Matthew Chapter One Verse Twenty Five

[Catholicterp7]

[size=4][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]In Matthew 1:25 it says "[color=#000000]And he knew her not till she brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS." That is the Douay-Rheims translation. [/color][color=#000000]I am curious as to how to explain this to a non-denominational Christian who doesn't believe in Mary's virginity. [/color][/font][/size]
[size=4][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][color=#000000]Thank you![/color][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][color=#000000]JMJ+ [/color][/font][/size]

[phatcatholic]

In Scripture, the Greek word [i]heos[/i] (as well as [i]heos hou[/i]), which we translate as "until," does not always infer that the status of something up to a certain point will change after that point. In other words, when Scripture says (cf. Mt 1:24-25) that Joseph did not know Mary [i]until[/i] she had born a son, this does not necessarily mean that he "knew her" after Jesus was born. We see this in other passages of Scripture in which it is more obvious that the situation in question is not going to change after a certain point [the OT passages are from the Greek Septuagint, my explanations are in brackets]:

[indent=1][b]Gen 8:7[/b] and sent forth a raven; and it went to and fro [i]until[/i] the waters were dried up from the earth. [I'm sure the raven continued to fly long after that as well]

[b]Gen 26:13[/b] and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy. [I doubt the man completely stopped earning money once he became wealthy]

[b]Deut 34:6[/b] and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-pe'or; but no man knows the place of his burial to (or "until", [i]heos[/i]) this day. [No one knows it [i]after[/i] the time Deuteronomy was written either]

[b]2 Sam 6:23[/b] And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to (or "until", [i]heos[/i]) the day of her death. [She had no child [i]after[/i] her death either]

[b]1 Chron 6:32[/b] They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem; and they performed their service in due order. [Does this mean they quit ministering before the tabernacle once the house of the Lord was built? Of course not!]

[b]2 Chron 26:15[/b] In Jerusalem he made engines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and great stones. And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong.

[b]Psa 57:1[/b] Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in thee my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of thy wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. [Is David going to just abandon the protection of the Lord once the storm passes?]

[b]Psa 110:1[/b] The LORD says to my lord: "Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool." [The Lord is not going to abandon the right hand of the Father once his enemies are conquered! No, He's going to remain there!]

[b]Psa 123:2[/b] Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he have mercy upon us. [Does this mean they are going to turn their aways away from God once He has mercy on them? Of course not!]

[b]Mt 28:20[/b] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to (or "until", [i]heos[/i]) the close of the age." [Jesus will be with us [i]after[/i] the close of the age too!]

[b]Mk 13:19[/b] For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will be. [The clause "and never will be" obviously means that nothing [i]after[/i] the time of Matthew's gospel will will rival the tribulation either, just as nothing before that time rivaled it.]

[b]1 Cor 1:8[/b] who will sustain you to (or "until", [i]heos[/i]) the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. [Jesus will sustain us [i]after[/i] our end on earth as well!]

[b]2 Cor 3:15[/b] Yes, to (or "until", [i]heos[/i]) this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their minds; [This veil was over the Jewish mind up to Paul's day and also long after it, for as long as the Jews lack faith in Christ.][/indent]

As you can see, there are plenty of examples in Scripture of the word "until" not necessarily inferring a change in status of the clause that precedes it. Thus, there is no [i][b]requirement[/b][/i] based on the word "until" to believe that Joseph knew Mary after Jesus was born. It [i]could[/i] mean that, but [i]not necessarily[/i]. We know that a change is [i]not[/i] in fact implied because of the rest of the biblical data concerning Mary and Jesus.