My Protestant friend
argues to me that Acts 6:8 says Stephen was "full of grace". How is that any different than Mary? – Abraham on Mary’s
Immaculate Conception
Kecharitomene
by c.pio
Well, that’s a common argument made
by members of Do-it-yourself-religion.
Like your opponents, an unknown protestant apologist named Gerry Soliman once
said in his article: [I]n Acts 6:8 of the Douay Rheims version,
Stephen was full of grace. So was Stephen immaculately conceived?
[Luke 1:28] And the angel being come in,
said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art
thou among women
[Acts 6:8] And Stephen, full of grace
and fortitude, did great wonders and signs among the people.
If
you live during inscripturation
period, surely your answer is a BIG
NO!
Both
Gospel of Luke and the book Acts of the Apostles were written in
Greek, not in modern English as always portrait by Bible-only groups. Now:
Language can never adequately translate
another language with the same feeling, emphasis, rhyme, idiom, etc. Due to
these and other factors inherent in language, doing a word-for-word translation
is not really that meaningful. This would only be a valid kind of exercise if
there were two languages that corresponded so close in structure that the only
difference in the two was their vocabulary. Then there would also be the
requirement that each word in one language had one and only one word that
exactly corresponded to it in the other language. There are no two languages
that correspond to each other in grammar, rules of syntax, semantic structure,
etc., especially not modern English and Koine (Biblical) Greek. [www.ntgreek.org]
Acts 6:8 plērēs charitos
We
must then, go back to the original Greek texts and let see if both verses use
the same word “full of grace”.
[Luke 1:28] Kai eiselthon pros auten eipen,
"Caire, kecharitomene!, ho Kurios meta sou."
[Acts 6:8] Stephanos de plērēs
charitos kai dynameōs epoiei terata kai sēmeia megala en tō laō
Are
they the same? Obviously, not.
"Pleres
charistos" [Acts 6:8]
|
"Kecharitomene" [Luke 1:28]
|
The
word “grace” came from the Greek word charis
|
|
The
word used in Acts 6:8 referring to Stephen is a different word from the one
referring to Mary.
Here,
Stephen is described as "pleres
charitos" literally "filled up with grace" meaning at that moment, he was full of grace.
But
the term used to Mary is "Kecharitomene" perfect passive participle of "charitoo"
[charitoo (verb) comes from the same
Greek root of “charis” - which means
“grace” and charitoó means to fill or endow with grace] or in other
words: "Hail, one
who has always been full of grace"
To
make it more clearer, "kecharitomene"
is the perfect passive participle tense of the verb meaning "to fill with grace,"
Because it is in the perfect participle tense, it means that Mary was already filled
with grace and there is no room for sin in her before the Annunciation, the
implication being that she was the immaculate!
No
other character in the bible was called kecharitomene
except for Mary. The Angel Gabriel is not speaking his own words, rather he
is delivering God’s message to her.
Luke 1: 28 "Hail, (kecharitomene: one
who has always been full of grace), the Lord is with you. Blessed you among
women."
So
in Luke 1:28, Mary has always been and remains full of grace, and Stephen gets
filled with grace only from a certain point in time [Acts 6:8]
Ephesians 1:6: echaritosen
Some may
oppose the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception using Ephesians 1:6, they attempted
to argue that the use of the verb "charitoo" in Luke 1:28 is the same
verb (action word) used in Ephesians 1:6 for all Christians although in
different form.
Luke
1:28 uses a special conjugated form of "charitoo." It uses "kecharitomene," while Ephesians
1:6 uses "echaritosen," which is a different form of the verb
"charitoo." Echaritosen means "he graced (bestowed grace.)
Echaritosen signifies a momentary action, an action brought to pass. (Blass and
DeBrunner, Greek Grammar of the New Testament, p.166.),
Kecharitomene,
the perfect passive participle, shows a completeness with a with permanent
result. Kecharitomene denotes continuance of a completed action (H. W. Smyth,
Greek Grammar (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1968 ) 108-109, sec 1852:b) (Blass and DeBrunner p.175.)
Mary’s Immaculate Conception
Sinless at the moment of her
existence
Perfect tense
John 19:30 "It is finished.": the word “is”, the work of the redemption is
complete and forever enduring.
Perfect Participle
Tense
Luke 1:42 "… Blessed is the fruit of your womb.": the word “blessed”, Jesus is perfectly and endlessly blessed by God the Father.
At
what point in her life is Mary made without sin?
Luke 1:42 "Blessed are you among women…” : the word “blessed”, Mary is perfectly and
endlessly blessed by God.
Therefore,
Luke 1:28 points to Mary being without sin at the moment of her conception!
The Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary is a matter of Faith revealed by God by the Holy Spirit through Christ's Church and officially pronounced and declared as an Article of Faith by the Vicar of Christ's Church on Earth and Peter's Successor the Pope.ALL THOSE BORN OF GOD ACCEPT IT AND REJOICE IN IT!!Alleluia.Amen!
ReplyDeleteRuby Lisboa Parmelee
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful cite. Very informative and good for learning and defending our Faith.
John Guest
ReplyDeleteThe source greatly explains the difference between 'full of grace' in Acts 6 and Luke 1 by the Greek translation; showing the uniqueness of the holy immacule Mother.
Kervin Jimenez
ReplyDeleteWoW!! :)
Roy Lubrico Bautista
ReplyDeleteit is awesome ...site ,,may i request the FEstival??? or Feast?
Excellent explanation !
ReplyDeleteMy Mother Mary was surely immaculately conceived ... no doubt about it
Hail Mary ... Full of Grace ... Amin
Thank you for a thoughtful piece and for illustrating the interpretive framework for the RC doctrine of the immaculate conception of Mary. You point out the difference between Luke's language and that of the gospel. But respectfully, the variation of words in biblical Greek itself doesn't necessarily prove your point, any more than does your appeal to the perfect passive. It is quite possible to read and understand the wording and grammar of Luke 1:28 without understanding her immaculate conception. The real point here is your effort to use a thoughtful grammatical lesson to advance a presupposition that is NOT exegetically an absolute at best. You write: "
ReplyDeleteTo make it more clearer, "kecharitomene" is the perfect passive participle tense of the verb meaning "to fill with grace," Because it is in the perfect participle tense, it means that Mary was already filled with grace and there is no room for sin in her before the Annunciation, the implication being that she was the immaculate!"
But this is a presupposition. The most consistent biblical understanding of this text is that Mary, born in trespasses and sins, like all the fallen children of Adam, was the recipient of divine, sovereign grace--God had acted to save Mary in order to prepare her to be the mother of God incarnate, our blessed Savior Jesus. Your reading assumes that completion or fullness of grace means Mary was born without sin, but is this not a presupposition? Certainly this does not flow in consistency with apostolic teaching--a case in point that while so many Protestants are indeed do-it-yourselfers, RC theology subordinates hermeneutics to traditions that sometimes are more about what the church (I.e., Rome) teaches rather than what the scriptures actually permit. Mary is Christokos and every believer ought to reverence and honor her memory. But Mary knew she was a sinner from birth and proclaimed a God her Savior in the Magnificat, and numbered herself among the redeemed of the church because her son, God's One and Only Son, died for her sins as well. We agree that the reference to Stephen bespeaks a man in a specific crisis being endowed with grace needed for witness (martyrdom). But we must lovingly differ as to the theological framework assumed by immaculate conception of Mary doctrine in regard to St. Luke's record. Mary indeed enjoyed a unique role in redemption history, but her being full of grace is itself significant of her redemption by grace through faith being completely wrought by God in advance of her being overshadowed by the Holy Spirit. She was not born without sin; she was saved from sin's guilt and judgment sin by grace in order to be used of God most high. We celebrate Mary, not for being unlike us, but for exemplifying divine grace--the unmerited favor of a holy and righteous God extended to us in Christ Jesus. Blessed be His name! Best regards.
PS friend, I meant to write "Theotokos"' but unfortunately erred in writing "christokos". Please note lest I be accused of reviving an ancient heresy rather than extending a a Protestant one ;)
ReplyDeleteRoy Lubrick Bautista, if you are asking about the feast in which we celebrate Mary's Immaculate conception it is on December 8,she was conceived in her mother Anne's womb. & At that time Mary was made sinless by God - NOT of her own doing a special grace for her special place in God's plan for our salvation
ReplyDeleteI came accross your comment and noticed that nobody had rebutted. It's been sitting here un-challenged for a couple years.
ReplyDeleteYou state that "She was not born without Sin" Isn't that a presuposition. unsupported in the Bible? You also state that Mary was "born in trespasses and sins" suggesting that prior to being born, Mary broke old Covenant Law. I find that difficult to believe for anyone not yet born.
Your overview of this page seems to suggest that Mary was not Saved by Christ and therefore born with sin. The Catholic Church teaches that Mary was saved by Christ prior to her conception (Jesus can do this) not that whe "Did not need a Saviour" as you suggest. Catholics Believe, and scripture teaches that our God is perfect, Jesus Christ the Perfect Son Created his mother absolutely perfect at her conception, free from sin to be the Arc of the New Covenant. I say "Arc of the New Covenant" because the old Covenant Arc is a Type of what was to come. Typology is used often the Old and New Testiments to see Gods fullfllment or his plan for salvation. Never however in all of the Bible is that which came before more perfect than what came after. Mary, is reffered to as the New Eve, the New Mother of the world, her perfection is detailed in typology in the construction of the Arc of the Covenant, God, in the same way he made the Arc of the Old perfect and Holy and not touched by sin, Created his mother in a more perfect way, free from sin, like Eve, yet, unlike Eve who caused the death of the World, Mary, by her perfect sinless life, brought Life to the world through her Son Jesus Christ. She did this through the Obedience that Comes from Faith, the works of Faith, that she heard from God and obeyed.
Protestant Christianity makes Mary Less than what came before, as if Gods fullfillment did not meet up to what already has occured. Protestant Christianity by virtue of thier predispostions to unbilbical doctrinces, Faith Alone, Bible Alone especially, are force to do this with so many Doctirines. The Lords supper for example, less than the Manna that appears in the desert mysteriously, which was not a mere symbol of Gods power but a manifiestation of it, would in protestant traditions be more significant and miraculous than it's fullfillment in the Most Holy Eucharist, Jesus Christ himself, made present at each and every Mass ever held in the Catholic Church. Something not challenged before 1500 AD.
I tell you two things, because I am short for time.
1. Mary, is far Greater than her Old Testiment Type, Eve, she was, without a doubt, by the power of her Son who spoke the world into existence, Made with out Sin, and preserved from it her entire life.
The Eucharist, Christ himself, being better than all those things that foreshadow him in the Old Testiment, is the bread that came down from heaven, is the New Manna, The New Adam, and he gives himself to us daily in the form of Bread and Wine, "This is the New Covenant, Do this in Memory of Me" A beleif held for 1500 years before the Protestant Revolt, when every Christian was a Catholic.
It was Grace that made these things possible, Faith that lets us believe they are true and obedience that shows us united to the obedience of Mary who said "Let it be done to me, According to your will".
"Let it be done to me, according to your will". The Humility all Catholics are called to, first accomplished by the morther of God, the mother of the Body of Christ, the Mother of Christ, the Mother of the Church.
God Bless