A PHYSICIAN LOOKS A T . . . THE
I n our C hristian faith and heritage there are certain doctrines which are held to be essential, such as the deity of our Lord, His virgin birth, His atoning work on the cross, His bodily resurrection, and His return in glory. Because of their importance, Christians should have an intelligent understanding of these doctrines and as occasion arises be ready to “ give an answer to every man that asketh,” an answer which will be accurate and help ful. (.1) W e believe in the virgin birth because the Bible states plainly and unequivocally that Jesus was born of a virgin. Both Matthew and Luke give the background and details of the event with wonderful delicacy and with unmistakable clarity. Luke is thought to have had his story directly from Mary. Matthew may have gotten his information from Joseph. Matthew states categorical ly that the virgin birth was a direct fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. To the evangelical believer these clear state ments are sufficient. (2) W e believe in the virgin birth because the doctrine was held in unbroken sequence in the Church until the rise of the modem higher critical school which is charac terized by its questioning, or denying of the supernatural and the miraculous. This divergence from the evangeli cal faith began in Germany during the nineteenth cen tury and has continued down to our own day, English and American theological circle not having escaped its influence. While tradition is not infallible, nevertheless the fact that belief in the virgin birth has come to us down through the centuries, from those who lived closest to those early events, is a matter of evidence which carries great weight. (3) W e believe in the virgin birth because it is the only logical explanation of the incarnation —the union of deity and humanity in one person. Dr. James Orr, noted professor at the United Free College in Glasgow, once wrote: “Among those who reject the virgin birth I
do not know a single one who takes, in other respects, an adequate view of the person and work of the Saviour. It is well for us to consider the sobering fact that when one tampers with the great doctrines of Christianity, particularly those having to do with the person and work of our Lord, one does not pull out a doctrine here and there and leave an unimpaired Christ. A careful reading of God’s Word makes it abundantly clear that these great truths hang together and they also fit together perfectly.” (4) W e believe in the virgin birth because it is not one whit rrtore remarkable than the bodily resurrection of our Lord, the very keystone of our hope of eternity and also one of the best attested facts of history. Our faith does not stagger at the glorious truth that our Saviour died for our sins and arose for our justification. Nor should it hold back when faced with the record of how He came into the world. If we look at the record of Christ in retro spect—His life, miracles, teachings, claims, death, resur rection and ascension—we see that His virgin birth fits perfectly into the picture and it is the only logical ex planation of His entrance into the world. (5) W e believe in the virgin birth because the One who was born was the Creator of the world, and He now comes back to redeem it from His own. It is no idle tale that, “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing that was made.” In the supernatural course of events it is only logical that He should come in a super natural manner. (6) W e are convinced as to the fact of the virgin birth because there is no other possible explanation of the psychology involved: the reactions of those intimately associated with the event. The internal evidences here are so overwhelming that this factor cannot be overesti- mated. Remember the strict Jewish law with reference to espousal; as binding as marriage itself. Remember
,
r
.
,
■
^
c
v
THE KING'S BUSINESS
14
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker