Assumption of Mary
Mary was taken bodily into heavenly glory.
This doctrine is actively contested between major traditions. Faithful Christians disagree.
What the traditions say
Dogma since 1950 (Munificentissimus Deus). Mary was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory at the end of her earthly life.
The Dormition (falling asleep) of the Theotokos is a major feast. Mary's body was taken to heaven, but Orthodoxy did not dogmatize it in the same juridical way as Rome.
Neither affirmed nor found in Scripture. Lutheranism teaches nothing about Mary's fate after death beyond what Scripture reveals.
No scriptural evidence. This is seen as a late medieval development with no apostolic basis.
Who binds this
Every affiliated congregation inherits its denomination's position. Follow a chip to see the confession's language.
Key scriptures
- 1Cor 15:20 — But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
- 1Cor 15:22 — For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
- 1Thess 4:16 — For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
- Acts 1:14 — These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
- Gen 3:15 — And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
- Heb 12:1 — Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
- John 19:26 — When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
- Luke 1:28 — And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
- Luke 1:42 — And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
- Luke 1:48 — For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
- Phil 3:20 — For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
- Rev 11:19 — And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
- Rev 12:1 — And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
- Rev 20:4 — And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
What the confessions say
Articles of the historic confessions that address this doctrine.
- Lutheran Augsburg Confession Article 3 — Of the Son of God
- Reformed Belgic Confession Art18 — The Incarnation
- Reformed Westminster Confession of Faith 8.4 — Of Christ the Mediator
- Reformed Heidelberg Catechism Q46 — What do you confess when you say, He ascended into heaven?
- Reformed Baptist 1689 London Baptist Confession 8.2 — Of Christ the Mediator
- Reformed Baptist 1689 London Baptist Confession 8.4 — Of Christ the Mediator
The Church Fathers
The earliest Fathers who commented on the Scriptures above.
Let us consider, beloved, how the Lord continually proves to us that there shall be a future resurrection, of which He has rendered the Lord Jesus Christ the first-fruits by raising Him from the dead. Let us contemplate, beloved, the resurrection which is at all times taking place. Day and night declare to us a resurrection. The night…
There will be a period of some thousand years after the resurrection of the dead, and... the kingdom of Christ will be set up in material form on this very earth.
And further, there was a certain man with us, whose name was John, one of the apostles of Christ, who prophesied, by a revelation that was made to him, that those who believed in our Christ would dwell a thousand years in Jerusalem; and that thereafter the general, and, in short, the eternal resurrection and judgment of all men would…
We observe the exact day; neither adding, nor taking away. For in Asia also great lights have fallen asleep, which shall rise again on the day of the Lord's coming, when he shall come with glory from heaven, and shall seek out all the saints. Among these are Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who fell asleep in Hierapolis; and his two…
He has therefore, in His work of recapitulation, summed up all things, both waging war against our enemy, and crushing him who had at the beginning led us away captives in Adam, and trampled upon his head, as thou canst perceive in Genesis that God said to the serpent, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy…
We know that this is well said, for we ought to live as strangers and expatriates in the world … not using the creation to satisfy our passions but high-mindedly and with thanksgiving.