Evangelism and Apologetics
Mary

Mary

"Fittingness" of Marian doctrines
-	Loss of the idea of the holy -- Holy vessels, buildings, etc.
-	We are to keep our bodies clean because we are temples of the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit doesn't literally dwell in us in a local sense. How much more sanctified should the one who bore the Son of God be? 
-	The tabernacle and the temple were holy and must be kept clean. How much more the human tabernacle in which the Son of God dwelt among us? 

Images of Mary

Eve
	First Eve	Second Eve (Mary)
	Created without original sin	Conceived without original sin
	Mother of all the living	Mother of all Christians
	Said no to God’s plan	Said yes to God’s plan 

The ideolized “Virgin Daughter of Jerusalem” (see Zeph. 3:14 ff., Zech. 9:9, 2 Ki. 19:21, Lam. 2:13)

Parallels with the ark of the covenant
	The ark contained (Heb. 9:3-5) …	Mary bore Christ, who is …
	The manna	The true manna (Jn. 6:32,41)
	The high priest’s rod	The high priest (Heb. 4:15)
	The Ten Commandments	The word of God (Jn. 1:1, 14) 

Some people believe Luke arranged his narrative of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth (Luke 1:39 ff.) so that people would think back to David and the ark (2 Sam. 6). For example, 

	The house where the ark	Mary went up to the hill 	
	rested was on a hill (6:4).	country (1:39) 	 

	David danced (6:14)	John leapt (1:41) 

	God blessed Obed-edom (6:11)	Elizabeth called Mary blessed (1:42)

	David said, “How can the ark 	Elizabeth said, “How has it happened 
	come to me?” (6:9)		that the mother of my Lord should 
		come to me?” (1:43) 

	People rejoice (6:12) 	Mary rejoices (1:47) 

	Shouting (6:15) 	Loud cry (1:42) 

	The ark stayed with Obed-edom	Mary stayed with Elizabeth for 
	for three months (6:11)	three months (1:56)

The angel said to Mary that the Holy Spirit will “overshadow” you (Lk. 1:35), which is the same word used of the Holy Spirit when it overshadowed the tabernacle and the ark. (See Ex. 24:15-16, 40:34-38, I Ki. 8:10)

Marian Doctrines 

Immaculate Conception
•	Parallels with Eve
•	Parallels with the ark, which was made of the finest materials (Ex. 25:10-22) See also Jn. 1:14 which says that Christ “tabernacled” among us, making an analogy between Mary and the tabernacle. 
•	“Full of grace” (Lk. 1:28)
•	Logic of the incarnation -- Did God’s plan for the incarnation precede sin? 
•	Mary is the woman in Gen. 3:15, showing her enmity with Satan. 

Perpetual Virginity 
•	Mary’s statement “how can this be” (Lk. 1:34) makes the most sense if Mary had taken a vow of virginity. 
•	A younger brother would never treat an older brother the way Jesus’ “brothers” treat Him (Mk. 3:21, Jn. 7:3-4) implying that they were older cousins. 
•	Why would Jesus give Mary to John’s care if He had brothers? (Jn. 19:26-27) 
•	Ezek. 44:2 may also point to Mary’s virginity. 

Mother of God (Lk. 1:43) 

Advocate and Intercessor
•	Mary as the Queen Mother (see Jer. 13:18) Note that in 1 Ki. 2:13 ff. …
-	The king bows to the Queen Mother 
-	The king puts her on a throne
-	The Queen Mother intercedes with the king
•	The wedding at Cana (Jn. 2) 
-	Jesus changes His plan because of Mary’s request
•	The saints in heaven pray for us (Rev. 5:8) 

Assumption of Mary
•	Precedence with Enoch (Gen. 5:24, Heb. 11:5) and Elijah (2 Ki. 2:11), and possibly Moses (Dt. 34:6, Cf. Mt. 17:3 and Jude 9) 
•	Rev. 12:1 puts Mary in heaven

Objections

Objections to the PVM
•	"until" in Matt 1:25. Answer: “until” doesn’t always mean that. See 2 Sam 6:23, Gn 8:7, Ps. 109:1 (110:1) 
•	Sexual intercourse is normative for married couples. (Gen 1:28, 9:1; Prov 5:18-19; Ps 127:3; 1 Cor 7:5, 9) Answer: yes, but it is not commanded. 
•	Jesus had brothers and sisters (Matt 12:46-47; Matt 13:55; Mark 3:31-32; 6:3; Luke 8:19-20; John 2:12; 7:3, 5, 10; Acts 1:14) Answer: “brother” is commonly used in Aramaic, Hebrew, and in the Bible to refer to other kinsmen. See Gen. 14:14, 29:15, 1 Chron. 23:21-22 (where the daughters of Eleazar married their brethren. This is not possible because Eleazar had no sons. These brethren were really their cousins.) The specific “brothers” mentioned as brothers of Jesus may be listed as the sons of another Mary. See Mt. 15:14, 27:56, Mk 15:40. 
•	Jesus is called Mary's "firstborn" (Luke 2:7). Answer: “firstborn” has legal significance for inheritance rights and elsewhere can mean “preeminent” (cf. Jer. 31:9 and Gen. 48:13 ff.) 

Objection to Mary’s sinlessness
•	All have sinned (Rom. 3:23) But if this excludes Jesus and unborn babies (see Rom. 9:11), why can’t it also exclude Mary? 

Objections to speaking with the dead (Dt. 18:10-11) 
•	Mary and the saints aren’t dead (Jn. 11:25-26) 
•	Jesus spoke with Elijah and Moses on the mount of transfiguration (Mt. 17:3)