Don Stewart :: Why Is the Doctrine of the Virgin Birth Important?
Don Stewart
Why is this one doctrine so important? Does it matter whether or not Jesus was born of a virgin? There are at least five reasons why it is important to believe in the Virgin Birth.
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.
This seems to be an issue of great importance for some people. Usually they are devotees of some sort of systemic theology. Therefore to even consider Mary wasn't a Virgin disrupts the entire equation at the foundation and the house of cards comes tumbling down - just as Don Stewart outlines.
But I think the better question isn't, does Don Stewart think a virgin birth is a basic paramount belief, but do Jesus, Paul, James, Jude, John, Mark and Peter think it a belief of paramount importance? This is an answer easily answered, since none of them even mentioned it once.
Khutzpah has strongly implied that you don't have to beiieve that Jesus was born of a Virgin to be saved.even though God's inspired Word definitely states that Jesus was born of a virgin. And of course if Jesus was born in a natural way he would not be **GOD** and God's Word states **7 TIMES THAT JESUS IS GOD** And then the blood of Jesus could not make atonement for our sins.
Using this logic you could also say that you can **ADD WORDS** or **TAKE WORDS AWAY** FROM THE BOOK OF REVELATION** and still be saved. However Jesus Himself would disagree with you!!
Revelation 22:16-19: "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony **FOT THE CHURCHES.... I warn everyone who hears the words of this prophecy of this scroll: If anyone **ADDS** anything to them God will add to them the plagues described in this book {Including eternal torment in hell as per Rev 14:9-11}And if anyone **TAKES WORDS AWAY* {Like Khutzpah & Quiznos} from this book of prophecy, God will take away from them any share in the Tree of Life and in the Holy City {The eternal New Jerusalem} which are described in this book!!"
John 12:48: Jesus says, "There is a Judge for the one who does not accept My Words, the very words have spoken will **CONDEMN THEM** at the Last Day.
So here Jesus promises that anyone that does not accept **ALL* of His words will be **CONDEMNED** and **NOT BE SAVED**!!
John 16:12-14: Jesus says,, "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when the spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all the Truth. He will not speak on his own, he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will **GLORIY ME BECAUSE IT IS **FROM ME**THAT HE WILL RECEIVE WHAT HE WILL MAKE KNOWN TO YOU**!!"
And so Jesus tells the holy spirit to inspire the 8 writers of the New Testament to write the exact words that Jesus wants them to write.
Hebrews 12:1,2: Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us , fixing our **EYES ON JESUS**, the **AUTHOR** and **PERFECTOR** of our faith!!
I've discussed/debated with several Orthodox Rabbis over the years. They think they are going to get me over the virgin birth prophesy in Isaiah. They can't because I agree the Hebrew is ambiguous. Then they will say Jesus was an illegitimate child from Roman solider named Pantera. My response is it doesn't matter. What matters is what G-D accomplished through Jesus. I don't get hung up on "Christianology". For some of you, your world would fall apart if you found out Jesus was from a illegitimate union. Why? Because your faith is based on a formula about Jesus rather than a relationship with Jesus. My faith isn't in formulated ideas about Jesus. My faith is in the Jesus who sets people free and empowers them to follow G-D. "He who the son sets free is free indeed!"
Matthew 1:20-23: The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sin." All this took place to fulfill what the lord had said through the prophet {Isaiah 7:14} 'The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they will call Him **IMMANUEL**which means **GOD WITH US**!"
Luke 1:30-33: The angel said to Mary. "Do not be afraid Mary, you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a Son, and you are to call Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father, David, and He will reign over Jacob's descendants **FOREVER**. **HIS KINGDOM WILL NEVER END**!"
but do Jesus, Paul, James, Jude, John, Mark and Peter think it a belief of paramount importance? This is an answer easily answered, since none of them even mentioned it once.
End quote
Then if it wasn't mentioned, how would you know Sherlock?
Interesting that Islam accepts the virgin birth although they believe that Jesus (Isa) was only a Holy prophet.
From the Qur'an:
"She said, "How shall I have a boy when no man has touched me, nor have I been unchaste?" He said, "Thus shall it be. Thy Lord says, ‘It is easy for Me.’" And [it is thus] that We might make him a sign unto mankind, and a mercy from Us. And it is a matter decreed."
From the Gospels:
Luke introduces Mary as a virgin, describes her puzzlement at being told she will bear a child despite her lack of sexual experience, and informs the reader that this pregnancy is to be effected through God's Holy Spirit.
