Is The Perpetual Virginity Of Mary Biblical?

• Introduction:

          -The Roman Catholic Church holds that Mary and Joseph remained celibate following the birth of Jesus Christ, implying that He had no biological siblings. Within this tradition, references in the gospels to Jesus’ “brothers” are understood to denote either cousins or, in some interpretations, children from a prior marriage of Joseph. This belief was vigorously defended by Jerome in his rebuttal of Helvidius. He addressed three key points: the nature of Joseph’s relationship to Mary, the identification of Jesus’ “brothers” as non-siblings, and the theological elevation of celibacy over marriage. The doctrine of Mary’s perpetual virginity has enjoyed enduring support through church history, upheld not only by Catholic theologians but also by prominent Protestant reformers and scholars, including Martin Luther, Francis Turretin, Richard Hooker, and Alfred Edersheim.

• Comments On Matthew 1:18:

          -This text states that Mary was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit before she and Joseph came together, implying that their marriage had not been consummated at the time of Jesus’ conception. When read alongside Matthew 1:25, which says Joseph “knew her not until she had given birth,” the text suggests that normal marital relations may have followed Jesus’ birth. Additionally, repeated references to Jesus’ brothers and sisters in the gospels lend further support to the idea that Mary had other children, challenging the notion of perpetual virginity.

• On The Meaning Of "Until" In Matthew 1:24-25:

          -The term "until" often (but not always) indicates a change of condition following the specified event. Supporting examples from Scripture where "until" implies a change include Matthew 24:34 and Acts 20:11. This interpretation aligns with other New Testament references to Jesus' siblings (e.g. Matthew 12:46, Mark 6:3), which further challenge the doctrine of Mary's perpetual virginity. The implication here is that she had other children after Jesus, thus marking a shift from a virgin to a mother of multiple children.

• Comments On Matthew 13:55-57 And Mark 6:3-4:

          -The context of these passages indicates the meaning of "brothers and sisters" to be natural family. In Matthew 13:55-57 and Mark 6:3-4, the Greek word for sisters (i.e. adelphe) is used. Further, that word is used in 1 Timothy 5:1-2 to mean natural sister born as to the same mother. The term used in various contexts suggests a natural familial relationship.
          -If this was a reference to more distinct relatives, then why did Matthew and Mark not use the Greek word "suggenes" (e.g. Luke 1:36; Luke 1:58)? The absence of this term in Matthew 13:55-57 and Mark 6:3-4 can easily be seen as an indication that the authors intended to convey a more immediate family relationship.

          -The New Testament occupies a separate Greek word for cousin, which is "anepsios" (e.g. Colossians 4:10). The New Testament never denotes the term "brother" to mean anything other than a literal brother in the context of family relations. If the terms brother and sister are not to be taken literally, then why should we understand Mary being called the mother of Jesus in that same way?

• On The Nature Of The Greek New Testament:

          -The fact that these terms were available and used elsewhere in the New Testament suggests that the authors could have used them if they intended to convey something other than biological siblings. That is a strong point in favor of the argument that the references to Jesus’ “brothers” and “sisters” were meant literally. Luke and Paul were especially precise in their use of Greek. Since the New Testament was written in that language and not in Hebrew, the burden of proof lies of anyone who claims the usage of brothers and sisters is a Semitic idiom, of which is impossible to prove.

• John's Gospel Records A Fulfilled Prophecy (John 2:15-17) From The Book Of Psalms (Psalm 69:8-9): 

          -The implication to be made here is that Christ had literal brothers and sisters from the womb of Mary. His brothers were said to not believe Him (John 7:1-10). And here is the clincher: Psalm 69 does not say “my father’s children” or “my relatives.” It says “my mother’s children,” a phrase that, in any ordinary reading, refers to biological siblings from the same womb. If the Gospel of John is invoking this psalm to describe Jesus’ experience, then it is affirming that Mary had other children.

• Jesus Was Mary's Firstborn, Not Only Born (Luke 2:7):

          -The fact that the four gospels speak of brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ suggests that "firstborn" in this context means the first of many children. If Jesus were an only child, then it would not have been necessary to call Him the firstborn. When he wanted to describe someone as an only child, he used the word monogenēs, as seen in Luke 7:12 (“the only son of his mother”), Luke 8:42 (“an only daughter”), and Luke 9:38 (“he is my only child”). However, when describing Jesus in Luke 2:7, Luke chose the word prōtotokos, meaning “firstborn,” which implies that Jesus was the first of multiple children. If Luke had intended to convey that Jesus was Mary’s only child, he could have used monogenēs, a term he clearly knew and used elsewhere. This choice strongly suggests that Luke did not view Jesus as Mary’s only child.

• Moving Past Virginity And Rethinking Mary's Role:

          -The Roman Catholic dogma of Mary's perpetual virginity places an unhealthy and undue focus on her sexuality. This obsession with virginity can perpetuate harmful attitudes toward sexuality, suggesting that purity and virtue are tied to sexual status, as if one is "damaged goods" if he fell short of what the biblical text deems an ideal scenario of marriage relations. Such an emphasis overshadows Mary's other significant qualities and contributions, reducing her identity to a single attribute. This focus distorts natural human experiences and relationships, perpetuating unrealistic standards within a religious context.

• Rejecting The Perpetual Virginity Of Mary Is Heresy?:

          -Labeling someone a heretic over their view of Mary’s virginity is disproportionate. Frankly, it reflects a level of spiritual rigidity and immaturity that even the early church fathers were not immune to. This a reminder that theological maturity is not always synonymous with historical authority. Not all ideas developed in a vacuum of apostolic clarity. The perpetual virginity of Mary emerged more from theological idealism and evolving ecclesial sentiment than from the witness of biblical texts. There is no compelling evidence that a majority of the earliest Christians held to this doctrine. It became dominant in the church during the fourth century, and officially declared a dogma by the sixth century.