When I responded with Hebrews 4:15, Mrs. M responded that St. Paul was not an authoritative teacher in the Church. Mrs. M also said she believes she is descended from Jesus' seed and that genetically she has the blood of Jesus coursing through her veins because of John 12:24. Apparently, Mrs. M and others converse regularly about such heresies.
I've responded with the following letter (Mrs. M is vigorous in voicing her views but sometimes can't seem to clearly hear responses).
I’ve been thinking a lot about the three items we discussed:
1. Was Jesus married and did He have children?
2. Is St. Paul an authoritative voice in the Bible? (re: Hebrews 4:15)
3. What is meant by John 12:24?
The first question is answered very well in the enclosed article by Dr. Mark Roberts, a Presbyterian minister and blogger. His scholarship seems very close to that of Catholic scholars as well. There is very little, if anything, that I can add to Dr. Roberts’ article, except to discuss Hebrews 4:15 (which also brings up the authority of St. Paul) to show the sinless nature of Jesus--even though He was not free of temptation.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.
St. Paul has always been considered as one of the two leaders of the early Church. The Acts of the Apostles makes that fact clear as do many other writings of the early Church Fathers. Even in today’s Protestant churches, all well-respected ministers acknowledge the authority of St. Paul. The only people who challenge St. Paul seem to be on the fringe of apostasy or are actually apostates--because they must reject Paul in order to justify their errors.
The third question relates to the meaning of John 12:24, which is being put into context by including surrounding words:
23Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Verse 23 says Jesus must die and be glorified because His “hour is come.” He says the seed needs to die to produce many seeds, and He adds that the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. This doesn't sound like seed impregnated into the womb of a woman! Rather, Jesus is telling his apostles that he is the seed who must die for other seeds to germinate and live—He is forecasting his own death on Calvary and the beginning of the Church with all its Saints.
With affection,
