Mother of God

Yesterday was the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God in the Catholic Church.

If this title for Mary seems funny to you don’t worry. The early church had problems with it too. Just look at what went down at the First Council of Ephesus!

Many of us protestants get nervous when we here the title. We think this is used to put Mary on too high a pedestal. Interestingly the term emerged less as a way of exalting Mary but as a way to assert the Divinity of Christ.

The Greek for “Mother of God” is Θεοτόκος (Theotokos)

While, Mother of God, describes a family relationship but not necessarily physical childbearing. Theotokos explicitly refers to physical childbearing. This word can literally be translated the one who gives birth to God. ,

It’s a statement about who Jesus was. The term is used in contrast to the views of Nestorianism which emphasized the dual natures of Christ. They argued Mary should be called Christotokos which means “birth-giver of Christ.” Cyril of Alexandria, along with the Council denounced Nestorius’ teaching as erroneous and decreed that Jesus was one person, not two separate people and therefore Mary gave birth to God himself.