Mary is the Theotokos/God-bearer/Mother of God

This is NOT about venerating Mary, praying to her or the Marian dogmas. It’s about safeguarding the reality of the Incarnation – that God truly became man. (And yes I venerate and pray to Mary but that does not disqualify me from proper Christology)

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” – John 1:14

“For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.” – Colossians 2:9

Christ has two distinct natures – divinity and humanity. Yet the divine Person united Himself with the human nature – you cannot separate them. The nature’s do not mix or become combined.

Christ took humanity from Mary. Yet, He never ceased to be God in her womb. So, Mary is rightly called Theotokos not because she created God or is greater than Him (she isn’t), but because she was the vessel of the Incarnation.

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman.” – Galatians 4:4

“And why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” – Luke 1:43

“The Word, uniting to Himself in His Person a flesh animated with a rational soul, became man in an ineffable and incomprehensible manner.” – St. Cyril of Alexandria

Ive seen some people saying “Mary isn’t the mother of the Father or the Spirit so she isn’t the mother of God”. Again, no one says she’s equal to God – next to God she’s dust.

If Mary can’t be called the mother of God (and the council equates Theotokos with “Mother of God” in Anathema 1) because she didn’t bear the Father or the Spirit, then Christ cannot be called God. “God” here does not refer to the entire Trinity, rather it can be applied to each distinct Person individually. This is because each Person fully posseses the divine essence, and are consubstantial.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” – John 1:1

“I and the Father are one.” – John 10:30

“The holy Virgin gave birth in the flesh to God united with the flesh according to hypostasis.” – St. Cyril of Alexandria, Third Letter to Nestorius

This is NOT about venerating Mary. Bad Mariology often leads to bad Christology. I don’t care whether you think she’s sinless or not; if Mary is not the Theotokos, we aren’t saved. Why? Because it means Christ did not assume full humanity.

“For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect…” – Hebrews 2:16–17

“If anyone does not confess that Emmanuel is God in truth, and therefore that the holy Virgin is the mother of God (Theotokos), let him be anathema.” – Council of Ephesus, Anathema 1

Below are canons from the Council of Ephesus (431 AD), which declared Mary as Theotokos:

The council was held due to the heresy of Nestorius – he said Mary was Christokos only because he split Christ into two Persons.

“The natures were not confused, but united in one Person. Therefore, we confess one Christ, one Son, one Lord. This is why the holy Virgin is called Theotokos, because the Word of God was made flesh and dwelt among us.” – St. Cyril of Alexandria