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F urther evidence in support of the truth of the virgin birth is found in the very fact of the inspiration of the Bible , for the entire vast weight of testimony which proves it to be a supernatural Book also stands be hind each one of its claims. If the Bible is inspired of .God, then the narrative of the virgin birth-should need no further defense. If the Bible is in error when it carefully records the details of the birth of Christ, who then can trust its message when it speaks of the salvation purchased by His death? Indeed, if the fact of the virgin birth will not stand, then the doctrine of inspiration falls with it, for the whole cannot be true if the component parts are false. Actually, the truth of the virgin birth is well attested, for the doctrine is not drawn from one or two isolated passages of Scripture. The Gospel writers are everywhere careful to pro tect the fact that the event of which they wrote was not an ordinary birth. Even the change of expression re corded in Matthew 1:16 is significant. The writer does not say that “ Joseph begat Christ,” which form would be in accord with the rest of the geneo- logical table, but rather that Joseph is “ the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus.” Matthew further states clearly that conception was not of Joseph, but by the direct action of the Holy Spirit “ before they came together” (1:18, 25). Likewise, Luke constantly guards against giving the impression that this was anything other than a virgin birth (Luke 1:43; 2:5, 33, 43). Although it was inevi table under the circumstances that Joseph should be thought the father of the child, Luke 3:23 states this was but a supposed relationship. (4) The origin of the doctrine. Sup pose for the moment that the birth of Christ was by ordinary human generation, as every opponent of the virgin birth will advocate. What was it then that gave rise to the idea that it was a virgin birth? It cannot be dismissed as mere tradition, for leg ends and traditions take generations to formulate, while the virgin birth was believed and preached during the earliest years of the Christian era.
The doctrine is found in all the creeds and confessions of the church. The important Apostle’s Creed (100-150 A.D.) contains the statement that Christ was bom of the Virgin Mary, while the very brevity of this creed indicates that it contains only the central and essential doctrines of the faith. There is no satisfactory explan ation for such widespread early be lief in this doctrine except that it was founded upon actual fact. (5) The honesty of the writers. As Godet remarked, these were “men of good sense and good faith.” They were responsible biographers, not men lightly spinning yarns for the enter tainment of their hearers. Matthew was one of the 12 who lived with Christ. Luke was a trained physician recording the testimony of eyewit nesses; moreover, he knew James, the brother of Jesus, and was a compan ion of Paul and Silas. Such men were not deluded, nor were they the will ful fabricators of idle tales. Their sheer honesty lends weight to every detail of the birth narrative. (6) If Jesus were not virgin born, who then was His father? The angel Gabriel said that Joseph was not the father, and Gabriel came from the very presence of God. Matthew and Luke said that Joseph was not the father, and they wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. But in the last analysis Joseph and Mary are the two persons from whom the truth must finally come. Now Joseph said he was not the father, and Jo seph was a just and righteous man. The behavior of Joseph as recorded in Matthew 1:19 proves that he was innocent of the conception, for, being a just man and in fidelity to the law of the Lord, he was minded to put her away privily. Mary likewise testified that Joseph was not the fath er, and through the centuries she has been blessed among women. As for Mary, her innocence of any forni cation is reflected throughout all of her subsequent actions. This is most clearly seen when one stops to ana lyze the psychological aspects of her behavior. Such evidence will last be summarized in the next and conclud ing article, “ The Psychology of the Virgin Birth.” (T o be concluded.)
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