SHOULD WE TAKE THE VIRGIN BIRTH LITERALLY?

By Paul McGuire

I got an E Mail from a female listener the other day who told me that the Virgin Birth and story of Noah’s Ark , were not to be taken literally because they were scientifically impossible. In one sense she was right, it is scientifically impossible for a woman to conceive a child without male seed or sperm. This conception can take place through sexual intercourse or some form of artificial insemination. Yet, in both cases, male seed or sperm is necessary for conception to occur. 

However, in Matthew Chapter 1 we read, “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about; His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:18 (Life Application Bible) It is clear here that the Bible states that Mary became pregnant, not through any sexual union with Joseph, but through a supernatural act of the Holy Spirit. Nowhere in human history has a woman ever become pregnant without the introduction of male seed. In fact, scientifically, it is impossible for any woman to become pregnant without male seed. Yet, the whole point of the Virgin Birth is that God through the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary and gave birth to the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Obviously, people who reject the fact, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, also reject the reality of the Virgin Birth. But, sadly, many people who are Christians also reject the reality of the Virgin Birth. The reason for this is that they have had their belief system influenced by both secular humanism and liberal theology. In reality, liberal theology is secular humanism that simply uses religious words. From a philosophical point of view, liberal theology and secular humanism are the exact same thing. 

If we believe that the Virgin Birth is a metaphor or symbolic, then the birth of Jesus Christ really means nothing. If Christ is not divine, He obviously cannot save. But, then again in liberal theology and secular humanism, man does not need a Savior, because man is not sinful, only misguided. It is important to understand from a logical and rational point of view, that if the Virgin Birth is a metaphor or a fictional “religious story” to guide us, then all of scripture is reduced to symbolism, allegory or metaphor. As a result, the story of Adam and Eve is fictional, Noah’s Ark never really happened, Jonah was not really swallowed by a whale, the Red Sea did not part, Jesus was not born of a Virgin and Jesus Christ did not really resurrect from the dead. Also, there is no literal Second Coming of Christ or a real heaven or hell. In short, the entire Bible is simply religious metaphor or in author Joseph Campbell’s thinking, myths to live by. 

Of course this is all Alice in Wonderland logic. If the Bible is purely mythological or symbolic, it is fantasy. No matter how comforting, it is not really true. So the real question is, if the Bible is not really true, then why accept any of it? If the Bible is simply a myth, then if one is really intellectually honest, one should completely reject it in favor of the truth, no matter how difficult that truth may be to accept. If, the Bible is purely symbolic, than the evolutionists and humanists are absolutely right. We are here by accident and ultimately life has no real meaning or purpose! As such, morality is simply relative and “whatever feels good do it!” It really does not matter, because there is no meaning. We live in an absurd universe. Yet, if there is a real God as the Bible states that there is. If this real God has continually moved in history supernaturally by creating Adam and Eve literally in the Garden of Eden, if the Red Sea was parted, if Noah really did build an ark, if Jesus was truly born of a virgin and if Jesus Christ really did resurrect from the dead. Then reality is no longer meaningless and each persons life has meaning. If each person has been created by this Personal Living God of the Bible, then each of us is accountable for our lives and actions to this Living God. 

The truth of the matter is that the Bible is true scientifically, historically as well as spiritually. The Bible is not a set of religious metaphors or stories. The Bible is a true historical account of history. Jesus Christ is not simply an experience or a “religious trip.” Jesus Christ is the real Savior and the Lamb of God. Jesus Christ is Lord of all of human history. In terms of consciousness, live undergoes a massive paradigm shift. Reality is now lived in the light of God’s presence. Instead of rebelling from God’s divine order, each of us must choose to live under the Lordship of Christ. In addition, we must understand that when we choose to rebel from God’s rule, then we must accept the fact that there will be some kind of penalty or judgment. This does not mean God is sitting up in heaven, with a lightning bolt waiting to zap us. Judgment may simply mean that we will experience the biological, spiritual and psychological consequences of our rebellion. Clearly, the Bible teaches that there is forgiveness for our sins, through the blood of Christ. But, we must understand that Christianity is truth and not a religion. As such, the world we live in is a real world where God interacts at every level with our lives. Finally, freedom is found not in rebelling from God’s order, but by obeying His rules and seeking His divine guidance. Freedom cannot be found through escapism, either intellectually, as in the sense of lying and saying God’s Word is not really true, but simply a myth. Nor can freedom and fulfillment be found through moral escapism and choosing to break God’s laws. Freedom can only be found in surrendering our wills to the will of God.