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Dear Zilla64007, The heretic Nestorius also said we should call Mary "Christotokos" rather than "Theotokos". Since the Church cannot err, any argument against the Church's faith (Jude 3) is an argument against Jesus Christ. Christ founded His Church as the guardian of the Truth (1 Tim. 3:15). The Church long ago already decided these matters, so we do not need to try to re-invent the wheel and interpret the Bible any way we please, any way we see fit. "Before Cyril, Mary was nothing more than another person", is an error. Mary has always been called "blessed" among women, from Saint Elizabeth in the New Testament, up to the present day in the Greek Orthodox Church. It is the error of the Antidicomarianites around 200 AD that views Mary as "just another woman".
It is true that the Church Fathers did not view Mary as born without sin. The immaculate conception of Mary is a Roman Catholic innovation, not an Orthodox Christian teaching. The modern Evangelical disrespect and dishonor against Mary, however, was not taught in the early Church. It's a modern heresy, to fail to bless the ever-virgin Mary, holy Theotokos and Mother of God.
God bless you always in Christ Jesus. Amen. In Erie PA Scott R. Harrington
PS To fail to learn from history is to teach the heresy of Nestorius the heretic, who said Christ is 2 persons: one human, the other divine, that Mary should be called "Christotokos" rather than "Theotokos."
It is true that the Church Fathers did not view Mary as born without sin. The immaculate conception of Mary is a Roman Catholic innovation, not an Orthodox Christian teaching. The modern Evangelical disrespect and dishonor against Mary, however, was not taught in the early Church. It's a modern heresy, to fail to bless the ever-virgin Mary, holy Theotokos and Mother of God.
God bless you always in Christ Jesus. Amen. In Erie PA Scott R. Harrington
PS To fail to learn from history is to teach the heresy of Nestorius the heretic, who said Christ is 2 persons: one human, the other divine, that Mary should be called "Christotokos" rather than "Theotokos."
scripture points to her being the mother of God the Son, or Christ.
her name should not be "Theotokos", but "Christotokos"
in fact... Theotokos does NOT mean "Mother of God"... the original Greek translation is simply "God-bearer", and it was ONLY used as a title for Mary by 4th century writers.
in the post-Nicene Latin speaking church, Theotokos was rendered Dei Genitrix, which means "Mother of God"
it was Cyril of Alexandria that gave her this name during the First Council of Ephesus in 431. Before Cyril, Mary was nothing more than another person.
after reading all accounts concerning Mary from Papias, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, Methodius, and Alexander of Alexandria (...because i know you Catholics looove your church leaders and your saints...), they all mention Mary, the mother of Jesus, AS A SIMPLE WOMAN... not perfect, not born sinless, or any other Roman Catholic dogmatic belief instated by the Roman Church. ALL of them expressed that she was simply the mother of Jesus.
later, though, in the third century, Tertullian, Origin, and Methodius were defending the virgin birth and Jesus having a natural mother, because in the 3rd Centuiry, Marcion, among others, were claiming that Mary was not the natural mother of Christ. Therefore, these above mentioned wrote defenses for Mary in support of her being Jesus's natural mother, but NEVER ONCE gave her special attention as modern Roman Catholics do today.
her name should not be "Theotokos", but "Christotokos"
in fact... Theotokos does NOT mean "Mother of God"... the original Greek translation is simply "God-bearer", and it was ONLY used as a title for Mary by 4th century writers.
in the post-Nicene Latin speaking church, Theotokos was rendered Dei Genitrix, which means "Mother of God"
it was Cyril of Alexandria that gave her this name during the First Council of Ephesus in 431. Before Cyril, Mary was nothing more than another person.
after reading all accounts concerning Mary from Papias, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, Methodius, and Alexander of Alexandria (...because i know you Catholics looove your church leaders and your saints...), they all mention Mary, the mother of Jesus, AS A SIMPLE WOMAN... not perfect, not born sinless, or any other Roman Catholic dogmatic belief instated by the Roman Church. ALL of them expressed that she was simply the mother of Jesus.
later, though, in the third century, Tertullian, Origin, and Methodius were defending the virgin birth and Jesus having a natural mother, because in the 3rd Centuiry, Marcion, among others, were claiming that Mary was not the natural mother of Christ. Therefore, these above mentioned wrote defenses for Mary in support of her being Jesus's natural mother, but NEVER ONCE gave her special attention as modern Roman Catholics do today.