I do not debate the fact, that Mary was a Virgin UNTIL AFTER she brought forth her FIRSTBORN son.
(Matthew 1:24-25 KJV) "Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: {25} And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS."
Then Joseph "KNEW" her and she bore James, Joses, Juda, Simon, and his sisters.
(Matthew 12:46-47 KJV) "While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. {47} Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee."
(Mark 6:3 KJV) "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him."
USE OF BCE/CE IN PLACE IF BC/AD IN DATE IDENTIFICATION
Note: CBI utilizes the traditional BC (Before Christ) ~ AD (Anno Domini) date designations.
Quoted directly as copied ~ CBI does not guarantee verbatim accuracy to the original document
OVERVIEW
CE stands for "Common Era." It is a relatively new term that is experiencing increased usage and is eventually expected to replace AD. The latter is an abbreviation for "Anno Domini" in Latin or "the year of the Lord" in English. The latter refers to the approximate birth year of Yeshua of Nazareth (a.k.a. Jesus Christ). CE and AD have the same and value. 2004 CE = 2004 AD.
BCE stands for "Before the common era." It is eventually expected to replace BC, which means "Before Christ," or "Before the Messiah." BC and BCE are also identical in value. Most theologians and religious historians believe that the approximate birth date of Yeshua of Nazareth (Jesus) was in the fall, sometime between 7 and 4 BCE, although we have seen estimates as late as 4 CE and as early as the second century BCE.
Of course, one can always interpret the letter "C" in CE and BCE as referring to "Christian" or "Christ's." The Abbreviations Dictionary does exactly this. 1
"Wikipedia: the free encyclopedia" states that the new notation is used by "Many non-Christians or secular persons." However, we suspect that the majority of users are actually Christians who want a notation that does not offend or distress persons of other religions. 2
The word "common" simply means that this is the most frequently used calendar system: the Gregorian Calendar. There are many religious calendars in existence, but each of these are normally in use in only a small geographic area of the world -- typically by followers of a single religion.
The religious basis of calendars around the world:
Almost all of the world's calendars are based on religion, astrology, or myth:
The Baha'i calendar is based on the date that the Bab declared that a new manifestation of God would appear.
The Creativity Movement bases their calendar on the date when their religious book was published.
The Hindu calendar is based on a planetary alignment in 3102 BCE.
The Jewish calendar is based on their belief in the date of creation.
The Mayan calendar was based on the day that they believed that Venus was born.
The Muslim calendar is based on the hegira -- the flight of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina.
The BC/BCE/AD/CE notation is based on no religious foundation. Nothing of a religious nature happened in 1 BC and 1 AD -- in fact nothing really notable at all happened. But BC and AD still have a religious connection because they state that Yeshua of Nazareth is both God and Messiah: AD means "Year of the Lord." BC means "Before Christ" or "Before the Messiah." So that leaves CE and BCE alone as a notation not based on religion or myth. It is a notation (some feel) that can be embraced by all.
Groups in favor of CE/BCE:
The Ethic of Reciprocity (the Golden Rule) suggests that one should not intentionally cause unnecessary pain to other humans. We should treat others as we would wish to be treated. Since only one out of every three humans on earth is a Christian, some theologians and other authors felt that non-religious, neutral terms like CE and BCE would be less offensive to the non-Christian majority. Forcing a Hindu, for example, to use AD and BC might be seen by some as coercing them to acknowledge the supremacy of the Christian God and of Jesus Christ.
Consider an analogous situation: the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance. The most recent version of this pledge includes the phrase: "Under God." Imagine what a Wiccan (who believes in a God and a Goddess), or many Buddhists and strong Atheists ( who do not believe in the existence of God) feel when having to recite those words. Consider how a Christian would feel if the pledge read "Under Buddha" or "Under Allah."
Although CE and BCE were originally used mainly within theological writings, the terms are gradually receiving greater usage in secular writing, the media, and in the culture generally.
A group and individual opposed to CE/BCE:
Many Christians, particularly from the conservative Protestant wing of that religion, are distressed at the new terms. Some feel that AD and BC have been in use for centuries and that this tradition should be respected. Others see the switch to CE and BCE as just one more example of non-Christian religions being given precedence over Christianity.
At its year 2000 convention at Orlando FL, the Southern Baptist Convention approved their Resolution 9: "On retaining the traditional method of calendar dating (B.C./A.D.)." With reference to the popularity of the CE/BCE nomenclature, it stated, in part:
"...This practice is the result of the secularization, anti-supernaturalism, religious pluralism, and political correctness pervasive in our society." 3
"The traditional method of dating is a reminder of the preeminence of Christ and His gospel in world history."
The resolution recommended that Southern Baptist "individuals, churches, entities, and institutions....retain the traditional method of dating and avoid this revisionism. 4
Ben Johnson of Hampden Academy in Maine suggests a number of reasons why he prefers AD and BC. Some are:
The term "common era" does not appear in Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary.
Better events to choose to represent a major change in human history would be: The invention of agriculture, circa 10000 BCE
The invasion of Europe by Persia in 491 BCE
The birth date of Alexander the Great who conquered most of the known world in 356 BCE.
Augustus becoming Emperor in 27 BCE.
Columbus arrival in America in 1492 CE
The end of World War 1 in 1918
The end of World War 2 in 1945.
The date when Yuri Gagarin entered space in 1959 CE.
The labels AD and BC have lost their religious meaning; few even know what the abbreviations stand for.
All of the older history books use AD and BC.
The terms CE and BCE both contain the two letters "CE," making them more difficult to distinguish from each other.
There is currently a split between academics -- who generally use CE/BCE -- and the general public who currently use AD/BC. This split widens "...the rift between learning and the common man." 5
2006~11010462
Dr. John Harbaugh (BSLA, MA, PhD, ThD) ~ Pastor David Beatty (ThG)
Norm Smith (BS) ~ Juan "Johnny" Garcia (BA) ~ Dr. Vicky Harbaugh (BA, MRE, EdD)
Calvary Bible Institute, c/o 577 Gateway Circle, New Braunfels, TX 78130
