The Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ
by Owen Borville
May 12, 2019
Bible
The virgin birth of Jesus Christ is an important tenet of the Christian faith and therefore evidence for this miraculous event is extremely crucial to the faith. There are several Biblical verses that cite the occurrence of the Virgin Birth from different authors and this gives greater credibility to the concept. The prophet Isaiah predicts the birth of Jesus Christ centuries before its occurrence seven centuries later:
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14.
Much has been written about the translation of the word "virgin" associated with this verse, as it has also been translated as "young woman or maiden" from the Hebrew word "almah" and that the later Greek translation, "parthenos," corresponded with "virgin." Scholars have mentioned that the meaning of the word has changed over time. However, regardless of whether the intention was to refer to "virgin" or "young woman," scholars assert that the overall intention was to imply or explain that Jesus was born to a woman that had not been with a man or had relations. It is clear from Isaiah and the Gospels of Matthew and Luke that Mary was a woman that had not been with a man or had relations before the conception and birth of Jesus Christ.
While the gospel writers Matthew and Luke describe the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, some have questioned why the Gospels of Mark and John do not specifically mention the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. However, the omission of this information does not mean that it was not true. It is possible that the authors of Mark and John did not know about the virgin birth. Mark was the earliest gospel written and it is possible that Mark did not know about the virgin birth. The Gospel of John was the latest or last gospel written and because Matthew and Luke had covered the issue, it is possible that John did not feel the need to discuss it any more or even mention it. Each gospel author had a unique style and these differences in style can be a strength for the authenticity of the Gospel message and not a weakness. The fact that multiple disciples and apostles wrote about Jesus Christ and particularly of the virgin birth should be a strong case for the authenticity of the Gospel message as a whole.
Both the Gospels of Matthew and Luke are clear that the birth of Jesus was the result of the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost coming upon Mary and that the birth was not of normal means. Both gospels also confirm that Joseph did not take Mary as his wife until Jesus Christ was already conceived of the Holy Spirit and born. Therefore, two different disciples explain the virgin birth of Jesus and therefore John possibly did not feel the need to include this information in his later version of the Gospel. The fact that two different disciples of Jesus explicitly mention the virgin birth of Jesus Christ should be strong evidence for the event. In addition, the fact that both disciples specifically use the term virgin implies that that was the intended meaning of the word. Therefore, the confusion about the meaning of the word, whether meaning virgin or young woman, should not be an issue. The two words or terms virgin and young woman were almost synonymous with each other and there should not be any confusion as to what the writers of the gospels or Isaiah actually meant. While the original word "almah" that Isaiah used did not explicitly mean "virgin," scholars assert that this is what Isaiah had in mind and that there is no evidence that Isaiah implied that Mary was not a virgin before the conception and birth of Jesus Christ.
The Gospel of Matthew Specifically Describes the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ:
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (Isaiah 7:14) 24 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. Matthew 1:18-25.
Luke 1:26-38 Specifically Foretells the Birth of Jesus
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 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. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing shall be impossible. 38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:26-38 KJV.
Luke 2:1-21 Specifically Describes the Birth of Jesus in Greater Detail
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. 21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. Luke 2:1-21 KJV
by Owen Borville
May 12, 2019
Bible
The virgin birth of Jesus Christ is an important tenet of the Christian faith and therefore evidence for this miraculous event is extremely crucial to the faith. There are several Biblical verses that cite the occurrence of the Virgin Birth from different authors and this gives greater credibility to the concept. The prophet Isaiah predicts the birth of Jesus Christ centuries before its occurrence seven centuries later:
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14.
Much has been written about the translation of the word "virgin" associated with this verse, as it has also been translated as "young woman or maiden" from the Hebrew word "almah" and that the later Greek translation, "parthenos," corresponded with "virgin." Scholars have mentioned that the meaning of the word has changed over time. However, regardless of whether the intention was to refer to "virgin" or "young woman," scholars assert that the overall intention was to imply or explain that Jesus was born to a woman that had not been with a man or had relations. It is clear from Isaiah and the Gospels of Matthew and Luke that Mary was a woman that had not been with a man or had relations before the conception and birth of Jesus Christ.
While the gospel writers Matthew and Luke describe the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, some have questioned why the Gospels of Mark and John do not specifically mention the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. However, the omission of this information does not mean that it was not true. It is possible that the authors of Mark and John did not know about the virgin birth. Mark was the earliest gospel written and it is possible that Mark did not know about the virgin birth. The Gospel of John was the latest or last gospel written and because Matthew and Luke had covered the issue, it is possible that John did not feel the need to discuss it any more or even mention it. Each gospel author had a unique style and these differences in style can be a strength for the authenticity of the Gospel message and not a weakness. The fact that multiple disciples and apostles wrote about Jesus Christ and particularly of the virgin birth should be a strong case for the authenticity of the Gospel message as a whole.
Both the Gospels of Matthew and Luke are clear that the birth of Jesus was the result of the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost coming upon Mary and that the birth was not of normal means. Both gospels also confirm that Joseph did not take Mary as his wife until Jesus Christ was already conceived of the Holy Spirit and born. Therefore, two different disciples explain the virgin birth of Jesus and therefore John possibly did not feel the need to include this information in his later version of the Gospel. The fact that two different disciples of Jesus explicitly mention the virgin birth of Jesus Christ should be strong evidence for the event. In addition, the fact that both disciples specifically use the term virgin implies that that was the intended meaning of the word. Therefore, the confusion about the meaning of the word, whether meaning virgin or young woman, should not be an issue. The two words or terms virgin and young woman were almost synonymous with each other and there should not be any confusion as to what the writers of the gospels or Isaiah actually meant. While the original word "almah" that Isaiah used did not explicitly mean "virgin," scholars assert that this is what Isaiah had in mind and that there is no evidence that Isaiah implied that Mary was not a virgin before the conception and birth of Jesus Christ.
The Gospel of Matthew Specifically Describes the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ:
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (Isaiah 7:14) 24 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. Matthew 1:18-25.
Luke 1:26-38 Specifically Foretells the Birth of Jesus
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 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. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing shall be impossible. 38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:26-38 KJV.
Luke 2:1-21 Specifically Describes the Birth of Jesus in Greater Detail
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. 21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. Luke 2:1-21 KJV
