Must We Believe in the Virgin Birth?

[Guest shiloh357]

Must Christians Believe in the Virgin Birth?

from Albert Mohler

With December 25 fast approaching, the secular media are sure to turn their interest once again to the virgin birth. Every Christmas, weekly news magazines and various editorialists engage in a collective gasp that so many Americans could believe such an unscientific, supernatural doctrine. For some, the belief that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin is nothing less than evidence of intellectual dimness. One writer for the New York Times put the lament plainly: “The faith in the Virgin Birth reflects the way American Christianity is becoming less intellectual and more mystical over time.”

Does belief in the virgin birth make Christians “less intellectual?” Are we saddled with an untenable doctrine? Can a true Christian deny the virgin birth, or is the doctrine an essential component of the Gospel revealed to us in Scripture?

The doctrine of the virgin birth was among the first to be questioned and then rejected after the rise of historical criticism and the undermining of biblical authority that inevitably followed. Critics claimed that since the doctrine is taught in “only” two of the four Gospels, it must be optional. The apostle Paul, they argued, did not mention it in his sermons in Acts, so he must not have believed it. Besides, the critics argued, the doctrine is just so supernatural. Modern heretics like retired Episcopal bishop John Shelby Spong argue the doctrine was just evidence of the early church’s over-claiming of Christ’s deity. It is, Spong tells us, the “entrance myth” to go with the resurrection, the “exit myth.” If only Spong were a myth.

Now, even some revisionist evangelicals claim that belief in the virgin birth is unnecessary. The meaning of the miracle is enduring, they argue, but the historical truth of the doctrine is not important.

Must one believe in the virgin birth to be a Christian? It is conceivable that someone might come to Christ and trust Christ as Savior without yet learning the Bible teaches that Jesus was born of a virgin. A new believer is not yet aware of the full structure of Christian truth. The real question is this: Can a Christian, once aware of the Bible’s teaching, reject the virgin birth? The answer must be no.

Matthew tells us that before Mary and Joseph “came together,” Mary “was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 1:18). This, Matthew explains, fulfilled what Isaiah promised: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name ‘Immanuel,’ which translated means ‘God with Us’” (Matt. 1:23, Isaiah 9:6-7).

Luke provides even greater detail, revealing Mary was visited by an angel who explained that she, though a virgin, would bear the divine child: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy child shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

Even if the virgin birth was taught by only one biblical passage, that would be sufficient to obligate all Christians to the belief. We have no right to weigh the truthfulness of biblical teachings by their repetition in Scripture. We cannot claim to believe the Bible is the Word of God and then turn around and cast suspicion on its teaching.

Millard Erickson states this well: “If we do not hold to the virgin birth despite the fact that the Bible asserts it, then we have compromised the authority of the Bible and there is in principle no reason why we should hold to its other teachings. Thus, rejecting the virgin birth has implications reaching far beyond the doctrine itself.”

Implications, indeed. If Jesus was not born of a virgin, who was His father? There is no answer that will leave the Gospel intact. The virgin birth explains how Christ could be both God and man, how He was without sin, and that the entire work of salvation is God’s gracious act. If Jesus was not born of a virgin, He had a human father. If Jesus was not born of a virgin, the Bible teaches a lie.

Carl F. H. Henry, the dean of evangelical theologians, argues that the virgin birth is the “essential, historical indication of the Incarnation, bearing not only an analogy to the divine and human natures of the Incarnate, but also bringing out the nature, purpose, and bearing of this work of God to salvation.” Well said, and well believed.

The secularist editors of the nation’s news magazines and newspapers may find belief in the virgin birth to be evidence of intellectual backwardness among American Christians. But this is the faith of the church, established in God’s perfect Word, and cherished by the true church throughout the ages. Those who deny the virgin birth affirm other doctrines only by force of whim, for they have already surrendered the authority of Scripture. They have undermined Christ’s nature and nullified the incarnation.

Christians must face the fact that a denial of the virgin birth is a denial of Jesus as the Christ. The Savior who died for our sins was none other than the baby who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of a virgin. The virgin birth does not stand alone as a biblical doctrine, it is an irreducible part of the biblical revelation about the person and work of Jesus Christ. With it, the Gospel stands or falls.

This much we know: All those who find salvation will be saved by the atoning work of Jesus the Christ, the virgin-born Savior. Anything less than this is just not Christianity, whatever it may call itself. A Christian will not deny the virgin birth.

 

https://www.ligonier.org/blog/must-christians-believe-virgin-birth/

[Guest shiloh357]

Why is the Virgin Birth Important?  Don Stewart Explains why: 

1. Jesus Had A Heavenly Origin

The most important reason to hold the belief in the Virgin Birth concerns Jesus' identity as God the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity. If Joseph were His true father, then Jesus would be only a human being. He would not be the Son of God as Scripture clearly states. He would have had His beginning in time rather than eternally existing. As the Bible states,

In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God (John 1:1).

Thus the Virgin Birth is crucial to Jesus being the Son of God.

2. Jesus Had A Sinless Nature

A second reason why the Virgin Birth is important concerns the sinless character of Christ. If Jesus had a human father, then He would have inherited a sinful nature as the rest of us have. The Bible says.

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, . . . thus death spread to all, because all sinned (Romans 5:12).

To the contrary the Scripture states that Jesus never sinned. Peter wrote,

Who [Jesus] committed no sin, nor was guile found in his mouth (1 Peter 2:22).

John testified.

And you know that he was manifested to take away our sins, and in him there is no sin (1 John 3:5).

If Jesus were the son of Joseph, then His sinless character would only be a myth.

3. Jesus Was The Perfect Sacrifice

A third reason why the Virgin Birth is crucial to the Christian faith concerns our salvation. Without the sinlessness of Christ there would be no salvation. Christ came, according to the Apostle Paul, to save those who were under the law.

But when the fulness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons (Galatians 4:4,5).

This echoes Jesus' own statement,

For the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost (Luke 19:10).

God required a sacrifice that was without blemish, "Your lamb shall be without blemish" (Exodus 12:5). If Jesus were a sinner in any sense of the word, then He could not provide salvation for us. However, because He came into the world by supernatural means and lived a sinless life, He could be that sacrifice for our sins without spot and without blemish. The Bible makes this clear:

For he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

4. It Shows The Uniqueness Of Christ

What the virgin birth does is show the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. No one else has ever come into the world the same way as Jesus. The unique and miraculous nature of Jesus carried on through His entire life. His birth was a miracle, His public ministry consisted of miracles, Jesus miraculously lived a sinless life, He miraculously came back from the dead, and left this world in a miraculous way. From His entrance into this world until His departure, the life of Jesus Christ was a miracle.

5. The Bible Says So

The fifth reason to believe in the Virgin Birth is because the Bible says so. If Jesus were not actually born of a virgin then the Bible is wrong. If it is wrong concerning the Virgin Birth, then it is possible that it may be in error about other matters. Once the door opens to the possibility of error in Scripture the eventual and logical result is that the entire foundation of the Christian faith will crumble. The doctrine of the Virgin Birth and the credibility of Christianity go hand-in-hand.

Summary

There are at least five reasons why the virgin conception of Christ is an important doctrine. First, it confirms Jesus heavenly origin. Second, it is necessary for His sinless nature. In addition, the virgin conception was also necessary for Him to be the perfect sacrifice. It also points out the uniqueness of Jesus. Finally, the virgin birth is important because the Bible says that is what happened.

 

https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/don_stewart/don_stewart_1330.cfm

[listener24]

It seems rather simple: we believe He is the Son of God, therefore, of course He can have a virgin birth, as well as performing dozens of other miracles. Why should this be harder than resurrection, healing mutes, paralytics, deaf, walking on waters, creating matter(food)?  

If someone doesn't believe He is the son of God, then he won't believe neither this nor any other miracles.

I don't see anything "intellectually shocking" here

 

Edited December 15, 2017 by listener24

[Guest shiloh357]

17 minutes ago, listener24 said:

It seems rather simple: we believe He is the Son of God, therefore, of course He can have a virgin birth, as well as performing dozens of other miracles. Why should this be harder than resurrection, healing mutes, paralytics, deaf, waling on waters, creating matter(food)?  

If someone doesn't believe He is the son of God, then he won't believe neither this nor any other miracles.

I don't see anything "intellectually shocking" here

 

You would probably be surprised just how hard many in theological world have fought to down play and diminish the importance of the doctrine of the virgin birth of Jesus.  For a lot of us, it is essential doctrine, but there has been, historically, a fierce attempt to reject that doctrine.

[listener24]

12 minutes ago, shiloh357 said:

You would probably be surprised just how hard many in theological world have fought to down play and diminish the importance of the doctrine of the virgin birth of Jesus.  For a lot of us, it is essential doctrine, but there has been, historically, a fierce attempt to reject that doctrine.

Yeah I'm often surprised when "learned" men overcomplicate simple Truths of faith  Thanks for the heads up, I was missing that they created complications on this too!

[Blood Bought 1953]

 If people can’t handle the virgin both , I wonder what they think about a talking donkey or a man who lived three days in the belly of a fish...if there is no God these things did not happen..., if there IS a God  ,The one who spoke and nothing became everthing  would have no problem at all performing these miracles. If you don’t believe in the Virgin Birth ,you believe nothing....it’s ALL or nothing.....one would be a fool on the level of Thomas Jefferson,who took a razor blade and cut out miracles and other things he did not like,to think one could pick and choose

 

 

Edited December 15, 2017 by Sam Smith

[Unfailing Presence]

Those of  modern Theological world are only the latest in a very old line of virgin birth haters :

                                              " Then they said unto Him , ' we be not born of fornication..... '  " ( John 8:41 ) .

It is obvious to me that Joseph, Mary & Jesus  endured much ridicule and mocking regarding the mysterious  circumstances  surrounding her pregnancy .

I think what often gets overlooked in the story is the incredible strength and faith that characterized Joseph . 

One bible personality we are given very little information about , but whom I admire as much as any of them .

[Blood Bought 1953]

 I think this ridicule was behind Mary’s eagerness for her Son to perform a miracle at the Cana wedding,even though Jesus said it wasn’t the time for it yet.....she surely thought that would shut a lot of mouths-maybe there “was” some truth to her miraculous motherhood.....just a theory lol

[4LdKHVCzRDj2]

3 hours ago, listener24 said:

I don't see anything "intellectually shocking" here

It is just hardened hearts due to sin. Science is "improving", men are starting to think they can escape the wrath of God, that they can overcome death, fix the world, etc.

Just usual arrogance of the latter times. Come, Lord Jesus!

"For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy
unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!" - 2 Timothy 3:2-5

[HAZARD]

God created everything including Adam from the dust of the ground of the very earth He created. God then put Adam to sleep and took a rib from his side and created Eve, both Adam and Eve were created in the very image and likeness of God. It would be no difficult task for God to have the Word, who became flesh and dwelt among us, to be born of a virgin.

John 1:10, He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew Him not.

These so called intellectuals,  who deny the virgin birth of Christ are non-believers, they know Him not, in my opinion, making out God is a lier through His Word. God's Word says Jesus was born of a virgin and that is enough for any believer. Those who say and teach He was not born of a virgin don't know God at all.

John 5:39, Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

They obviously have not searched the Scriptures, and if they have, they simply refuse to believe what they read.