20/10/2024
How Roman Catholics Ascribe Glory to Mary that Belongs to Christ Alone:
The Latin Vulgate’s translation of Genesis 3:15, which claims that “she” (the woman) will crush the serpent’s head, is not only a poor rendering of the original Hebrew but also sets the stage for a theological distortion that elevates Mary to a role reserved solely for Christ. The original Hebrew clearly identifies the “seed” of the woman, not the woman herself, as the one who will deal the decisive blow to Satan. The word “zera” in Hebrew is a masculine noun, and the subject of the action (“crush”) in this context is meant to refer to her offspring—Christ, the Messiah—not to Eve or Mary.
The misinterpretation in the Vulgate is emblematic of how an erroneous translation can influence theology. This mistranslation has, for centuries, fueled a Marian theology that subtly, and sometimes explicitly, displaces the centrality of Christ in salvation. While Mary, as the mother of Jesus, holds a special and honored place in Christian history, to suggest that she, rather than Christ, is the one who crushes the serpent’s head confuses and undermines the very essence of the gospel.
The Bible is unequivocal that Christ alone is the mediator and victor in the cosmic struggle against sin, death, and Satan. Genesis 3:15 is the protoevangelium—the first announcement of the gospel—pointing directly to Christ’s work on the cross. It was He who, through His death and resurrection, crushed the head of the serpent, fulfilling the promise that was echoed throughout Scripture. To raise Mary to the level of participating in the crushing of Satan’s head introduces a theological imbalance. Nowhere in Scripture is Mary ever portrayed as a co-redeemer or co-mediator. To ascribe to her this role is to detract from the work of Christ, a dangerous precedent that places undue emphasis on a creature, no matter how honored, at the expense of the Creator’s glory. As Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” The uniqueness of Christ’s mediatorial role cannot be compromised by elevating anyone else to a position that dilutes His work.
The Vulgate’s poor translation feeds into a larger issue within certain streams of Christian thought, particularly in Roman Catholic theology, where Mary is increasingly given titles such as “Co-Redemptrix” and “Mediatrix.” These titles, however well-intentioned, have no scriptural basis. The very suggestion that Mary could be seen as a participant in redemption undermines the singularity of Christ’s atonement. Jesus Himself declares, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). There is no room in this declaration for any additional mediator. Moreover, the apostles, inspired by the Holy Spirit, never once hint at such Marian exaltation. Paul, in his letters, continuously points the believer to Christ and Christ alone. In fact, when Paul writes about the fulfillment of God’s promise to crush Satan underfoot in Romans 16:20, it is the God of peace who will crush Satan—not Mary, and certainly not any human intermediary.
Exalting Mary to a place that Scripture does not support risks venturing into idolatry. Though the veneration of Mary may begin as an expression of honor, it can quickly turn into a displacement of Christ’s rightful place. The Reformation was, in part, a response to this very issue: the need to return to solus Christus, Christ alone, as the object of worship and source of salvation. To argue for Mary as the serpent-crusher is to engage in the kind of theological drift that ultimately leads to the erosion of the gospel. This is not just a matter of translation errors; it is a matter of salvation. The gospel is crystal clear: it is Jesus Christ who triumphs over Satan, sin, and death. He alone is the hero of the biblical narrative, the one who deserves all honor, praise, and glory.
In conclusion, the Latin Vulgate’s poor translation in Genesis 3:15 not only does disservice to the original text, but also fosters a theological trajectory that detracts from the work of Christ. Elevating Mary to a role that Scripture never grants her is not only misguided but dangerous, as it risks obscuring the singular, all-sufficient work of Christ on the cross. Let us, therefore, honor Mary as Scripture does—as the mother of our Lord—but let us reserve all worship, glory, and praise for Christ alone, the true serpent-crusher. Catholics must be called out on this: placing Mary in the role of Christ is not mere tradition, it’s a distortion of the biblical gospel itself. Any theology that ascribes to Mary the titles or actions that belong to Jesus alone stands in opposition to the clear teaching of Scripture.
