Shareware Overload Trio 2/Shareware Overload Trio Volume 2 (Chestnut CD-ROM).ISO/dir32/alphon_5.zip/8301/VIRGIN

Text File | 1993-10-02 | 12KB | 248 lines

                  THE VIRGIN BIRTH.

        The virgin birth of our Lord Jesus Christ has been questioned
       time and time again ever since the message of salvation through
       Christ became a living force in this world and it is still being
       questioned in these our, 'uncertain,' times with what seems to be
       renewed vigour, not only by the unbeliever but by many theologians,
       to the confusion and dismay of committed Christians everywhere.

        It has been under attack from unbelievers for an obvious
       reason of course because, not only is it one of the foundation
       stones of the Christian faith, it is the place where the Deity of
       our Lord is established once and for all time.

        The Scriptures declare He was conceived by the Holy Ghost and
       born of a special woman who was chosen by God in the 'fullness of
       time' to be the one to fulfill the prophecy in Genesis 3:15 and
       Isaiah 7:14 where, in Isaiah, the Septuagint version of the
       Scriptures, (which had been in use for over 200 years at this
       time), revealed it in the words, 'Behold a virgin shall conceive
       and bring forth a child and thou shall call his name Immanuel,
       meaning God with us.'

        It was an act of God in fulfillment of His Promises!

        The scholars, who translated the Hebrew and Aramaic Scriptures
       into Greek at the behest of Ptolemy Philadelphus about 250 years
       before the birth of Christ, translated the 'almah' of the Hebrew
       into the 'parthenos' of the Greek in Isaiah 7:14 and this word
       'parthenos' is found in Matthew, Luke, Acts, First Corinthians,
       Second Corinthians and Revelation and, to those who look with
       derision upon the concept of a young woman being capable of bearing
       a child and remaining a virgin, this word 'parthenos' meaning
       'virgin,' (not 'almah' which speaks of a 'young woman'), destroys
       the basis of their argument, an argument which relies upon the word
       being translated as 'woman,' to give them opportunity for their
       speculation.

        However, if they were really sincere, they would acknowledge
       this for it is there for all to see.

        Of course they will not because their aim is to destroy the
       faith of the believer but, it is somewhat of a shock, when
       prominent theologians and eminent leaders of the established
       Church add their view that, 'the belief in a virgin birth is
       neither necessary nor an integral part of God's Plan of Salvation'
       and, when they do, many believers are naturally concerned or
       confused because their faith is being challenged by those in whom
       their trust has always been confidently centered.

        There is no doubt that ever since the Gospel times all kinds
       of methods were used to try and discredit our Lord and His mother
       and the pure message of His teaching. Indeed, over the years, many
       stories have surfaced which were devised to cast doubt on the
       'virgin birth' of Christ and the good news He proclaimed that the
       'Kingdom of God was at hand.'

        However to suggest this accusation was levelled at either His
       mother or Himself during His years of growing up, or His years of
       ministry, is not only without foundation but is foolish and even
       dangerous because the views given appeal to the unbeliever as
       being logical.

       Nevertheless, at the outset, let us use some logic ourselves!

        1. The Scriptures record, 'He grew up in favour with God and
           man.'

        2. Simeon gave praise in the Temple in the midst of all who
           were with him there that his prayer had been answered and
           he had seen 'the Lord's Christ' before he himself faced
           death.  Luke 2:26.

        3. It is difficult to believe Mary would have been accepted at
           the Temple when she presented the child at the end of her
           days of purification if there were any hint of impurity in
           her.

        4. On His twelfth birthday He was found in the Temple,
           'sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and
           asking them questions.'

        5. John the Baptist publicly pointed to Him as the 'one who
           was to come after Him, 'whose way he had prepared.'

        6. Jesus was accepted at the synagogue where He went on the
           Sabbath as was His custom, and 'stood up to read.'

        7. The chief priests and scribes sought for ways to discredit
           HIm all the days of His ministry and could find no cause.

        8. People thronged to hear His words and many believed Him to
           be the Son of God as He proclaimed.

        9. At His trial no accusation could be brought against Him
           either before the Council or before Pilate.

         There is no way any of the above would have been possible
       had anyone been able to bring the accusation of illegitimacy
       against Him!

             ************************

        It is easy to understand why those who opposed the Gospel
       levelled accusation after accusation at all who followed the Way
       and preached it with such power that it drew those who heard it
       away from worshipping false gods to this new and living Way, but it
       must be repeated, with added emphasis, that neither during His life
       on earth nor during the lifetime of the Gospel writers and those
       who immediately followed them, was there any suggestion that either
       He or His mother were 'besmirched,' as one of the expositors puts
       it, with the 'stigma' of illegitimacy.

        That accusation has come since and comes now either, from the
       unbeliever who wishes to turn the believer from their life of faith
       or, from the theologian or Church leader who has made the gospel
       his profession for reward rather than a foundation for bringing
       lost souls into the arms of grace.

        No one seems to know when this heresy first surfaced but
       obviously it is designed to cast doubt on the Word of God and in
       particular upon the New Testament and the Deity and ministry of the
       Lord Jesus and it seems most likely that, as the Gospel began to
       flourish and draw others into the Truth of The Way, those who
       opposed it began this insidious campaign.

        It was clearly evident in the early 18th century because many
       of the expositors of that time spoke out against it.

        More recently it has been discussed with the added heresy that
       it was, 'during the lifetime of He and His mother,' that they both
       came under this condemnation, with words which often lean towards
       the vulgar, and it has been proclaimed both from the pulpit and in
       Christian literature.

        It became more obvious how far this had grown when, on protest
       to the latter source, the answer was given that many well known
       expositors of the Word accepted that our Lord and His mother were
       subjected to this accusation all their lives!

       The passage given as justification for such a belief is John 8
       at that particular place where our Lord is pointing out to His
       audience that the true children of God are those born of the spirit
       not those born of the flesh and, at being accused of not being the
       true seed of Abraham, they were first outraged and, when He called
       God His Father, they seized hold of that because it appeared He had
       not included them in His claim of having God for His Father and
       claimed God was their father also through Abraham.

        Being told they were not children of Abraham despite their
       bond of the flesh infuriated them even further and, understanding
       that Jesus was saying their deeds proved them to be more the
       children of the devil than of God, they cried out they were
       children of God not of fornication, and when Jesus denied them that
       privilege and said to them, 'I know you are Abraham's seed, but ye
       seek to kill me, because my word has no place in you.  They
       answered and said to him. Abraham is our father and Jesus said, If
       ye were Abraham's children ye would do the works of Abraham. Ye do
       the deeds of your father. Ye are of your father the devil.'

        They were aghast at being told they were not children of
       Abraham and had no claim on his parenthood. It was directed at them
       and in no way could this incident be so turned as to suggest that
       here, at this point, they were accusing Jesus as being the child of
       fornication.

        On the contrary it is themselves they are concerned about,
       concerned that they might be considered 'children of the devil'
       rather than children of God,' but the expositor in question was so
       concerned about the accusation itself that immediately and, without
       thought, he sprang to the defence of our Lord at a place where such
       a defence was not needed and thus unwittingly moved the accusation
       back from our own times to the times of our Lord.

        The suggestion that either He or His mother were besmirched by
       such an innuendo as illegitimacy or fornication during His life on
       earth , at any time, is an invention of modern times thought up by
       the enemies of the Gospel of God and needs no defence from any
       child of God and it is patently false as the Gospel accounts prove
       through the incidents quoted at the first.

       And look at what had gone immediately before this incident in
       John 8.

        The people acknowledging Him as the Christ and the Pharisees
       desire to 'take Him.'

      His call to come to Him at the close of the Feast of Tabernacles.

     A further recognition of Him as the Prophet and the Christ.

        Our Lord had declared Himself at the culmination of the Feast
       of Tabernacles, John 7:28 and when the Pharisees saw that many of
       the people recognised Him as the Christ they had sent soldiers to
       take Him but these when they heard the words of truth He spoke and
       the people declaring 'This is the Christ,' they came back saying,
       'Never man spake like this man.'

        Nicodemus defended His right to speak also but they called him
       a Galilaean and the next day when Jesus was at the Temple again they
       came saying, 'Master, this woman was taken in adultery...the law
       says she should be stoned, but what sayest thou?' John 8:4-6. They
       did this of course so they might have something to accuse Him of
       for they had nothing.

               The Gospel accounts are clear.

        Neither before the Council, nor Herod, nor Pilate could any
       accusation be found nor was any brought against Him.

               Jesus is the Son of God.

        Born of a virgin, begotten of God, through the Holy Ghost.

           He came declaring the Kingdom of God is at hand.

             He was rejected by His own.

           He gave Himself as a propitiation for our sins.

        He bore our sins in His Body on the tree and they were buried
       with Him in the grave.

        We have gained remission of sins through His shed Blood.

        We are raised a new creature with Him in His resurrection.

        We have a commission given us at His ascension when He said.

        'Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and
       to rise from the dead the third day. And that repentance and
       remission of sins should be preached in His Name among all nations
       beginning at Jerusalem.' Luke 24:46-47.

                He is the Son of God.

          The fulfillment of the promise to Abraham.

        'Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith
       not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed,
       which is Christ.' (Galatians 3:16)

        'When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his
    Son, made of a woman, made under the law.' (Galatians 4:4)

                 Praise God!