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This is an interesting question relating to the Virgin Mary’s role as the mother of Jesus. Was the Virgin Mary the Ark of the New Covenant as the Roman Catholic Church proposes?
Here is the main Scripture that this teaching about the Virgin Mary the Ark of the New Covenant is based on: “And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm. A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.” (Revelation 11:19-12:2 NASB)
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The more important question than “Is the Virgin Mary the Ark” is the overall role of the Virgin Mary and her role in salvation.
On this issue we must consider the clear teaching of Scripture in many places such as these:
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5 NIV)
“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12 ESV)
While calling the Virgin Mary the Ark of the New Covenant is not a huge concern, what is a big concern is the elevation of Mary to roles in salvation that the Bible clearly does NOT assign her.
Some in the Roman Catholic Church have tried to recast the Virgin Mary as Co-Redemptrix or co-redeemer along with Jesus. This article on Mary as Co-Redemptrix has a very interesting quote:
“In the early 1990s Professor Mark Miravalle of the Franciscan University of Steubenville and author of the book Mary: Coredemptrix, Mediatrix, Advocate launched a popular petition to urge Pope John Paul II to use Papal infallibility to declare Mary as Co-Redemptrix. More than six million signatures were gathered from 148 countries, including those of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Cardinal John O’Connor of New York, and other cardinals and bishops.”
Wow, all those people, including top Roman Catholic leaders, wanting to declare Mary a Co-Redemptrix, in contradiction to very clear teaching of Scripture which says that ONLY Jesus can save us!
Please consider these additional Scriptures which so clearly teach that Jesus alone is the redeemer and our Savior from sins:
“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21 KJV)
What was Mary’s role? To “bring forth a son.” She gave birth to the Messiah who would “save his people from their sins.”
Note that Mary did the birthing, Jesus does the saving.
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:36 ESV)
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6 ESV)
The Bible’s teaching is clear—Jesus is the one and only way.
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Podcast: Is it right to worship or pray to Mary?