The appearance of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in apparitions and visions has been reported in numerous places around the world over the centuries. Some of the most well-known apparitions include Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico in 1531, Our Lady of Lourdes in France in 1858, and Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal in 1917. But what does the Bible say about such supernatural occurrences? Are these truly visitations by Mary herself, or could they be fabricated visions and deceptions? Let’s explore what Scripture has to say.
The Identity of Mary
First, we must recognize that the Mary of the Bible was a righteous woman who was highly favored by God to be the earthly mother of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38). She was a virgin when she miraculously conceived Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18-25). Mary was present during Jesus’ ministry, death, and resurrection, and she was among the believers gathered in the upper room after He ascended to heaven (Acts 1:14). However, beyond these events recorded in Scripture, the Bible says very little about Mary. The Bible never indicates that Mary herself would appear and speak to people after her death.
Apparitions Not Mentioned in the Bible
Nowhere does the Bible mention apparitions of Mary appearing to people with messages from God. If this was truly happening throughout history, as some Catholics claim, it seems odd that the Bible would not mention this phenomenon at all. The canon of Scripture was closed by the end of the first century A.D., yet millions of people supposedly witnessed Marian apparitions in later centuries without any hint in Scripture.
When God spoke in the past, He did so through the prophets as recorded in Scripture. Hebrews 1:1-2 says, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” God’s revelation has been fully given through Jesus Christ. There is no mention of God speaking through ongoing heavenly visitations by Mary or other saints after the time of the biblical prophets.
Apparitions Contradict the Bible’s Warnings
The Bible contains stern warnings about false prophets and deceptive spirits. 1 John 4:1 says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 2 Corinthians 11:14 warns that Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. So we must carefully compare any supposed supernatural occurrences with Scripture.
Apparitions of Mary often proclaim messages that contradict the Bible’s clear teachings. For example, the Mary of Fatima urged people to pray the rosary, but Jesus condemned vain repetition in prayer (Matthew 6:7). Apparitions promote praying to Mary and the saints, but 1 Timothy 2:5 declares Jesus as the one mediator between God and man. Visions of Mary put forward extra-biblical revelations not found in Scripture, which the Bible warns against in Revelation 22:18.
Deuteronomy 13: A Biblical Test
Deuteronomy 13 presents a test for determining if a prophet or visionary is from God or not. It says that even if a prophet performs signs and wonders, if he promotes worshiping false gods or contradicts God’s revelation, then he is a false prophet (Deuteronomy 13:1-5). The chapter goes on to forbid listening to such a prophet and commands putting him to death, under the Old Testament law (Deuteronomy 13:6-11).
This gives us a clear standard for testing Marian apparitions. Even if a vision of Mary seems miraculous, if her message promotes praying to Mary or contradicts the Bible, then we must reject the apparition as false according to Scripture. Venerating Mary or statues of her breaks the first and second commandments against idolatry (Exodus 20:3-6), so Scripture condemns this regardless of supernatural signs.
Testing the Spirits
1 John 4:1 encourages us to “test the spirits” to discern if they are from God. We do this by comparing their messages to the truths of Scripture. 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 warns that Satan masquerades as an angel of light and his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. So we must be on guard against deceptive spirits behind false visions.
Some apparitions directly contradict Jesus’ warnings about false prophets and failed predictions about His second coming (Matthew 24:23-27). The true Mary of the Bible would never contradict her divine Son’s words. So apparitions spreading such falsehoods in Jesus’ name expose themselves as deceptive spirits, not the real Mary.
A Desire for Signs and Wonders
Apparitions draw attention due to their seemingly supernatural nature. But the Bible suggests that an obsession with signs, wonders, and mystical experiences is a mark of spiritual immaturity and gullibility, not true faith. John 4:48 records Jesus saying, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.” 1 Corinthians 14:20 warns, “Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.”
A wicked and adulterous generation seeks a sign, according to Jesus in Matthew 12:38-39. But He says, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” In Luke 16:31, Jesus said, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” God’s Word is sufficient without needing apparitions and magical signs.
The Sufficiency of Scripture
The Bible contains everything we need for salvation, godly living, and discerning truth from error (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We must reject any extra-biblical messages proclaimed necessary for faith, regardless of supernatural signs attached to them. Scripture alone is our supreme authority, not personal mystical experiences.
Deuteronomy 4:2 declares, “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you.” Revelation 22:18 warns, “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.”
A Lack of Discernment
A lack of biblical discernment explains why many eagerly accept counterfeit apparitions without carefully testing them against Scripture. Almost any sign or wonder is believed if it supports people’s religious traditions or superstitions, rather than carefully analyzing their messages against God’s Word.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-11 says that God will send a “strong delusion” to those who “refused to love the truth.” They will believe what is false because they reject the truth of the gospel already revealed in Scripture. We must test everything carefully against the Bible to avoid being deceived.
The Real Mary Points to Jesus
The Mary of the Bible said of Jesus, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5). She sought to glorify her Son, not herself (John 2:1-12). The real Mary would never contradict Jesus’ clear warnings about deception and false prophets. Nor would she point people to praying rosaries to her, wearing scapulars, or venerating statues in her likeness – all practices Jesus condemned.
The Mary of Scripture would point people directly and exclusively to Jesus Himself. She knew Jesus was the only way to the Father (John 14:6). The Savior she bore would never share His glory with another (Isaiah 42:8). Any apparition promoting devotion to Mary or anything except faith in Jesus Christ alone must be rejected as false and deceptive.
Testing Modern Claims
When examining modern reports of Marian apparitions, we must compare their messages to Scripture. Any anti-biblical teachings or contradictions of Christ’s words indicate a lying spirit behind the visions. Our faith rests on God’s definitive revelation in the Bible, not subjective mystical experiences or unverifiable apparitions. Even if they seem genuinely miraculous, we must reject them if they conflict with God’s Word.
1 Corinthians 15:14 says, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” Our faith stands on Christ’s resurrection proven in Scripture, not miraculous claims centuries later lacking biblical support. We walk by faith, not by sight, according to 2 Corinthians 5:7. Chasing signs and wonders only breeds spiritual gullibility, not true faith.
Conclusion
The Bible lays out clear principles for testing apparitions and visions to see if they are from God. Any contradiction of previously revealed Scripture exposes the source as a lying spirit. While such occurrences may seem miraculous and draw great attention, we must remember Satan’s power to deceive with counterfeit signs and false wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9). Claimed visions of Mary must be carefully compared to the Bible to see if they align with God’s definitive revelation or draw people away into deception.
The Mary of Scripture knew Jesus as the sole truth and way to eternal life (John 14:6). She sought no glory for herself but pointed all to her Son and His word. The real Mary would never promote prayer to herself or repetitive rosaries not found in the Bible. We can know reports of Marian apparitions are untrue if they contradict Jesus’ warnings against signs and false prophets or add extra-biblical revelation.
Our supreme authority is Scripture alone – the Bible need not mention a supposed modern-day apparition for us to know it is false. God’s word equips us to test all claims and hold fast to what is true. The Bible is sufficient to keep us from deception and lead us to salvation through Christ alone. Keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus and God’s word protects us from counterfeit visions pointing toward anything except faith in the Son of God.