- Discussion:
-An apologist named Mary Beth Kremski wrote an article for Catholic Answers titled Making Peace with the Mediatrix, where she attempts to clarify Roman Catholic dogmas on Mary, especially the title of Mediatrix. This was done in light of objections raised by Protestants to Romish mariology, conjoined with a response to the citation of 1 Timothy 2:5 as being evidence against such theology. In fact, the author boldly stated:
"The idea that Jesus alone can mediate grace actually contradicts Scripture: Ephesians 4:29 tells us that you and I are to "impart grace" to others by our words. As members of the body of Christ, we are called to "impart" (or mediate) grace in a variety of ways, including ministries of healing, teaching, and prayer."
There are absolutely no words that can sufficiently express the degree of foolishness behind this deceptive apologetic. It is utterly nonsensical. The Roman Catholic Church clearly teaches that Mary is co-mediator with the Lord Jesus Christ, whereas the Bible teaches that He is the only mediator between God and man. This constitutes a flat contradiction. There is no explaining this away. Scripture plainly tells us that the only way that we can reach the Father is through the Son (John 14:6). There is no other name among men by which we can be saved (Acts 4:10-12). Thus, He is the only one who can impart to us salvific grace. The reason He is the mediator of the New Covenant is that He give Himself up as an expiatory sacrifice for the sins of the world. Yet, the author blindly suggests "the idea that Jesus alone can mediate grace actually contradicts Scripture." Now, consider for a moment the cited proof-text in the Catholic Answers excerpt being dissected:
"Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." (Ephesians 4:29)
This passage of Scripture speaks of us "imparting grace" in the sense of being forgiving, compassionate, and kind. Ephesians 4:28-30 is simply stressing the importance of godly conduct in the Christian life. It has nothing to do with praying to souls who have departed into the supernatural realm. It says nothing concerning the administration of grace that justifies, which the Church of Rome claims also belongs to Mary. The Bible teaches that only the Lord has this kind of power. He will not bestow His glory to another (Isaiah 42:8). Hence, the points made by the folks at Catholic Answers are outright wrong. The entire article which has been linked here in this post is a work of fanciful speculation, twisted exegesis, and cognitive sophistry. Nowhere in the New Testament do we see people giving Mary veneration. It is simply blasphemy to attribute traits, titles, and roles to Mary that rightly belong to God alone. It is idolatry to pray to, keel before statues of, and entrust salvation to her. The Lord was not joking when He told the Israelites that He is a jealous God (Exodus 20:4-6).
The Romish concept of prayers to deceased saints is not only foreign to the pages of Scripture, but is also foreign to the most primitive extra-biblical writers. Consider a handful of excerpts from various church fathers which can be found in this article at a Reformed blog called Christian Answers:
"Neither does [the Church] accomplish anything by angelic invocations, or by incantations, or by some other perverse curious art, but she directs her prayers to the Lord, who has done all things, in a pure, sincere and upright spirit, and invoking the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, she is accustomed to doing miraculous works for the benefit of mankind, not to make them wrong...the altar is then in heaven. our prayers and directed offerings)." (Irenaeus of Lyon, Against Heresies 2: 32: 5 and 4: 18: 6)
"Paradise, the place of heavenly bliss appointed to receive the spirits of the saints, cut off from the knowledge of this world." (Tertullian, Apology 47)
"For whoever of his soul serves the Divine Being in any other way, who does not always take into account the Creator of everything, to direct his prayers to Him alone , and to do all things as if in the eyes of God, who sees us completely, even our thoughts." (Origen, Against Celsus 7:51)
"But if we accept prayer in its full sense, we can never pray to any created being, not even to Christ himself, but only to the God and Father of all whom our Savior has prayed as we have already shown, and teaches us to pray." (Origen, About Prayer 10)
"It is evident that those who pray to the dead , or venerate the earth, or offer their souls to unclean spirits, do not act as if becoming men, they will suffer punishment for their wickedness and guilt , who, rebelling against God the Father of the human race, committed themselves to inexpiable rites, and violated the whole sacred law." (Lactantium, The Divine Institutes 2:18)
The Roman Catholic Marian dogmas developed gradually after the New Testament Scriptures were penned:
"Thus the veneration of Mary gradually degenerated into the worship of Mary; and this took so deep hold upon the popular religious life in the Middle Age, that, in spite of all scholastic distinctions between latria, and dulia, and hyrerdulia, Mariolatry practically prevailed over the worship of Christ...Irenaeus calls her also the "advocate of the virgin Eve," which, at a later day, is understood in the sense of intercessor. On this account this father stands as the oldest leading authority in the Catholic Mariology; though with only partial justice; for he was still widely removed from the notion of the sinlessness of Mary, and expressly declares the answer of Christ in John ii. 4, to be a reproof of her premature haste. In the same way Tertullian, Origen, Basil the Great, and even Chrysostom, with all their high estimate of the mother of our Lord, ascribe to her on one or two occasions (John ii. 3; Matt. xiii. 47) maternal vanity, also doubt and anxiety, and make this the sword (Luke ii. 35) which, under the cross, passed through her soul." (Philip Schaff, "History of the Christian Church")
