*S)t i i v i t a l to h e lileve in THE VIRGIN
BIRTH
By I. M. Haldeman, D.D.*
A ' LARGE number of people, pro fessed Christians among them, think it of no importance whether or not you believe in the virgin birth. They look upon it, so they say, as altogether a matter of theological inter pretation, having nothing to do whatever with what they are pleased to call the “vital” side of Christianity. I affirm it makes a great difference, a difference so great, so radical, that should the church consent to cut it out of the doctrine of Christianity, Chris tianity would have no decent, moral nor intellectual basis on which to stand. I ask you to consider, 1. The effect on the name, the charac ter and reputation of Mary, the mother of Jesus, if He were not Virgin Bom. She was espoused to Joseph. Espousal in that day was something more than lip service. The parties to espousal must come before the elders of the congregation and pledge their vows. In making her vow the woman com mitted herself to and assumed all the responsibility of a wife. Before the marriage ceremony was performed she was looked upon by the elders, by the congregation, and the neighborhood, as a wife. When the angel would comfort Joseph concerning Mary’s condition with child, even though they had not yet come to gether, he said: “ Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife” (Matt. 1:20). * Born, 18i5; died 1933; was pastor of the First Baptist Church of New York, N. Y., for forty-nine years; one of the most outstanding exponents of the evangelical faith and particularly of the Second Coming of Christ who ever lived.
and bade him without fear to take Mary to himself we read in Matthew that he “took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her first born son: and he called his name Jesus” (Matt. 1:24, 25). This is the plain statement that mar riage between Joseph and Mary had not been consummated before he brought her home; that it was not consummated till after Jesus was born. It is the Holy Ghost demonstration that, so far as Mary was concerned, she was virgin to Joseph till after Jesus was born. It is the Holy Ghost demonstration that so far as Joseph was concerned, he was virgin to Mary till after Jesus was born. What more would you have? What more need you have to prove, at the least, that Joseph was not the father of Jesus? ■Since then Joseph was not the father of Jesus, behold where it places Mary if Jesus were not virgin born. It brings her into the light as Joseph’s accredited wife, and mother of a child of whom he was not the father. As his wife it makes her guilty of breaking wedlock. It makes her guilty of fornication. It makes her guilty of adultery. Deny the virgin birth and this is the category in which by inexorable logic you are under bonds to put Mary the mother of Jesus. Deny the virgin birth and you give to Mary, the mother of Christ, a stain, a shame, that all the waters of all the seven seas can never wash out. Think you it a light matter to put this indelible stain upon the mother of our Lord? Deny the virgin birth and this is what you do to the consternation, even, of devils.
In the eyes of God and man Mary had all the reputation and responsibil ity of a wife to maintain. That Joseph was not the father of Mary’s child ought to be self-evident to every logical, intellectual and decent mind. When he discovered she was about to become a mother, he determined to divorce her. Divorce in Israel was both solemn and serious. The parties to divorce must present themselves to the elders in open meeting. The case would be fully and search- ingly tried. If the woman were found guilty she would be taken out to a public place or field, the whole populace would surround her and under command of the elders, without mercy, they would stone her to death. Joseph knew this would be the doom appointed to Mary if he sought publicly to divorce her. He was not willing to do that. He believed she had proved false to him. But he still loved her. He therefore determined to put her away privately. He would put in the claim of annul ment against his own vows and set her aside, having henceforth no more to do with her. This is what Scripture means when it says: “ Then Joseph her husband [mark, even before the marriage ceremony he is recognized as “husband,” as she is, as “wife” ], being a. just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily” (Matt. 1:19). But the living God never allows us to be in doubt about the truth. After the angel had spoken to Joseph
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