Doctrine Of The Virgin Birth
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, May 13, 2026 (Donate)
The virgin birth of Christ is seen as an extremely important doctrine
of Christianity. All branches of Christianity affirm the virgin birth and the
Bible speaks directly about it.
Who Was Mary?
Mary
was a young Jewish woman from Nazareth in Galilee—though her ancestors were
from the tribe of Judah through David the King. She was chosen by God to bear
the Messiah, Jesus Christ—who is God the Son in the flesh. Christ is the
image of the invisible God and it makes sense why God forbid man to make graven
images of God in The Ten Commandments as man would err—and it was God’s prerogative
to designate His image on earth through His Son Jesus Christ.
Mary was engaged to Joseph, who was also a descendant of
David through another lineage. Scripture presents Mary as humble and faithful
as she was obedient to God. When the angel Gabriel announced that she would
miraculously conceive the Son of God by the power of the Holy Spirit, Mary
responded in faith:
“Behold the maidservant of the
Lord! Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38, NKJV).
Mary was not sinless, divine, or an object of worship. In
fact, Jesus said that John the Baptist was greater than her in Matthew 11:11. Rather,
she was a faithful and favored servant greatly blessed by God because she was
chosen to bear the incarnate Christ. In Luke 1:47, Mary herself declared, “And
my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,” showing that she too needed
salvation through God.
Prophecies Of A Virgin Birth
The virgin birth was prophesied centuries before Christ was
born. The clearest prophecy is Isaiah 7:14:
“Therefore the Lord Himself will
give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall
call His name Immanuel” (NKJV).
The name “Immanuel” literally means “God with us.” This indicates
that the coming child would uniquely be God among men. Matthew directly applied
this prophecy to Jesus Christ:
“So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel’” (Matthew 1:22-23, NKJV).
The prophecy connects to the broader messianic expectation
throughout the Old Testament that the Messiah would be both truly human and
uniquely divine. Genesis 3:15 already hinted that the Deliverer would come from
the “seed of the woman,” an unusual expression pointing indirectly toward a
miraculous birth.
When Someone Suggests “Young Woman” Instead Of “Virgin”
For Isaiah 7:14, How Did John Calvin Refute This Idea?
Some critics argue that the Hebrew word “almah” in
Isaiah 7:14 merely means “young woman” instead of “virgin.” Christians, like John
Calvin, strongly reject this interpretation. Calvin argued that the prophecy
loses its miraculous nature if it merely refers to an ordinary young woman
giving birth, since that would not be a “sign” from God. A normal birth would
provide nothing extraordinary for Ahaz or future generations.
Calvin also pointed out that the ancient Greek translation
of the Old Testament, the Septuagint (aka the LXX), translated the Hebrew word
with the Greek word “parthenos,” meaning “virgin.” Matthew, writing
under divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, likewise affirmed the prophecy
referred specifically to a virgin conception.
Furthermore, Calvin noted that the context points beyond
Isaiah’s own day toward the coming Messiah. The miraculous conception uniquely
fits Christ, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born without an earthly
father.
Conception Of Christ And Its Significance
Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit (who is God)
in the womb of Mary. It was not a sexual encounter (an idea offensive to
Christians) but a reverent occurrence that overshadowed Mary Luke
1:34-35 states:
“Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How
can this be, since I do not know a man?’ And the angel answered and said to
her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will
overshadow you’” (NKJV).
The virgin birth is essential to Christian doctrine for
several reasons. First, it demonstrates that salvation is entirely the work
of God. Christ did not come through ordinary human effort, but through godly
intervention.
Second, it preserves the true humanity and deity of Christ.
Jesus was fully man because He was born of Mary, yet fully God because He was
conceived by the Holy Spirit. This is called the dual nature of Christ.
Third, the conception and virgin birth relates to Christ’s
sinlessness. Jesus did not inherit Adam’s fallen nature in the same way all
other humans do—though coming in the likeness of sinful flesh He was without
sin (Hebrews 4:15; 1 John 3:5). He was the spotless Lamb of God, perfectly
qualified to die for sinners.
Finally, the conception and virgin birth fulfills prophecy
and confirms that Jesus is the promised Messiah. The virgin birth was not an
isolated miracle, but part of God’s redemptive plan foretold throughout
Scripture.
Does Virgin Birth Mean Mary Remained A Virgin Afterwards?
The doctrine of the virgin birth teaches that Mary was a
virgin when Jesus was conceived and born. Thus, no relations occurred during
that time—Joseph and Mary were honorable to God. Scripture does not teach that
Mary remained perpetually
virgin afterward.
Matthew 1:25 says Joseph “did not know her till she had
brought forth her firstborn Son” (NKJV). The natural reading suggests normal
marital relations occurred after Jesus’ birth—in keeping with God’s godly commands
in Genesis about being fruitful and multiplying. There should be no doubt Mary
and Joseph were faithful
The Bible also mentions Jesus’ brothers and sisters (Mark 6:3).
Matthew 13:55-56 states:
“Is this not the carpenter’s son?
Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?
And His sisters, are they not all with us?” (NKJV).
At least four brothers and more than one sister are
mentioned. These are most naturally understood as the biological children of
Mary and Joseph born after Jesus. The perpetual virginity of Mary became a
later church tradition, but it is not explicitly taught in Scripture.
How Did The Protoevangelium Of James Influence People To Think
Mary Was A Perpetual Virgin?
The Protoevangelium of James was an apocryphal writing from
the second century, not part of the inspired 66 books of the Bible. It greatly
influenced later traditions about Mary.
This document portrayed Mary as uniquely holy and a perpetual
virgin. It claimed Joseph was an elderly widower with children from a previous
marriage, attempting to explain away Jesus’ brothers and sisters as
step-siblings rather than Mary’s children.
The book also promoted ideas about Mary’s miraculous
upbringing and exceptional purity. Though historically influential in some
church traditions, the Protoevangelium of James is not Scripture and was never
accepted as Scripture by the early church and contains legendary embellishments
beyond the biblical record and many errors.
Final Remarks
The virgin birth is a major doctrine of Christianity and is
found in many creeds, confessions and Statements of Faith. It proclaims that
Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man. Conceived by the Holy Spirit and
born of the virgin Mary, Christ entered the world without sin in fulfillment of
prophecy and for the salvation of sinners.
Mary should be honored as the faithful mother of Jesus, yet
Scripture always directs worship to Christ alone. The biblical emphasis is not
on exalting Mary, but on exalting the Savior she bore: Immanuel, “God with us.”
Bodie Hodge, Ken
Ham's son in law, has been an apologist defending 6-day creation and opposing
evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as
a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers
News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.
Bodie
launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal
website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken
on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and
universities. He is married with four children.
Mr. Hodge earned a
Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Southern Illinois University at
Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught at SIUC for a couple of years as a
Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of undergraduate engineering and
running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did research on advanced ceramic
materials to develop a new method of production of titanium diboride with a
grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test Engineer for Caterpillar,
Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.
His love of science
was coupled with a love of history, philosophy, and theology. For about one
year of his life, Bodie was editing and updating a theological, historical, and
scientific dictionary/encyclopedia for AI use and training. Mr. Hodge has over
25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in these fields.
