Gospels Part 084
Before we leave the subject of Mary’s conception, let’s look at some major MISconceptions about Mary that aren’t found anywhere in the Bible.
Before we leave the subject of Mary’s conception, let’s briefly comment on the worship of Mary in Catholicism. Mary is viewed as having been divinely conceived. Yet, as we’ve seen, there’s no hint or indication of this anywhere in Scripture. Wherever this belief came from, it didn’t originate in the Bible.
Tied in with this, the Catholic church teaches that Mary was a perpetual virgin—meaning she was a virgin when she conceived (which is true), that she gave birth to Jesus as a virgin (again true), and she remained a virgin the rest of her life (definitely not true). We know this is not true because the Gospels record that after Jesus’ birth, Mary and Joseph had at least four other sons and at least two daughters. Let’s notice this in Matthew 13:55-56, where people who know Jesus’ family say:
“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother named Mary? And aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? And aren’t all his sisters here with us?” (New English Translation [NET]).
So here we see that it was known that Jesus had at least four brothers and two sisters (since “sisters” is plural). Mary had at least six other children after giving birth to Jesus. The number of children would have been typical for Jewish families at that time.
We should also note that in Catholicism, Jesus Christ is not the intercessor as the Bible teaches. Mary is taught to be the intercessor—thus, prayers are offered to her. Scripture, however, is clear that Jesus Christ is our intercessor, as clearly stated in these verses:
Romans 8:34:
“It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”
Hebrews 7:25:
“Therefore He [Christ] is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”
Because Mary is viewed as an intercessor, Catholics are taught to pray to her. A common form of doing so is with what is commonly called the “Hail Mary” prayer, so named after its opening words. It goes like this:
“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee;
Blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”
Note that it implores Mary to pray for us, reflecting the Catholic belief that Mary is our intercessor for God and is alive in heaven to carry out this work. It is neither true nor does it appear anywhere in the Bible. As noted above, Jesus Christ is our intercessor with the Father, not Mary. And notice what John tells us clearly in John 3:13:
“No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven—the Son of Man” (NET).
Jesus alone has ascended to the Father in heaven. Mary, like all other human beings, is at rest in her grave awaiting the resurrection at Christ’s return. As Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:22-23, 51-52:
“For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; then when Christ comes, those who belong to him . . . Listen, I will tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (NET).
(To learn more, be sure to read our free study guide What Happens After Death?).
In Catholicism, Mary is often referred to with the title “Queen of Heaven.” However, this title was used many centuries before Christ for several pagan goddesses, including the Babylonian and Assyrian goddess Ishtar, the Phoenician and Canaanite goddess Astarte, the Egyptian goddess Isis, and various others. Veneration of Mary and the misguided, unbiblical beliefs regarding her are only a continuation of these ancient myths rooted in idolatry.
We must be sure that our beliefs are firmly grounded in God’s Word rather than human reasoning and unbiblical tradition!
© 2026 Scott Ashley. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
UYA Team | uya@ucg.org
United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of the young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.
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Scott Ashley
Scott Ashley was managing editor of Beyond Today magazine, United Church of God booklets and its printed Bible Study Course until his retirement in 2023. He also pastored three congregations in Colorado for 10 years from 2011-2021. He and his wife, Connie, live near Denver, Colorado.
Mr. Ashley attended Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas, graduating in 1976 with a theology major and minors in journalism and speech. It was there that he first became interested in publishing, an industry in which he worked for 50 years.
During his career, he has worked for several publishing companies in various capacities. He was employed by the United Church of God from 1995-2023, overseeing the planning, writing, editing, reviewing and production of Beyond Today magazine, several dozen booklets/study guides and a Bible study course covering major biblical teachings. His special interests are the Bible, archaeology, biblical culture, history and the Middle East.
