Mary holy for only nine months? By Dr. Jeff Mirus (bio - articles - email) | Jan 09, 2017 Extract: In a bizarre post by the standards of First Things, Peter J. Leithart attempts to explain the meaning of St. Matthew’s statement that Joseph “took his wife, but knew her not until she had borne a son.” Leithart, who is a minister in the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, takes the position that Mary’s womb was a sacred space while Christ was present there. Since sexual relations rendered a person unclean under Jewish law, Joseph refrained from sexual relations with Mary for those nine months, but no longer.
Protestants generally reject the perpetual virginity of Mary, but it is nothing short of astonishing for a scholar to suggest that such a conclusion is required by the gospel text.
. . . not the least bit unknown. Other “scholars” fasten onto the text in Isaiah 7:10-14, viz.:
[10] And the Lord spoke again to Achaz, saying: [11] Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God either unto the depth of hell, or unto the height above. [12] And Achaz said: I will not ask, and I will not tempt the Lord. [13] And he said: Hear ye therefore, O house of David: Is it a small thing for you to be grievous to men, that you are grievous to my God also? [14] Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel. (Note: This is the Douay-Rheims version. Other thanslations make it clear that the “he” in verse13 refers to Isaiah.)
Joan Chittister, for instance in her mis-named book, “In search of Belief,” discusses the work of some modern self-styled exegetes who point out that the word translated as “virgin” can also simply mean “young woman,” thus casting doubt on the doctrine of Mary’s virginity, since Isaiah might have said “A young woman shall conceive, et cetera” How anyone who wishes to be thought of as a scholar could possibly offer that pathetic argument is hard to conceive. It doesn’t take much imagination to consider the reaction to Isaiah’s words, does it? For instance, “Hang on, Isaiah, what kind of a sign would that be? Young women do that all the time." However, a virgin conceiving is quite different – THAT would be a sign!
--Previous Message-- : Mary holy for only nine months? : By Dr. Jeff Mirus (bio - articles - email) | : Jan 09, 2017 : Extract: : In a bizarre post by the standards of First : Things , Peter J. Leithart attempts to : explain the meaning of St. Matthew’s : statement that Joseph “took his wife, but : knew her not until she had borne a son.” : Leithart, who is a minister in the Communion : of Reformed Evangelical Churches, takes the : position that Mary’s womb was a sacred space : while Christ was present there. Since sexual : relations rendered a person unclean under : Jewish law, Joseph refrained from sexual : relations with Mary for those nine months, : but no longer. : : Protestants generally reject the perpetual : virginity of Mary, but it is nothing short : of astonishing for a scholar to suggest that : such a conclusion is required by the gospel : text. : : See: : http://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/otc.cfm?id=1441 :