gk. spermatos) to extend further than an immediate descendant. For instance, 2 Tim. 2:8 reads, “Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel”. It cannot be said that Jesus was David’s literal and immediate seed (i.e. his biological son). Yet, that is exactly what Catholic reasoning assumes because the Catholic apologists completely disregard the fact that the term can refer to future offspring.

To sum up, there is no basis for denying that the ‘seed’ in Gen. 3:15 refers to Eve’s future descendant, that is, Jesus. To claim that the ‘seed’ must refer to the woman’s immediate offspring is recklessly rash. That does not accord with the facts according to the Hebrew and Greek languages. The context is absolutely clear that the enmity is between Satan and Eve, between Eve’s ‘seed’ (Jesus) and Satan. The enmity is not between Satan and Mary, for Mary is not the ‘woman’ of Gen. 3:15. The Catholic’s attempt at forcing Mary into Gen. 3:15 in order to try to prove the false doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, regardless of being disproven on their first argument, also fail to prove their point.

For Catholics to keep pressing the issue that Mary must be the ‘woman’ of Gen. 3:15 simply because Jesus is her ‘seed’ is just eisegetical desperation, for it rips the first half of Gen. 3:15 out of its surrounding context (Gen. 3:14-16) and does not correlate with the exegetical facts that the context of Gen. 3:15 speak of the Serpent’s hostile relation with Eve, and thus, mankind’s hostile relation with Satan in its prophetic completion by Jesus Christ, the Woman’s (Eve’s) ‘Seed’ who will crush the Serpents’ head. And since the context clearly demands the ‘woman’ to be Eve, especially because the next verse (v.16) clearly speaks of Eve’s punishment as the ‘woman’ who will experience birth pangs, desire her husband, and be under his authority, in no way can it be said that Mary is somehow the New Eve. (Keep in mind that Catholics claim that Mary did not experience birth pangs nor had any desire/sex with her husband. This is another reason why Gen.3:15 cannot be applied to Mary since it contradicts these Catholic beliefs) Mary’s connection to Eve is only that she is the instrument by which she would give birth to the Seed, Jesus Christ, who will crush the Serpent’s head, and nothing more. Mary’s blessedness as recorded in Luke 1:28,42 was her childbearing of the Promised Messiah, NOT her supposed sinlessness as the New Eve.

Besides, the Catholic analogy that Mary is the New Eve fails miserably because Eve was Adam’s earthly WIFE. Mary is Jesus’ earthly MOTHER, not His wife. Scripture teaches that Jesus is the “last Adam” (1 Cor. 15:45), but NOWHERE does it teach that Mary is the last Eve. And even if Mary was the New Eve, It would be more of an insult than a respectable title for Mary, since it would give the blasphemous impression of an incestuous relationship between Jesus and his mother Mary. The fact is that Mary is NOT the New Eve, but rather she is part of the Church of Christ, and the Church collectively as a whole is spiritually called the “bride” of Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:23-33; Rev. 19:7-9).

Hence, no one else but Jesus alone fulfilled the magnificent prophecy of Gen. 3:15 and He alone conquered our greatest enemy, Satan. As 1 John 3:8 testifies, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil”. It’s through Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross, NOT Mary, that He destroyed “him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release[ed] those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Heb. 2:14-15) Therefore, we should trust in Jesus alone to give us victory over Satan, sin, and death, so that He alone may be glorified.