Monday, July 28, 2025

It is the 28th of July 2025. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

A very happy Monday to you- this past Sunday the appointed Gospel reading gave us “ask and it shall be given to you” and this is also true of this show- as on a recent show I mentioned something about the siblings of Jesus and said “for more on that you will have to send me an email” and Todd in Salina, Kansas- ask, and you shall receive

Todd writes, “ok, I’ll bite- did Jesus have siblings? I saw this was controversial recently on X and then heard you mention it- so, have at it.”

Thanks, Todd in Salina, Kansas- home to Henry David Lee, who gave us Lee jeans- they gave us the zipper fly and jean jacket. Also, Salina is home to Kansas Wesleyan University.

I don’t know anything about the twitter controversy surrounding Jesus’ siblings but I know plenty of controversy when it comes to how we understand Mary, the Mother of Jesus. How we regard her has been a central question throughout church history. She has been called the “theotokos”- or “Mother of God” and this was important for christology- Jesus is man and God- so his mother is the mother of the man and God.

Of course, in the last century, the concept of the Virgin Birth became a hot potato as some modernists tried to argue against the plain reading of the miraculous birth of Christ.

But the question that has caused some consternation throughout time (and apparently online) is the status of Mary’s virginity AFTER the birth of Christ. Did Mary remain a virgin? On the face of it, it might seem she did not. After all, the brothers of Jesus are mentioned in Matthew 13:55: “Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?

But it might surprise you that the interpretation in the early church, and the Medieval church, and to some extent in the Reformation, the answer was pretty clear: these were step-siblings at most because Mary remained a Virgin throughout her life.

At the time of the Reformation, the issue wasn’t the perpetual virginity of Mary but rather her role in receiving praise and prayers.

And it gets even trickier if we ask what the various Reformation confessions teach- the Second Helvetic Confession by the Swiss reformer Heinrich Bullinger writes of the “ever virgin Mary,” while other Reformed confessions don’t. What about the Lutheran Confessions? Well, it gets tricky because in the Smalcald Articles- written by Luther- the German version refers to the Virgin Mary while the Latin translation from the German writes “sempervirgine”- or “always virgin”.

Luther’s original German and the German version used in the 1580 Book of Concord are seen as the binding version; however, most translations will place the “forever” in brackets to call attention to the discrepancy.

As to what you might believe about this, it is, once again, an issue of authority. Yes, the Bible is the authoritative word of God, but we have other “authorities,” maybe lesser, but still helpful. And even the most ardent “sola scriptura” person is going to recognize the utility of church history and comparative dogmatics.

I believe the broader Reformation tradition would say, “You may certainly believe in the perpetual virginity, but don’t bind others' consciences,” and the backlash against the doctrine is, it seems, in part related to the elevation of the so-called Marian dogmas over the past few centuries. According to the Catholic Church- and by its authority binding her own members- you must confess Mary as “theotokos” (mother) as perpetually a virgin, as conceived immaculately (without original sin) and as assumed into heaven (not seeing a natural death).

The first doctrine is generally assumed, the second (perpetual virginity) has adherents throughout history and across confessions, while the latter 2 are particular to the Roman Catholic tradition and are binding in that communion.

I’ll admit- my generally low church Protestant self has never had a “Marian” phase- I dig the Magnificat (he has cast down the mighty, lifted the lowly, sent the rich away, and welcomed the poor) and the doctrine of the Virgin Birth is central to my Christology. But when it comes to brothers and sisters of Jesus and Mary afterwards… I’m content to sit back and accept various interpretations as long as we recognize what is in Scripture and what belongs to the broader and more fluid world of church tradition.

Thanks, Todd in Salina, Kansas, for asking the question I asked people to ask.

The Last word for today comes from the daily lectionary and a good word from Colossians 2 and 3:

20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the universe, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations, 21 ‘Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch’? 22 All these regulations refer to things that perish with use; they are simply human commands and teachings. 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-imposed piety, humility, and severe treatment of the body, but they are of no value in checking self-indulgence.

3 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 28th of July 2025, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man who certainly pegged his acid-washed Lee jeans (also called a “French roll”)  , Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man who was one of the many the Lee brand labeled as “Husky.” I’m  Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.