Martin Luther and Immaculate Mary

BY JOHN MARTIGNONI

Q:
I have been told that Martin Luther actually believed in the perpetual virginity of Mary. Is that true?

A:

Image via WikipediaNot only did Martin Luther believe in the perpetual virginity of Mary, but so did most of the early Protestant leaders. Here’s a quote from Max Thurian, who was Protestant, from his book, Mary, Mother of all Christians, that was published in 1963:

"In regard to the Marian doctrine of the Reformers, we have already seen how unanimous they are in all that concerns Mary's holiness and perpetual virginity..."

Below are a number of quotes from the original Protestant leaders regarding Mary’s perpetual virginity. First up, Martin Luther:

"Christ, our Savior, was the real and natural fruit of Mary's virginal womb...This was without the cooperation of a man, and she remained a virgin after that."

"Christ...was the only Son of Mary, and the Virgin Mary bore no children besides Him...I am inclined to agree with those who declare that 'brothers' really mean 'cousins' here, for Holy Writ and the Jews always call cousins brothers."

"A new lie about me is being circulated. I am supposed to have preached and written that Mary, the mother of God, was not a virgin either before or after the birth of Christ..."

In addition to Martin Luther, the other major figure of Protestantism in the 16th century was John Calvin. Here are a few quotes from him on Mary’s perpetual virginity:

[On Matt 1:25:] "The inference he [Helvidius] drew from it was, that Mary remained a virgin no longer than till her first birth, and that afterwards she had other children by her husband...No just and well-grounded inference can be drawn from these words...as to what took place after the birth of Christ. He is called 'first-born'; but it is for the sole purpose of informing us that he was born of a virgin...What took place afterwards the historian does not inform us...No man will obstinately keep up the argument, except from an extreme fondness for disputation."

"Concerning what has happened since this birth the writer of the gospel says nothing...certainly it is a matter about which no one will cause dispute unless he is somewhat curious; on the contrary there never was a man who would contradict this in obstinacy unless he were a pig headed and fatuous person." (Commentary on Matthew 1:25.)

"There have been certain folk who have wished to suggest from this passage (Matt 1:25) that the Virgin Mary had other children than the Son of God, and that Joseph had then dwelt with her later; but what folly this is! For the gospel writer did not wish to record what happened afterwards...And besides this, our Lord Jesus Christ is called the first-born. This is not because there was a second or a third, but because the gospel writer is paying regard to the precedence. Scripture speaks thus of naming the first-born whether or no there was any question of the second."

And these words from Ulrich Zwingli, another important 16th century Protestant leader:

"Mary, according to the words of the gospel, as a pure Virgin, brought forth for us the Son of God and in childbirth and after childbirth forever remained a pure, intact Virgin."

"I believe with all my heart according to the word of holy gospel that this pure virgin bore for us the Son of God and that she remained, in the birth and after it, a pure and unsullied virgin, for eternity.”

"I esteem immensely the Mother of God, the ever chaste, immaculate Virgin Mary..."

About John Martignoni
John Martignoni is the Director of the Office of Evangelization for the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama and also the President of the Bible Christian Society. John's column, Apologetics 101, appears regularly in the diocesan newspaper, the One Voice.  If you have a question about the Catholic Faith, please send an email to: jmartignoni@bhmdiocese.org.  And check out John's free audio and written apologetics materials at: www.biblechristiansociety.com.

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• Mary's Perpetual Virginity: Why Does It Matter? (insidecatholic.com)
• Our Lady's Perpetual Virginity is a Prophetic Sign (insidecatholic.com)