Bible Questions and Answers

The Immaculate Conception

From Wikipedia, "Immaculate Conception."

The Immaculate Conception, according to the teaching of the Catholic Church, is the conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary free from original sin by virtue of the foreseen merits of her son Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church teaches that Mary was conceived by normal biological means in the womb of her mother, Saint Anne, but God acted upon her soul, keeping it "immaculate"…

Although the belief that Mary was sinless, or conceived with an immaculate soul, has been widely held since Late Antiquity, the doctrine was not dogmatically defined until 1854, by Pope Pius IX in his papal bull Ineffabilis Deus.

Original sin

From Wikipedia: Original Sin

Original sin, also called ancestral sin, is the Christian doctrine of humanity's state of sin resulting from the fall of man, stemming from Adam and Eve's rebellion in Eden, namely the sin of disobedience in consuming from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This condition has been characterized in many ways, ranging from something as insignificant as a slight deficiency, or a tendency toward sin yet without collective guilt, referred to as a "sin nature", to something as drastic as total depravity or automatic guilt of all humans through collective guilt.

The immaculate conception is not taught in the Bible, it is fiction invented by the Catholic Church. No one, other than Jesus Christ, was conceived by the Holy Spirit or lived a sinless life.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

We do not inherit sin because of Adam’s disobedience.What we inherit is:

1. Mortality (Adam’s nature).

2. The propensity to sin (from the knowledge of good and evil).

Because of the latter, we all sin.

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

The penalty for each and every sin is death.

Ezekiel 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death…

The Catholic Church falsely teaches that we have an immortal soul which goes to heaven when we die. The Church teaches that Mary (along with other ‘saints’) is in heaven making intercession for the dead and the living. This nonsense is not found in the Bible.

Man does not possess a soul, he is a soul.

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

When he dies he becomes a ‘dead soul’. When he is placed in the grave his soul is placed in the grave.

Psalms 89:48 What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave?

In the grave he is unconscious.

Ecclesiastes 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing…

Psalms 146:4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

None other than Jesus Christ has gone to heaven.

John 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

He ascended to heaven after his resurrection from the dead, not before. The hope of the Bible is that of resurrection from the dead.

Acts 24:15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

This will happen when Christ returns.

John 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (condemnation).

Jesus Christ is the appointed judge. Until this time the dead are said to ‘sleep’.

1 Kings 2:10 So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.

Acts 7:60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

We all experience the unconsciousness of sleep.

Daniel prophesies:

Daniel 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

From this we see that the immaculate conception of Mary and original sin are not taught in the Bible.

Mary has not gone to heaven. She remains dead, awaiting the day of resurrection.

May I suggest that you read After Death - What? (please click on the title)

and also, Mary, the Mother of Jesus (please click on the title)

I hope you find this helpful.

God bless,
Glenn