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The real uneasiness some evangelicals have with Catholic praise is that we say things like “She is in the highest heaven” and “She is our salvation,” and these praises seem to belong to God, but Catholics apply them to Mary. This is equivalent to “To see your face is to see the face of God.” Why? Because it’s praising a human thing with divine language. Yeah, if you take it at face value, it doesn’t sound right. But high praise isn’t meant to be taken at face value. It’s meant to express something that’s beyond words. Picking out a few phrases that seem overboard is like cutting off a stream because you can’t control its power. The story of salvation goes beyond human ability and it takes the people who are involved in it to higher levels than human nature can put us. That’s why we use divine language to praise these things. It doesn’t exclude God in its intent, but it includes Him as the cause of the exaltation of Mary or Abraham or whomever. Only because God has done this do we need to use divine language to express it.
Why Catholics Venerate Mary (And Why You Should Too)
(1) the high praise of Mary in Catholic devotional literature (2) objections to this answered (3) looking to Mary as our intercessor because Jesus is fierce towards us, and Mary is merciful (4) objections to this reason answered (5) the objection: Jesus is the only mediator -- answered (6) the objection: the Scriptures say only a little about Mary -- answered (7) the objection: focusing on Mary is a distraction from Christ -- answered.
Mary is an important part of Catholic devotion. Evangelical Christians often think Catholic devotion goes too far in honoring Mary, and therefore in this essay I am going to explain the biblical basis of Marian devotion, and respond to some objections to it. Let's go through them one by one.
1 and 2. The high praise of Mary in Catholic devotional literature, and objections to this answered.
1 and 2. The high praise of Mary in Catholic devotional literature, and objections to this answered.
Catholics use high praise to glorify Mary, and some of these praises can, on the surface, sound like they belong only to God. This is typical of high praise. When a man sees his wife, he might say she is the only thing in the world to him, that he loves her more than anything else, or that she is the only thing he really cares about. When Isaac praised Esau, he told him that to see him was to see the face of God -- Genesis 33:10. When we’re praising someone and we don’t intend to exclude God, we don’t have to worry about making an exception in every outburst of love to remind ourselves that God is greater, because everyone can see that excluding God is not the intention. A person shouldn’t conclude that God is excluded just because one of His creatures is magnified. The fact that Catholics praise Mary for the greater honor of God is even more of a reason not to get suspicious.
The real uneasiness some evangelicals have with Catholic praise is that we say things like “She is in the highest heaven” and “She is our salvation,” and these praises seem to belong to God, but Catholics apply them to Mary. This is equivalent to “To see your face is to see the face of God.” Why? Because it’s praising a human thing with divine language. Yeah, if you take it at face value, it doesn’t sound right. But high praise isn’t meant to be taken at face value. It’s meant to express something that’s beyond words. Picking out a few phrases that seem overboard is like cutting off a stream because you can’t control its power. The story of salvation goes beyond human ability and it takes the people who are involved in it to higher levels than human nature can put us. That’s why we use divine language to praise these things. It doesn’t exclude God in its intent, but it includes Him as the cause of the exaltation of Mary or Abraham or whomever. Only because God has done this do we need to use divine language to express it.
Song of Solomon is a perfect example of this. In Songs 5:10 the woman calls her lover “the all-radiant.” In Songs 6:9 the man sings back “My dove, my perfect one, is only one, … and flawless.” The Bible uses the same language for God: “perfect” and “without fault” in Deuteronomy 32:4, and everyone knows that truly God is the “only one” and to call anyone else that seems like blasphemy. But this is poetry, this is praise of His creatures for His sake, and He is not disapproved by it.
Mary is truly our salvation because she bore our salvation. Mary is truly our hope because she bore our hope. In the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) Mary herself sang that in her God had fulfilled His promises. She didn’t say "All generations shall call me blessed" for the heck of it -- it was because of what she listed as His works in the rest of the song: “[IN MARY] he has put down the mighty from their thrones, [IN MARY] He has exalted those of low degree; [IN MARY] he has filled the hungry with good things, [IN MARY] he has sent the rich away. [IN MARY] He has given help to his servant Israel, [IN MARY] he has remembered his promise of mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever.” Mary’s song is a song of God fulfilling His promises: promises of salvation, mercy, and hope. And she doesn’t say people will only bless God for this. They will bless Him, but they will bless her as well, and with His approval. God put the fulfillment in Mary. “She believed, so that what was spoken to her from the Lord might be fulfilled.” Luke 1:45. Catholics take the Biblical promise and sing it to highest heaven. But we are only doing more of what the Holy Spirit did long before, in Mary’s song itself.
3 and 4. Looking to Mary as our intercessor because Jesus is too fierce, and objections to this reasoning answered.
It is not uncommon to hear Catholics suggesting that we should look to Mary as our intercessor because Jesus is too fierce. Now I do not normally think this way myself in my devotional practice. But I think the idea that underlies it can be defended: when the Trinity planned the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18, Abraham stood behind God and requested that He show mercy, and God relented a little. When the God of the Blood Covenant planned to destroy the Israelites for their idolatry in Exodus 32, Moses fell down before Him and pleaded with Him not to do it, and God didn’t. The fact that God relents from His wrath because of human intercession is a revealed truth of the Bible. It is what the Bible says. The real objection here is to the doctrine of Marian intercession. (See also #5.) If Mary can’t intercede for us, then of course she can’t turn away God’s wrath (and Jesus’ wrath). But if she can intercede for us, and if she is meant to be an intercessor for us, then the objection that we shouldn’t ask her to petition God for mercy is moot. Re: saintly intercession, see #5: the Bible is clear that the Saints are intercessors. Another possible point about this is that the Trinity only showed wrath in the Old Testament, and Jesus is more merciful in the New Testament. But in fact the Scriptures reveals that Christ can be wrathful as well; and this is shown in Luke 19:27, Revelation 19:15, 21, and especially Psalms 2:12, and many other places.
5. The objection: Jesus is the only mediator -- answered.
5. The objection: Jesus is the only mediator -- answered.
About the doctrine of One Mediator, there are two objections: first, that only God should be prayed to, and second, that only God distributes grace. But that’s not what the verse means. The doctrine of One Mediator is not that Jesus is the one mediator in every spiritual matter whatsoever. It is the doctrine that Jesus is the only mediator of redemption. For proof you only need to read the context: “[5] There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, [6] who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time.” Jesus is the only one who ransomed us from the power of sin and death. Mary didn’t do that, Abraham didn’t do that, Peter and Paul didn’t do that. Only Jesus could die for you and forgive your sins. That’s what the doctrine of one mediator is. The idea that Jesus is the only intercessor in heaven, is not taught in the context or the main text. It is not what the term “mediator” is used for in the context. It is connected to the redemption in verse 6 because it is talking about the redemption in verse 5. Other people pray.
And people in heaven pray. In Rev. 5:8 the elders in heaven prostrate themselves before God with the prayers they received from earth. Right there that implies prayer -- people don’t prostrate themselves for nothing. But Rev. 8:3 makes it even clearer by saying that incense from heaven was added to the incense from earth -- “and the incense is the prayers of the saints,” says Rev. 5:8. That means the saints in heaven add their prayers to our prayers on earth. It follows directly from the meaning of the words that is stated by the text itself: incense from heaven was added to the incense from earth, “and the incense is the prayers of the saints.” The conclusion must be that the saints can and do add their prayers to our own petitions. They are intercessors. The same chapter informs us that they can hear us. Not only because they add their prayers to our own, but because if you keep reading chapter 5, in verses 13-14 it specifically states that they respond to our prayers with the word “Amen!”. This is the text: “[13] And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, ‘To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever!’ [14] And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ and the elders fell down and worshiped.” The saints in heaven can hear what we pray, and they join their prayers to it. It follows that they are our intercessors, and unless we’re supposed to ignore that there’s an implication for our prayer life as well: we should petition them just as we would petition any intercessor here on earth.
And people in heaven can distribute grace. In Rev. 1:4 John says that grace is to be given “from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne.” God and the angels both send grace here. In Genesis 32:24-30 Jacob wrestles with an angel and won’t let him go until he gives his blessing. “Then Jacob asked him, ‘Tell me, I pray, your name,’ but he said, ‘Why is it that you ask my name?’ And there he blessed him.” (verse 29) Hosea 12:4 confirms that this was an angel. In Matt. 25:21 Jesus promises that when we enter heaven He will say to us, “Because you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” We will be in charge of things on earth. We will be able to affect things on earth. We will have power over things on earth. The only way not to ask the Saints for their intercession, is to ignore their power over matters God has set them in charge of.
6. The objection: the Scriptures say only a little about Mary -- answered.
And people in heaven pray. In Rev. 5:8 the elders in heaven prostrate themselves before God with the prayers they received from earth. Right there that implies prayer -- people don’t prostrate themselves for nothing. But Rev. 8:3 makes it even clearer by saying that incense from heaven was added to the incense from earth -- “and the incense is the prayers of the saints,” says Rev. 5:8. That means the saints in heaven add their prayers to our prayers on earth. It follows directly from the meaning of the words that is stated by the text itself: incense from heaven was added to the incense from earth, “and the incense is the prayers of the saints.” The conclusion must be that the saints can and do add their prayers to our own petitions. They are intercessors. The same chapter informs us that they can hear us. Not only because they add their prayers to our own, but because if you keep reading chapter 5, in verses 13-14 it specifically states that they respond to our prayers with the word “Amen!”. This is the text: “[13] And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, ‘To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever!’ [14] And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ and the elders fell down and worshiped.” The saints in heaven can hear what we pray, and they join their prayers to it. It follows that they are our intercessors, and unless we’re supposed to ignore that there’s an implication for our prayer life as well: we should petition them just as we would petition any intercessor here on earth.
And people in heaven can distribute grace. In Rev. 1:4 John says that grace is to be given “from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne.” God and the angels both send grace here. In Genesis 32:24-30 Jacob wrestles with an angel and won’t let him go until he gives his blessing. “Then Jacob asked him, ‘Tell me, I pray, your name,’ but he said, ‘Why is it that you ask my name?’ And there he blessed him.” (verse 29) Hosea 12:4 confirms that this was an angel. In Matt. 25:21 Jesus promises that when we enter heaven He will say to us, “Because you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” We will be in charge of things on earth. We will be able to affect things on earth. We will have power over things on earth. The only way not to ask the Saints for their intercession, is to ignore their power over matters God has set them in charge of.
6. The objection: the Scriptures say only a little about Mary -- answered.
The objection here is that the Scriptures say only a few things about Mary, and our doctrines are too big to rest on its testimony. God did big things for Mary. That’s what the Bible says: Luke 1:49. We believe big things about Mary because the Bible says there’s big things about Mary to believe. Those big things need to be unpacked from the testimony of the Scriptures. Scripture may have few words to say, but those few words can say much. “Hail, full of grace” (Luke 1:28) is the best example of this. The Greek word for “full of grace” is kecharitomene. The root word is charitos, grace. The “ke” part means it is in the perfect tense. The “mene” means it is being used in place of her name -- it’s a title. Mary is “finished in grace.” Think about the massive implications of that! Or take the word that precedes it: chaire, which means “hail.” The angel didn’t say “Good evening” or even “Glad tidings,” he hailed her, the greeting reserved for a superior. I don’t hail my neighbor, I hail Caesar. An angel came into Mary and greeted her as his superior. The implications of that are massive. Or take the predictive prophecy of Isaiah. A virgin shall bear a child and he shall be called God who is with us. The highest praise we can give Mary is included in her status as the Mother of God because no greater gift can be given than God Incarnate, and this status is what God promised to her in Isaiah 7:14. Catholic praise of Mary isn’t too high, in fact it doesn’t do her justice. God did much more for her long before we started.
7. The objection: focusing on Mary is a distraction from Christ -- answered.
7. The objection: focusing on Mary is a distraction from Christ -- answered.
The objection here is that if we have this much theology about Mary then automatically all of that attention which we are giving to her is not being given to Christ, and is therefore a distraction. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David are all proof that this is wrong, because all of them are given enormous amounts of attention in the Bible and that is where our theology comes from. The Bible isn’t written in theological treatise. We learn of God’s mercy from the story of Lot who was taken by the hand and God raced with him from the city of Sodom. We learn of God’s mystery from the story of Job who was smitten but loved with all kindness. We learn of God’s faithfulness from His promise to Israel and removal of the nations who opposed them.
And it’s because of that that you can’t read Genesis without getting constant praise of Abraham. The later books of the Bible dwell on his greatness in both lengthy treatises (Romans 4:1-22, Hebrews 11:8-19) and short reminders (Matthew 8:11, Luke 1:55, 73). Moses has not just Exodus which is about him, but Numbers and Deuteronomy as well. David is prophesied in every book of the Bible leading up to 1 Samuel, in which he figures prominently, while 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles are almost exclusively about him, not to mention the longest book of praise in the Bible, the Book of Psalms, which has many lengthy works of praise addressed straight to him, like Psalm 45. Almost the whole of Biblical theology is drawn from persons who God used to move His plan forward. Mary is the cap on all that history, and the angel’s message to her, along with her own Magnificat, show that Heaven knows and she knows that her role is pivotal in the fulfillment of God’s promises and in the accomplishment of our redemption. All theology is present in God’s use of Mary. Mercy, redemption, Christ, the Cross, the new family of God, the sufficiency of grace, cooperation with grace, the defeat of sin, the destruction of death, and the new life with God, all of this is in Mary. And so by searching for “the great things God has done for her” (Luke 1:49), and unpacking them from the promises in the Old Testament and the passages in the New Testament, we are only learning what Christ’s gifts are. Drawing our theology from Mary is not distracting us from Christ. It is teaching us Christ in His saints.
And it’s because of that that you can’t read Genesis without getting constant praise of Abraham. The later books of the Bible dwell on his greatness in both lengthy treatises (Romans 4:1-22, Hebrews 11:8-19) and short reminders (Matthew 8:11, Luke 1:55, 73). Moses has not just Exodus which is about him, but Numbers and Deuteronomy as well. David is prophesied in every book of the Bible leading up to 1 Samuel, in which he figures prominently, while 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles are almost exclusively about him, not to mention the longest book of praise in the Bible, the Book of Psalms, which has many lengthy works of praise addressed straight to him, like Psalm 45. Almost the whole of Biblical theology is drawn from persons who God used to move His plan forward. Mary is the cap on all that history, and the angel’s message to her, along with her own Magnificat, show that Heaven knows and she knows that her role is pivotal in the fulfillment of God’s promises and in the accomplishment of our redemption. All theology is present in God’s use of Mary. Mercy, redemption, Christ, the Cross, the new family of God, the sufficiency of grace, cooperation with grace, the defeat of sin, the destruction of death, and the new life with God, all of this is in Mary. And so by searching for “the great things God has done for her” (Luke 1:49), and unpacking them from the promises in the Old Testament and the passages in the New Testament, we are only learning what Christ’s gifts are. Drawing our theology from Mary is not distracting us from Christ. It is teaching us Christ in His saints.
