What is it ?:
Many Catholics and Protestants think that the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception refers to the birth of Jesus Christ to a virgin, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
They are wrong.
The miraculous conception celebrated by the Catholic Church refers to the creation of Mary in the womb of her mother. The doctrine was pronounced by Pope PIUS IX in Ineffabilis Deus on December 8, 1854. The doctrine states that the Blessed VIRGIN MARY, in the first instance of her conception, was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin. Therefore, since she was conceived without a sin nature, she could not, and did not, sin during her life.
The term "conception" is defined as the point in time when Mary's soul was created and infused into her body. Her nature was not cleansed through the Catholic SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM; rather, the sin nature was excluded. Original sin was never in her soul. In order for this to occur, sanctifying grace was given to her before sin could take effect in her soul.
The Catholic doctrine of original sin relates back to our earliest ancestor, Adam. By his disobedience, Adam lost all his original righteousness not only for himself, but for his decendents. Adam and Eve transmitted to the human race a nature "wounded" by sin. As a result, every person is born with an inclination toward sin, known as concupiscence. This sin nature is hereditary, not environmental (so to speak). Mary, therefore, is the grand exception to the hereditary inclination toward sin.
The Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8. It is a HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION. Catholics are required to attend MASS on this day. Failure to participate is a MORTAL SIN.
How did it come about ?
The Catholic Encyclopedia states: "No direct or categorical and stringent proof of the dogma can be brought forward from Scripture." Therefore, we will proceed to TRADITION used to support this doctrine.
Several early Church Fathers appear to deny the sinlessness of Mary. Origen thought that the prophesy of Simeon that "a sword will pierce even your soul" at the crucifixion of her Son (Lk. 2:35) was the sword of disbelief; that Mary would doubt. Origen held that Jesus died for this sin of Mary. St. Basil held to the same belief. St. Chrysostom felt that Mary sinned when she sought to speak to Jesus in Capernaum (Mt. 12:46).
But many also saw Mary as the second Eve, just as Jesus is called the second Adam. Therefore, just as Jesus was sinless, so must Mary have been. Mary, the "tabernacle" which bore the sinless One, must have been purer than ivory soap. Still, there was controversy over how this could possibly be. Thomas Aquinas is held to be the greatest Catholic theologian. In his Summa Theologica, he questioned how Mary could be redeemed if she had not sinned. The problem of the timing of the infusion of sanctifying grace into Mary's soul was addressed by later theologians.
If Mary's sanctification occurred prior to conception, the thorny problem addressed by Aquinas would apply. If Mary's sanctification occurred after her conception, then she would be left with a sin nature. Duns Scotus (of whom the "dunce cap" is named) saw a solution to this problem. The necessity of infused sanctification after conception was in the order of nature, not in the order of time. Therefore, Mary was redeemed by Christ by preserving her from sin.
The Catholic teaching also looks to human reason to support the doctrine. From a human standpoint, it was seen as fitting that Mary should have been free from sin. Scotus coined the axiom "decuit, potuit, ergo fecit." Since God could give Mary this privilege, therefore He gave it to her. Scotus goes on to state: "the most perfect Mediator must, in some one case, have done the work of mediation most perfectly, which would not be unless there was some one person at least, in whose regard the wrath of God was anticipated and not merely appeased."
All the above is contrary to Protestant teaching. First, original sin did not weaken the human ability to cooperate, it killed it. By nature, we are "unable not to sin." The Holy Spirit must "born us again" for us to be "able not to sin." Second, no one (including Mary) is saved from the wrath of God based on the INFUSION of sanctifying graces. Catholicism teaches that we are being saved by cooperating with the Church's "installment plan." The Bible says that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to our account. We get it all at the point of belief. Third, Mary was a sinner with a sin nature just like ours, which she inherited from Adam.
The Catholic Church teaches that She is necessary for salvation. Mary is a type, a symbol, of the Catholic Church. No one can be saved apart from her mediation. The Scriptures speak of only one mediator, Jesus. Therefore, it is not necessary for sinners to have a sinless mediator name Mary. We are saved through faith alone in Christ. "So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men." Rom. 5:18.
Why it is wrong:
1) ...because it denies the biblical truth that all people have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;
2) ...because it promotes the notion that created beings must be entirely sanctified (immaculate) before they can be reconciled to God;
3) ...because of the philosophical mumbo-jumbo used to defend the doctrine;
4) ...because it promotes Mary to a place of sinless mediator that contradicts God's word.
Warnings from Scripture:
And Jesus answered and said to them, "It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." Lk. 5:31-32
But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited to him as righteousness. Rom. 4:5
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition men... Col. 2:8a
[H]ow much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. Heb. 9:14-15
? Point to Ponder
Why is there such a focus on Mary in the Catholic Church? Paul writes to the Corinthians: "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." (1 Cor. 2:2).
Focus on the immaculate Christ!
