THE VIRGIN MARY IS AN EVER-VIRGIN
On March 17, 2015, Ben Witherington III, professor of New Testament
Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky, during an
interview with CNN made the following statement: “The New Testament says
nothing about Mary being a perpetual virgin, it says she virginally conceived
Jesus, and it certainly implies that she went on to have more children after
that, and his brothers and sisters are in fact his brothers and sisters.”
We are saddened to witness that this professor and New Testament
“theologian” had nothing more edifying to speak of, such as the divinity of
Christ, or the Resurrection of Christ, or the brilliance of the Christian Faith, in
order to strengthen the faith of his listeners. Rather, he chose to mar, belittle,
and speak evil of the most-holy and pure Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and, subsequently, to cast doubt into the faith of them who are weak in the
faith. Incidentally, it is interesting to note that such “discoveries” are
publicized and disseminated by the media almost always during the period of
Great Lent, just as most of the Christian world is preparing to celebrate
Pascha.
The aforementioned Protestant belief expressed by professor
Witherington is a misconception that appeared much earlier than the
inception of Protestantism in 16th century. Certain groups of Christians as
early as the Apostolic era held this same erroneous understanding, which
was categorically refuted by the Orthodox Church.
Professor Witherington, just as his predecessors, errs “not knowing
the Scriptures, nor the power of God” (Mt. 22:29). And to use the words of
the Apostle Paul, “they have a form of godliness but deny its power” (2
Tim. 3:5).
Thus, with God’s help, we will demonstrate that they who deny the
Ever-Virginity of the Virgin Mary are indeed unaware of what they are saying
and ignorant—either unknowingly or willfully—of both the Holy Scriptures and
Christian sacred tradition. We will do so by first examining the arguments
used to claim that the Virgin Mary gave birth to other children and
demonstrating why they are unfounded, unsupported, and invalid, and in
following, we will set forth the evidence that establishes the Virgin Mary as a
perpetual virgin, even after the incarnation of the Word and Son of God.
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THE SO-CALLED “BROTHERS OF CHRIST”
The heretical Eunomians and the Antidikomarianites,1 who denied the
Ever-Virginity of the Theotokos, and in turn their modern-day successors, use
the following passages from the Gospels which refer to the “brothers of
Christ”:
“While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and
brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him” (Mt. 12:46). “Is this not the
carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Jude, and Simon?
And are not His sisters here with us?” (Mk. 6:3). “After this He went down to
Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples” (Jn. 2:12). “His
brothers therefore said to Him, ‘Depart from here and go into Judea’” (Jn.
7:3). From these verses, however, in no way can it be concluded that these
brothers were children of the Most-Holy Virgin Mary.
In the Holy Scriptures, oftentimes relatives are also referred to as
brothers. For example, Abraham and Lot are called brothers, even though Lot
was Abraham’s nephew. “So Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his
brother’s son and all their possessions” (Gen. 12:5). “So Abraham said to
Lot, ‘Let there be no strife between you and me … for we are brethren’”
(Gen. 13:8). “Now when Abraham heard his brother Lot was taken captive
… and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods” (Gen. 14:14-16).
Similarly, Jacob and Laban are also termed brothers, even though Jacob was
Laban’s nephew. “So Isaac sent Jacob … to Laban … the brother of
Rebecca, the mother of Jacob and Esau” (Gen. 28:5). “Jacob went near and
rolled the stone from the wells’ mouth, and watered the flock of Laban, his
mother’s brother” (Gen. 29:10). “Then Laban said to Jacob, ‘Because you
are my brother, should you therefore serve me for nothing?’” (Gen. 29:15).
They who are referred to as the brothers of Jesus should be
understood with the above meaning: they were His close relatives, and not
siblings of the same mother. The so-called “brothers of the Lord” were
children of Joseph from his first wife. Joseph had a wife, from the tribe of
Judah, who gave birth to six children for him: four boys and two girls, just as
the Gospels of St. Mark and St. John describe. His first son was James. After
him he had another son named Joses. Next was Simon, and then Jude. In
following he also had two daughters named Mary and Salomi. His first son
James, who was also known as “the righteous one,” became the first bishop
of Jerusalem, and he was also referred to as “the brother of the Lord,” just as
1 These were heresies that surfaced during the fourth century A.D.
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the Apostle Paul attests: “I saw none of the other apostles except James, the
Lord’s brother” (Gal. 1:19). However, he is called the brother of the Lord not
because they were biological brothers but because they lived together under
the same roof and were thus brothers by grace. Mary, having been betrothed
to Joseph, was viewed by everyone as his wife, even though she had no
physical contact with him. Due to these circumstances and on account of
their close familial association with each other, the sons of Joseph and the
Savior acquired the status of brothers.
It is something similar to the case of Joseph. Even though Joseph was
not directly involved with the birth and the incarnation of the Savior, he
nevertheless received the status of His father by way of accommodation. St.
Luke the Evangelist states the following concerning the Savior: “Being, as
was supposed, the son of Joseph” (Lk. 3:23). The Virgin Mary herself also
said to Him, “Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously” (Lk.
2:48). Nonetheless, who can call Joseph the biological father of the Lord,
since he was not at all responsible for His birth, and especially since we know
that the incarnation took place without the seed of a man? Just as the
Gospels state that Joseph is Jesus’ “father” without actually being his
biological father but his stepfather, in the same manner even though the
Scriptures make reference to Jesus’ brothers, they were not actually His
biological brothers but His stepbrothers.
St. Epiphanios bishop of Cyprus (†403 A.D.) makes the following
wonderful observation: “Whenever I would hear James being called the
brother of the Lord, I would marvel and wonder why this was necessary?
Now, I understand why the Holy Scriptures spoke like this ahead of time. It
spoke thus so that when we hear, “Your mother and Your brothers are
standing outside, desiring to see you” (Lk. 8:20), we may realize that it is
referring to James and the other sons of Joseph, not to some other sons of
Mary who did not exist.”2
Christ’s words to His mother and to St. John the Theologian also attest
that the Virgin Mary did not give birth to other children. For, as it is written in
the Gospel according to St. John, while the Savior was hanging on the Cross,
“When He saw the disciple whom He loved,” He said to him concerning Mary,
“Behold your mother.” Similarly, He said to His mother, “Behold your son!”
(Jn. 19:26-27). If the Virgin Mary had other children, and if she had a
husband, then what was the reason for Christ to entrust Mary to John and
2 Patrologia Migne, Vol. 42, p. 712
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simultaneously hand over John to Mary? Why did He not rather entrust her to
the Apostle Peter? Why did He not choose to entrust her to Andrew,
Matthew, or Bartholomew? It is obvious that He picked John on account of
his virginity. He entrusted the Ever-Virgin into the hands of a virgin. “Behold
your mother!” She was not John’s biological mother. But He spoke thus in
order to establish her as the Mother and Leader of virginity. The Gospel
states that “from that hour, that disciple took her to his own home” (Jn.
19: 27). If she had a spouse, if she had a household, if she had children, then
she would have returned to her own family and not proceeded to live with a
stranger.
The truth of the aforementioned is further supported by the very
writings of Jude and James. Even though Jude is referred to by the
Evangelists as the brother of Jesus, in his Epistle he addresses himself not
as the brother of Jesus, but as the brother of James, and as a servant of
Jesus Christ: “Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of
James” (Jude 1:1). Similarly, James the brother of God in his General
Epistle calls himself a servant of Jesus Christ: “James, a bondservant of
God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (Jam. 1:1).
Finally, according to the testimony of St. Epiphanios bishop of Cyprus,
it is not possible for James to have been the son of Mary because James
was older than Christ. For, he documents that James passed away
approximately twenty-five years after the Ascension of the Lord, when he was
ninety-six years old.
THE WORD “FIRSTBORN”
The King James Version of the New Testament states: “And he knew
her not until she had brought forth her firstborn son” (Mt. 1:25). When reading
the above verse, Protestants incorrectly presume that since the Virgin Mary
had a firstborn son, then she must have also had other children in following.
Careful examination of the Greek original text, however, reveals that
this verse is recorded in a slightly different manner. The Interlinear Greek-
English New Testament (by George Ricker Berry), which preserves the
original Greek word order in its entirety, reads as follows: “And [he] knew not
her until she brought forth her son, the firstborn.”
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Using the original Greek text, St. Epiphanios comments on this verse
with the following very insightful observation: “The Evangelist does not say
that the Virgin Mary gave birth to her firstborn, but rather Joseph ‘did not
know her until she brought forth her son, the firstborn.’ St. Matthew did not
say ‘her’ firstborn, but rather ‘the’ firstborn. Thus, he uses the phrase ‘her
son,’ in order to signify that Christ was born from her according to the flesh.
However, when he employs the adjective ‘firstborn,’ he has it standing
alone—‘the firstborn,’—independent of the possessive pronoun ‘her.’ This is
Whom the Apostle Paul refers to as “the firstborn over all creation” (Col.
1:15), not because He is united with creation but because He was begotten
before the creation.”
But even in the instance where the word “firstborn” is taken to mean
the Virgin Mary’s firstborn son, even then in no way can it be concluded that
the Mother of God subsequently gave birth to other children. For, as St. Basil
the Great (†330 AD) notes: “The ‘firstborn’ is not always thus called in
comparison with others born afterwards, but ‘firstborn’ is called He who first
opens the womb.” And the Blessed Thephylact (†1108 AD) agrees: “The
Evangelist rightly calls the Lord the Firstborn Son of the Virgin, even though
she never gave birth to a second. ‘Firstborn’ means the first to be born, even
if there is no second child.”
In Holy Scriptures, the word “first” is also used to indicate “only.” The
prophet Isaiah states: “Thus says God, the King of Israel … the God of hosts:
‘I am the first and I am hereafter; beside Me there is no God’” (Is. 44:6). It is
obvious that in this verse, the word “first” is used in place of “only.”
We know from the Holy Scriptures that the Word and Son of God is the
only begotten Son of God: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16). “The only begotten Son, Who is in the bosom of
the Father” (Jn. 1:18).
Nonetheless, in the New Testament Jesus Christ is also called God’s
firstborn Son: “‘Thou art my Son, today I have begotten Thee;’ and once
more: ‘I will be to Him for a Father, and He shall be to Me for a Son.’ And
when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says ‘Let all the angels
of God worship Him” (Heb. 1:6).
Just as Jesus is the only begotten Son of God the Father even though
He is also called the firstborn Son of God, similarly He is the only begotten
Son of His Ever-Virgin Mother Mary even though He is referred to as the
firstborn Son of the Virgin.
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Additionally, the Apostle Paul calls Jesus Christ:
i) Firstborn among many brethren: “To be conformed to the image of
His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Rom. 8:29).
“Firstborn among many brethren” is used not because He is the firstborn
amongst Mary’s supposed other children, but amongst them who became
worthy of receiving adoption of sonship through Him when He became her
son according to the flesh.
ii) Firstborn from the dead: “And He is the head of the body, the
Church, Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead” (Col. 1:18). “Jesus
Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead” (Rev. 1:5). “Firstborn
amongst the dead” is used because He is the cause of the resurrection of the
dead.
iii) Firstborn over all creation: “He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in
heaven and that are on earth” (Col. 1:15). “Firstborn over all creation” is used
because He brought creation from non-being into being.
From all the above, it becomes evident that the word “firstborn” in
Scripture, whenever it is employed in reference to our Savior Jesus Christ,
expresses the meaning of and is synonymous with “Only-Begotten.”
THE WORD “UNTIL”
Certain people proceed to hypothesize that the Virgin Mary gave birth
to other children after the Divine birth-giving, drawing their conclusion from
the following passage of the Gospel: “And he took to him his wife, and was
not knowing her until she brought forth her Son, the firstborn” (Mt. 1:24-25).
It seems, however, that they who draw this conclusion are unaware that the
word “until” in Scripture denote meanings very different than their common
usage. Whenever the phrase ἕως οὗ (which is translated as “until”) is used in
Scripture, it conveys a continuous and perpetual state. It is customary for
Scripture to often use “until” instead of “forever” or “eternally.” Here are a few
examples that illustrate the truth of these words:
“The raven returned not until the earth was dried up” (Gen. 8:7).
Obviously, the raven did not return to the ark even after the flood had ended.
“Sit on My right [says God the Father to His Son] until I should place
Thine enemies as a footstool of Thy feet’ (Mt. 23:44; Ps. 109:1). Does this
mean that there will come a time when the Son will no longer be at the right
hand of God the Father?
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“I Am until you shall grow old” (Isa. 46:4). Does this mean that God will
cease to exist when people grow old? Certainly not.
“In His days shall righteousness spring up, and abundance of peace
until the moon be removed” (Ps. 71:7). Does this mean that God’s
righteousness and peace will no longer be present when the moon is
removed?
“And behold, I am with you [the Savior says to His disciples] all the
days until the completion of the age” (Mt. 28:20). Does this mean that Christ
will only be with the faithful in this present age, and that after the Second
Coming He will no longer be with them?
“And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child until the day of her
death” (2 Kings 6:23). With Protestant reasoning, we would have to believe
that Michal gave birth to a child after she died. However, she had no child
before or after her death.
In the parable of the ten thousand talents, Christ states “His master
became angry and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that
he owed” (Mt. 18:26). Here the expression “until he pays off his debt” is
understood as forever, since the master is condemning the servant to eternal
damnation.
The above verse has another meaning as well. According to St.
Epiphanios, when the Evangelist writes “and he did not know her” (Mt.
1:25), he is actually referring to the glory that the Virgin Mary had received.
That is, St. Matthew does not intend to say that Joseph did not know her
physically, but that he did not know and was unaware of the eminence and
honor that God hade given her.
Behold the words of the holy father: “‘And he did not know her.’ Truly,
how was he to know that a woman would receive such grace? Or how could
he have known that a young girl would be honored with such glory? He knew
she was a woman in physical form and a female by nature. He knew that her
mother was Anna and her father was Joachim. Furthermore, he knew that
she was related to Elisabeth, and that she was from the house and lineage of
David. However, he did not know that anyone upon the earth—especially a
woman—would ever be honored with such glory. And so, he did not know her
(i.e. who she truly was) until he saw the miracle. He did not come to know the
miracle until he saw whom she gave birth to. When she gave birth [to Christ],
then he came to know the honor God had given her, and he realized that it
was she who had heard, “Rejoice, thou who are full of grace. The Lord is with
thee; blessed are you among women” (Lk. 1:28). … And so, Joseph came to
know Mary, not through any physical contact. On the contrary, he came to
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know her by honoring her whom God had honored. He did not know that she
had received such glory until he saw the Lord born from a woman.”
St. Isidoros Pilousiotis similarly states, “the verse ‘he did not know her’
may be understood as follows: ‘He did not know how she conceived until she
gave birth,’ and he witnessed the miracles that took place.”
PROPHECIES CONCERNING THE EVER-VIRGINITY OF THE
VIRGIN MARY
The Ever-Virginity of the Theotokos had been announced centuries
beforehand by the prophets. The Prophet Isaiah, who prophesied the Virgin-
Birth of the Savior, says the following concerning the Virgin Mary: “Behold,
the Virgin shall conceive in the womb, and shall bring forth a Son, and
thou shalt call His name Emmanuel” (Isa. 7:14; Mt. 1:22). He does not say
“behold, a virgin,” or “behold, a certain virgin,” but “behold the virgin.”3 That
is, the one-and-only virgin, who would conceive while she was a virgin, and
subsequently remain a virgin during and after childbearing.
According to St. Nektarios, the above prophecy demonstrates that this
Virgin was pre-ordained from ages past and chosen from amongst all the
generations to become the Mother of God, Whom she would carry, nurse,
and nourish during the years of His infancy and childhood. And since the
Virgin was chosen to serve as the Mother of Emmanuel, she would remain
His Virgin Mother not only during the time she carried Him, but forever.
St. Epiphanios of Cyprus makes the following accurate observation:
“Does not the very name [i.e. virgin] convince you? Who, throughout all the
generations, ever mentioned the name ‘Mary,’ and when asked ‘which Mary?’
did not immediately reply ‘the Virgin’? Adjectives used to describe people
clearly testify and serve as the evidence of their virtue. Indeed, all the
righteous men received a title that was appropriately suited for each one of
them. Abraham was named ‘the friend of God’ (Jam. 2:23), and he will never
cease being known as such. Jacob was given the name “Israel” (Gen. 32:28),
and it has never been modified after that. The Apostles were called “sons of
3 The Greek Septuagint version of the Old Testament (translated from the original Hebrew by the seventy-two
scholars) contains the definite article ἡ and says, “behold the virgin.” The Greek original text of the Gospel
according to St. Matthew also records the verse as “behold the virgin.” Unfortunately, many English versions
(including the King James Version) have the verse translated with an indefinite article: “behold a virgin.” The
Interlinear Greek-English New Testament (by George Ricker Berry), which provides a literal translation of the
original Greek words and phrases, reads “behold the virgin.”
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thunder” (Mk. 3:17), and this title has not been abolished. To Saint Mary, the
name ‘Virgin’ was assigned, and it has and will remain unchanged. For this
holy [lady] remained immaculate … .” Thus, Holy Scriptures ascribed the title
“Virgin” to the Mother of God because she would remain a virgin throughout
her entire life.
The Prophet Ezekiel mystically foretells both the future incarnation and
birth of Emmanuel from the Virgin, as well as the Ever-Virginity of the Mother
of the Lord. The external gate of the Holies facing East (which God showed
him during a vision) that was to remain closed, represented the Virgin. Behold
the words of the prophet: “Then he brought me back by the way of the
outer gate of the sanctuary that looks eastward; and it was shut. And
the Lord said to me, ‘This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and
no one shall pass through it; for the Lord God of Israel shall enter by it,
and it shall remain shut. For the prince, He shall sit in it, to eat bread
before the Lord’” (Ezk. 44:1-3).
According to all the Holy Fathers of the first centuries, who upheld
apostolic tradition, this vision informs us that the Lord God of Israel would
enter into this world as a “Son of Man.” Furthermore, it advises us that only
He would eat bread (i.e., He would incarnate) in this gate (i.e., the Virgin),
that only He would arrive through it, and thereafter it would remain closed:
“for the Lord God of Israel shall enter by it, and it will remain shut.”
St. Ambrose (†397 AD), for instance, interprets this vision of the
prophet Ezekiel with the following words: “What is this gate, if not Mary?
Does it not remain closed because she continues to be a Virgin? Therefore,
Mary is the gate through which Christ entered into this world, when He came
forth through a Virgin birth without loosening the locks of her virginity.”
Behold how the Ever-Virginity of the Theotokos was pre-ordained by
the Divine Will, just as the Virgin was fore-chosen from amongst every
generation by Divine providence, in order for her to become and remain the
Mother of Emmanuel.
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TYPOLOGIES OF THE EVER-VIRGINITY OF THE VIRGIN MARY
Just as many wondrous events in the Old Testament, such as the
bronze serpent (Jn. 3:14), Jonah and the whale (Mt. 12:39), prefigured the
crucifixion and the resurrection of Christ, similarly many wondrous events in
the Old Testament foreshadowed the Holy Virgin, who by Divine Will carried,
gave birth, and remained as she was before giving birth.
St. Nektarios, drawing from the writings of the holy Fathers and the
hymnology of the Church, enumerates the following typologies of the Virgin
Mary:
1. The burning bush that was not consumed, but remained unharmed
after the divine fire had descended, was a fore-type of the Virgin (Ex. 3:1-4).
Just as the bush was on fire but was not consumed by the flames, similarly
the Virgin gave birth and remained a virgin thereafter.
2. The sea that remained untrodden after Israel had crossed it, foretold
the Ever-Virginity of the Theotokos. Just as the sea parted and allowed the
people of Israel to cross through it, and thereafter the waters covered the
bottom of the sea and no one ever walked through it again, similarly Christ
was born through the Virgin, without anyone else ever coming forth from the
Virgin again.
3. The rock that gushed forth living water was an image of the Virgin,
from whom Christ the eternal water emerged.
4. The fiery column that lit the way for Israel and the bright cloud
through which the Lord God was made manifest foretold of the Virgin.
5. The Tabernacle of the Testimony showed forth the Virgin (Hb. 9:1-
5).
6. The Ark of the Covenant signified the Virgin (Hb. 9:1-5).
7. The Tablets containing the Ten Commandments represented the
Virgin. Just as the word of God was etched upon the tablets, the Word of God
the Father entered the Virgin.
8. The budding staff of Aaron foreshadowed the Virgin (Num. 17:1-
10). Just as the dry rod of Aaron blossomed without the presence of any
moisture, similarly the Virgin brought forth Christ without the seed of a man.
9. The urn holding the heavenly manna foretold of the Virgin (Ex.
16:33), who as a rational and living vessel contained within her womb the
heavenly and living manna, Christ.
10. The ladder of Jacob, by which God descended, foreshadowed the
Virgin (Gen. 28:12-13), through whom God descended and came into the
world.
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11. The dewy fleece was a typology of the Virgin (Jdg. 6:38). For
Christ descended to the earth quietly and rested upon the Virgin like a
raindrop falling on a wool fleece (Ps. 71:6).
12. The light cloud upon which the Lord sat (Isa. 19:1). For Christ sat
within the arms of the Virgin Mary during their flight to Egypt, when the idols
of Egypt collapsed.
13. The very Temple in Jerusalem foreshadowed the Logical Temple
of the King-of-all.
14. The mystical tongs seen by Isaiah, which took the fiery coal from
the altar of sacrifices, proved to be the Virgin, who conceived in her womb the
Divine fiery coal, Christ (Isa. 6:6).
15. The Uncut Mountain whence the cornerstone Christ was hewn
without human hands was a fore type of the Virgin (Dan. 2:45). Just as this
rock was cut from the mountain without any human hand touching the
mountain, similarly, Christ came forth from the Virgin without any human
hand touching the Virgin.
St. Nektarios further comments thus: Could the Virgin—who had
already been pre-ordained to become the Mother of God, who had been
chosen from amongst all generations, who had been foreshadowed by such
mystical and symbolic images, and who had been dedicated to God from a
young age—have become the spouse of Joseph? No! Never! The Virgin was
a virgin before giving birth, a virgin while giving birth, and she remained a
virgin after giving birth. That which is holy can never be defiled or become
common. That which has been consecrated to God belongs to God alone.
This is why they who steal sacred objects are deemed sacrilegious, impious,
and worthy of condemnation; for they unlawfully take what has been
dedicated to God.
St. Epiphanios also makes a similar observation: Joseph was a
righteous man. Would it be possible for him in his old age to have
disrespected and acted irreverently toward the Mother of the Lord? Not at all!
The Gospel says that “he was a righteous man,” and that because He feared
God “he wanted to send her away secretly” (Mt. 1:19). Joseph’s son James is
notable as well. He became the first bishop of Jerusalem, and he was called
“the righteous one” by all the people. On account of his constant kneeling in
prayer before the Lord the skin on his knees had become similar to that of a
camel; furthermore, he lived with virginity throughout his entire life. Do you
see how Joseph’s entire household was exceptionally virtuous? If the sons of
Joseph had chosen to live with chastity, how much more so would the elderly
and honorable Joseph choose to preserve the Virgin pure, and to honor the
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vessel wherein the salvation of man (i.e., Christ) came to reside? Joseph
witnessed extraordinary and wondrous things. Angels appeared during the
birth of the Son of God, praising and hymning from Heaven above, “Glory to
God in the Highest, and peace upon the earth and goodwill to men” (Lk.
1:35). The shepherds come to the cave where Christ was born and
announced these things to Joseph. How would it be possible for him who was
informed of such remarkable signs and miracles to disrespect the holy and
sacred body in which God Himself dwelled? How could he possibly dare to
couple with the Virgin Mary, who possessed such great and unparalleled
holiness?
LOGICAL REASONING IN SUPPORT OF
THE EVER-VIRGINITY OF THE VIRGIN MARY
St. Luke the Evangelist relates the following concerning the Ever-
Virginity of the Most Holy Mother of the Lord: “And in the sixth month the
angel Gabriel was sent forth by God to a city of Galilee, the name of which
was Nazareth, to a virgin who was espoused to a man whose name was
Joseph, of the house of David; and the name of the virgin was Mariam. And
the angel entered and said to her, ‘Rejoice, thou who hast been shown grace,
the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women.’ And having seen
him, she was greatly troubled at his word, and was considering what type of
salutation this may be. And the angel said to her, ‘Cease being afraid,
Mariam; for thou didst find grace with God. And behold, thou shalt
conceive in thy womb and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name Jesus.
This One shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the
Lord God shall give to Him the throne of His father, David. And He shall reign
over the house of Jacob to the ages, and of His Kingdom there shall be no
end.’ But Mariam said to the angel, ‘How shall this be, since I do not know
a man?’ And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit shall come
upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; wherefore
also the One who is born of thee shall be called Son of God…’ And Mariam
said, ‘Behold, the slave of the Lord; may it be to me according to thy word.’
And the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:26-38).
St. Nektarios states that from the above narrative the following is
evident:
i) Mary, who had been betrothed to Joseph, remained a virgin while
living in his house.
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ii) She wonders how the words of the angel will be fulfilled because she
neither knew nor intended to know a man. If at some point in the future she
were to enter into marital union with Joseph, it would have been quite natural
(since she was engaged at the time) to suppose that the angel was speaking
to her concerning the child who would be conceived through marriage.
However, she made no such assumption because she had been dedicated to
God.
iii) The angel’s proclamation, that she found grace before God, signifies
that she had been chosen to become and remain the Mother of God—this is
why she is blessed among women.
How is it now possible for one to suppose that God’s consecrated
Virgin—who found grace before God in order to become the Mother of the
Logos, who was “blessed among women,” and who became the Logical
Temple of the Savior—would abandon her godly glory and her Divine Son in
order to become the mother of sons of men, and subsequently divide the love
and care owed to her Divine Child with other children? They who postulate
such things are ignorant of what it means to have a heart consumed by the
love of God—especially a heart belonging to the maiden Mother of God!
Since the Holy Virgin was pre-ordained to become the Mother of
Emmanuel, it was necessary for her to remain the Mother of Emmanuel
forever. It was necessary for her to dedicate her entire soul and heart to her
high calling. It was necessary for this to be her only uninterrupted focus and
concern; her only care and ceaseless preoccupation. Truly! Every other care
and worry, every additional concern, meditation, and preoccupation
distracting her from her lofty destiny and her holy mission would have
rendered her void of the most-important and foremost virtue of conscientious
devotion to her preeminent obligation, and incapable of perfectly fulfilling it
with self denial.
The Holy Virgin, as Mother of Emmanuel, could not take on the
responsibility of becoming the mother of other children for the following
reasons:
i) Her maternal affection toward the Divine Child, her piety toward Him,
her devotion and worship to Him, and the Divine fire that engulfed and
enflamed her heart, which filled it with perfect virtue and which left no room
for any other earthly comforts and desires, in no way permitted her to take on
any further obligations toward other children.
ii) Her elevated mind, which only contemplated the Divine Child, only
delighted in Him, and only concerned itself with Him, made it impossible for it
to turn to other cares and duties.
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iii) The Godhead is jealous, and He demands absolute love: love with
all of one’s soul, all of one’s strength, all of one’s heart, and all of one’s mind
(Mt. 22:37). If Jesus demanded such love from His followers, He demanded it
much more from His mother. Since everything the Savior demands of us is a
gift given by Him (requiring only the disposition of them who have received
[the gift]), it follows that the Mother of the Lord, who was made worthy of such
grace and gifts, loved her Son with all of her mind, was immovably affixed to
her Son with all her soul, and no power was capable of distracting her from
the love of her Divine Child.
iv) The conception by the Holy Spirit and the one-and-only birth of the
Son of God rendered the Virgin Mary not only the Most-Holy Mother of God
but also the Holy Temple and dwelling place of God. And once things have
been dedicated to God and sanctified by Him, they cannot become defiled or
common, but forever remain sacred and holy to the Lord, only belonging to
Him. Therefore, it was not possible for the Theotokos to bear other children.
Indeed! If virgins who were wounded with the love of the Bridegroom
Christ declined marriage with kings—in order to dedicate themselves to
God—, what can we say about our Most-Holy Lady, the Theotokos? St.
Thekla abandoned her bridegroom to live in virginity. St. Catherine, St. Irene
Chrysovalantou, St. Paraskevi, and many other women, in following, did the
same. St. John the Baptist, the greatest amongst the prophets, lived a life of
virginity. St. John the Evangelist remained a virgin throughout his entire life;
moreover, many of the Apostles left their wives and families to follow Christ,
and thereafter they lived a life of virginity.
The Apostle Philip had four daughters who had the gift of prophecy. St.
Epiphanios notes that they become worthy of prophesying because they lived
in virginity (Acts 11:9). According to the scriptures, which speak of the
Archangel Gabriel’s appearance to the Virgin Mary, and his announcement to
her that she would give birth to the Son of God and Savior of the world, the
Virgin Mary is also a prophetess: “So I approached the prophetess, and
she conceived and bore a son, and the Lord said to me, ‘Call his name
Quickly Despoil, Swiftly Plunder.’ For before the child shall know how
to call for his father and mother, he shall take the power of Damascus
and the spoils of Samaria” (Isa. 8:3-4 Orthodox Study Bible). Thus, she also
lived a life of virginity.
Is it possible for the Mother of God, who had dedicated herself to
serving the Lord from a young age, to have abandoned her calling and
proceeded to get married and have other children? Certainly not! In such an
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instance, she would not be the most blessed amongst women, but she would
have been inferior to many other women who devoted their entire life to Christ
with virginity. However, this is not the case.
The Holy Scriptures inform us that the Mother of God preserved her godly
glory until the end. In the Psalms the Virgin Mary is referred to as a queen
who stands to the right of the Lord: “At Thy right hand stood the queen,
arrayed in a vesture of inwoven gold, adorned in varied colors” (Ps.
44:10). The scriptures state that she will be loved by the King, and they
prophetically confirm the glory she would receive: “And the King shall
greatly desire thy beauty, for He Himself is thy Lord … All the glory of
the daughter of the King is within, with gold-fringed garments is she
arrayed, adorned in varied colors” (Ps. 44:10-12). Furthermore, they
reveal that virgins will follow after her: “The virgins that follow after her
shall be brought unto the King, those near her shall be brought unto
Thee” (Ps. 44:13). Indeed, virgins have followed behind her, because she is
the chief and leader of the virgins. And in the book of Revelation, she is
referred to in the following marvelous manner: “And there appeared a great
wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under
her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars … And she brought
forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her
child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. (Rev. 12:1-5).
HISTORICAL TESTIMONY SUPPORTING
THE EVER-VIRGINITY OF THE VIRGIN MARY
—by St. Nektarios, Bishop of Pentapolis—
They who deny the Ever-Virginity of the Theotokos truly refute the Holy
Spirit, because they refute the truth itself, which the Church (both through
God-bearing Fathers of various times and regions, as well as the Ecumenical
Synods) proclaimed and validated as holy and Apostolic tradition—observed
always, everywhere, and by all pious Orthodox Christians.
The dogma regarding the Ever-Virginity of the Most-Holy Theotokos is
founded upon an unshakable base of Christian antiquity, and is confessed by
the most ancient fathers of the Church.
Origen (†245 AD), an ancient writer of the Church, says: “This virgin
gave birth to God and became a mother, but she did not lose her virginity.”
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St. Ignatius the God-bearer (†108 AD), an Apostolic Father, who was a
disciple of St. John the Theologian and the founder of the Church of Antioch,
in his Epistle to the Ephesians calls the Theotokos Mary “Virgin.” And he
adds the following: “The Prince of this World, that is, the Devil, was unaware
of three things: the virginity of Mary, her birth-giving, and the death of the
Lord…” Therefore the Theotokos gave birth in a supernatural manner, and
she remained a Virgin after giving birth, just as before. Our God-bearing
Father calls this birthgiving a mystery, “which took place in stillness.”
At the beginning of the second century, Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons,
responding to them who waged war against the Ever-Virginity of the
Theotokos, such as Theodotion, Aquila, and others, proclaims absolutely that
the Theotokos Mary is a Virgin: “As the human race fell into bondage and
death by means of a virgin, so it is rescued by a virgin; virginal disobedience
having been balanced in the opposite scale by means of obedience.” And
again: “that which the virgin Eve bound by means of disbelief, this the Virgin
Mary loosed by means of faith.” He furthermore adds: “For just as the former
[Eve] was by the word of an angel, so that she fled from God when she had
transgressed His Word; so did the latter, by an angelic communication,
receive the glad tidings that she should sustain God, being obedient to His
word… if the former did disobey God, so the latter was persuaded to be
obedient to God, in order that the Virgin Mary might become patroness of the
virgin Eve.”
During the middle of the fourth century, the Blessed Augustine taught
the following: “Mary proved to be a typology of the Holy Church. Just as she
remained a virgin after giving birth to the Son, similarly, throughout time she
gives birth to her members, yet her virginity is not compromised.” And in his
homily “Concerning Virginity,” he declares the following: “The virginity of Mary
is much more valuable and graceful, since it was consecrated to God by the
Virgin before her conception of Christ. This is evident from her response to
the Angel who announced to her the good news of her conception: ‘How shall
this be, since I know not a man?’ Certainly the Virgin would not have spoken
in this manner if she had not perpetually vowed to God to remain a virgin.
But, as this was contrary to the Judaic customs, she was betrothed to a
righteous man, who was obligated not only to respect her, but, furthermore, to
make others respect the fact that she had been dedicated to God.”
The holy hieromartyr Peter Archbishop of Alexandria (†311 AD)
confesses: “Our Lord and God Jesus Christ toward the end of the ages was
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born according to the flesh from our holy and glorious Lady, the Theotokos
and Ever-Virgin.” (PG 18, 517B).
Similarly, speaking of the Virgin Panagia, St. Athanasios the Great
(†373 AD) says that Christ “received a true human body from the Ever-Virgin
Mary” (PG 26, 296B). And when commenting on the 11th verse of Psalm 84,
“they met mercy and truth; they kissed righteousness and peace,” he
declares, “it is clearly proclaiming the truth that came forth from the
Theotokos and Ever-Virgin; for He is the Truth, even though He was born
from a woman” (PG 27, 373A).
Didymos (†398 AD) the ecclesiastical writer of Alexandria states, “He
Who shone forth before the beginning of time from the ineffable Light in later
times was born from the Ever-Virgin out of compassion in an inexpressible
manner” (PG 38, 404C).
St. Basil the Great (†379 AD), the Revealer of Heaven, does not only
proclaim the Theotokos to be a Virgin, but an Ever-Virgin. In his homily On
the Birth of Christ, he states, “The Theotokos never ceased being a virgin.”
Furthermore, he loudly proclaims that it is not even possible for Christ-loving
people to tolerate hearing otherwise: “I believe that by not accepting even to
hear that the Theotokos did not remain a virgin, lovers of Christ present a
sufficient testimony [of her Ever-Virginity].”
Additionally, the golden-mouthed St. John Chrysostom (†407 AD), in
his homily On the Annunciation, addresses the Virgin thus: “You found a
bridegroom who guarded your virginity.” Elsewhere, he calls the Theotokos
“Holy Lady and Ever-Virgin.” And again, he names her: “Theotokos and Ever-
Virgin Mary.”
St. Epiphanios (†403 AD) also heralds the following: “Who has ever
said ‘Mary’ without adding ‘the Virgin,” when asked [which Mary]?” He also
declares that she is “the holy Ever-Virgin” who “was not physically united with
anyone, neither prior nor after the birthgiving of the Savior” (PG 42, 736B &
737B).
So also, St. Jerome (†420 AD), during the peak of his ministry around
the middle of the fourth century, wrote the following against the heretical
Pelagius: “Only Christ opened the gates of the Virgin Womb, which
afterwards remained closed.”
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St. Cyril of Alexandria (†444 AD) calls the Virgin: “Heifer who never
experienced the yoke.”
St. John of Damascus (†749 AD), the advocate and champion of
Orthodox dogma, states, “Just as the Lord was conceived and preserved her
who had conceived Him a virgin, similarly having been born He preserved her
virginity unharmed; for He was the only one to pass through her and
thereafter preserved her shut” (PG 94, 1161 ΑΒ).
Furthermore, Gregentios (†552 AD) (in his discussion with a Jew)
names Mary “Eternal Servant and Theotokos.” Also, Caesarios (†542 AD),
in The Dialogue answers the twentieth question in this manner: “The Godmanhood
of the Word originates from the eternal servant Mary.” Thus, the
Virgin Mary remained eternally dedicated with virginity to the Lord.
Finally, through Her most ancient hymns, the Church praises the Most-
Holy Virgin Mary with the following words: Theotokos, Birth-Giver of God,
Ever-Virgin, Mother of God, Virgin Mother, Unwed Mother, Unwed Bride,
Mother and Virgin, Bearer of Light, Logical Temple, a Bride without Espousal,
Treasure of Purity, Land Untrodden, and Heavenly Tabernacle. There are
hundreds of adjectives of honor for the Theotokos, expressive of our Holy
Church’s viewpoint and understanding concerning her Ever-Virginity. Many of
these are also found in the writings of ancient Church Fathers. The
hymnography of our Holy Church expresses the steadfast conscience of the
entire Church, which reigned within Her from the first centuries, and which
has been preserved up until our days. And when the Universal Church
speaks, every mortal tongue must remain silent. Because when the Church
speaks, the Holy Spirit of God is speaking. Therefore, he who disagrees with
and challenges the Church opposes the Holy Spirit.
The very first Ecumenical Synod, convening in Nicaea in 325 AD,
clearly proclaims the Ever-Virginity of the Most-Holy Theotokos in the Symbol
of Faith itself, stating that the incarnation of Christ and His Divine
manifestation as a human occurred “by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary.”
This formal proclamation of the virginity of the Theotokos by an Ecumenical
Synod expresses the spirit of the whole Church since Apostolic times. This
dogma was validated by subsequent ecumenical, provincial and local synods
as an inviolable doctrine of the Faith. The Sixth Ecumenical Council (680-681
AD) especially speaks at length concerning the virginity and Ever-Virginity of
the Theotokos (in Act 21), and professes the Theotokos as Virgin before
giving birth, while giving birth, and after giving birth. In its first canon, this
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same Synod similarly declares the Theotokos an Ever-Virgin—confessing
one Christ, the Son of God incarnate, and that the Ever-Virgin, who gave birth
to Him without seed, is primarily and truly Theotokos. The Council in Trullo
(692 AD) calls the Virgin “Immaculate Virgin Mother.”
During every service in the Orthodox Church, at the end of each series
of petitions, the deacon or priest voices the following: “Remembering our
most holy, pure, blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever virgin
Mary, with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and one another and our
whole life to Christ our God.” And during every Divine Liturgy, we sing: “Only
begotten Son and Word of God, although immortal You humbled Yourself for
our salvation, taking flesh from the holy Theotokos and ever virgin Mary.”
All of these testimonies of the Holy Fathers and the Ecumenical
Synods, who preserved unchanged the holy apostolic tradition, are sufficient
to convince and inform all them who believe with a pure heart in the truth of
the Church.
This truth and authority of the Ecumenical Synods is even accepted by
both the Latin church and the Anglican church. Distinguished men of the
Anglican church accept the Ever-Virginity of the Theotokos based on the
authority [of these Ecumenical Synods].
Thus, the religious writer Robert Nelson declares, “The exquisite and
incomparable privilege of this mother [the Virgin Mary], the exceptional honor
and worship she always gave to her Son, the reverence for the Holy Spirit
that overshadowed her, the filial goodness and piety of Joseph, to whom she
was given as a bride, [all these things] informed the Church of God
throughout the ages to believe that she [the Theotokos] still remains
thereafter in the same virginity. Therefore, we also are obligated to
confess her as the Virgin Mary.”4
And John Pearson states, “When [every Christian] saith, ‘I believe in
Jesus Christ Who was born of the Virgin Mary…he is conceived to intend
thus much: ‘I assent unto this as a most certain and infallible truth, that there
was a certain woman, known by the name of Mary, espoused unto Joseph of
Nazareth, who before and after her espousals was a pure and unspotted
Virgin, and being and continuing in the same virginity, did, by the immediate
operation of the Holy Ghost, conceive within her womb the only begotten Son
4 Nelson’s Festival, London, 1732, pg. 172
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of God; and, after the natural time of other women, brought him forth as her
first-born Son, continuing still a most pure and immaculate Virgin.”5
Consequently, according to the Holy Synods, the holy and God-bearing
Fathers, the Apostolic Ecclesiastical Tradition in general, and even the
authentic testimonies of authoritative men from other denominations, the
dogma of our Holy Orthodox Church regarding the Ever-Virginity of the MostLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.