The New Testament clearly teaches that Jesus was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of a Jewish virgin named Mary.
This doctrine is often dismissed by modern scholars, who, at best, see it is a misunderstood parable, and at worst see it as a fabrication on the part of the biblical evangelists. However, for orthodox Christians around the world, this doctrine is integrally linked to our understanding of God, his Word, and the incarnation of Jesus.
In Conceived by the Holy Spirit: The Virgin Birth in Scripture and Theology, Rhyne Putman defends the authenticity and significance of the virgin birth of Christ through a meticulous examination of biblical texts and historical context. He addresses both traditional and contemporary objections to the doctrine of the virgin birth, providing robust answers rooted in Scripture and reason.
The virgin birth transcends mere parable; it stands as a testament to the profound union of God and humanity. In this work, Rhyne Putman demonstrates not only the truth of the virgin birth, but also its necessity for orthodox theology and its implications for Christian life.
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Introduction: Reading the Christmas Story Like Jesus
Part One: The Virgin-Born King in the Biblical Story
1 That You May Know with Certainty (Luke 1:1–4): Answering Objections: The Virgin Birth Came from Pagan Mythology
2 The God Who Keeps His Covenants (Matthew 1:1, 17): Answering Objections: The Genealogies of Matthew and Luke Cannot Be Reconciled
3 The Son Who Chose His Own Parents (Matthew 1:2–16)
4 Forerunner to the Virgin-Born King (Luke 1:5–25, 57–80)
5 The Virgin-Born King Announced (Luke 1:26–28) 69:
Answering Objections: The Virginal Conception Was Only a Metaphor
Answering Objections: God Violated Mary
6 My Soul Magnifies the Lord (Luke 1:39–56)
7 The Virgin-Born Savior (Matthew 1:18–21, 24–25): Answering Objections: Jesus Was Illegitimate
8 The Virgin-Born King Is God with Us (Matthew 1:22–23, Isaiah 7:14)
9 In the Fullness of Time (Luke 2:1–7): Answering Objections: Luke Invented the Census
10 The First Witnesses to the Virgin-Born King (Luke 2:8–17)
11 Born Under the Law (Luke 2:21–24)
12 Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (Luke 2:25–38)
13 The Virgin-Born King Manifested to the Nations: (Matthew 2:1–12)
14 Out of Egypt I Called My Son (Matthew 2:13–23):
Answering Objections: Matthew Invented the Slaughter of the Innocents
Answering Objections: Luke Contradicts the Flight to Egypt
15 The Boy Grew Up and Became Strong (Luke 2:39–52)
16 The Word Became Flesh: The Virgin-Born King in the Other Gospels: Answering Objections: The Virgin Birth Contradicts the Preexistence and Incarnation of Christ
17 Born of a Woman: The Virgin-Born King in the Letters of Paul
18 The Serpent Crushed (Genesis 3:14–15; Revelation 12:1–17)
Part Two: The Virgin-Born King in Christian Theology and Practice
19 The Church Fathers Who Saved Christmas: The Virgin-Born King in Early Christology
20 One and the Same Son: The Unity of the Virgin-Born King
21 The Fittingness of the Virgin Birth: The Virgin-Born King as the Revealer of God
22 Veil’d in Flesh the Godhead See: The Virgin-Born King and the Trinity
23 And Heav’n and Nature Sing: The Virgin-Born King in Creation and Science: Answering Objections: “Mary Should Have Had an Abortion”
24 Born to Give Them Second Birth: The Virgin-Born King as the New Adam
25 Joy to the World: The Two Advents of the Virgin-Born King
Conclusion: Come Let Us Adore Him
Appendix 1: A Harmony of the Nativity Stories
Appendix 2: Marian Dogma and the Sufficiency of Scripture
Bibliography
Name Index
Subject Index
Scripture Index
The New Testament clearly teaches that Jesus was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of a Jewish virgin named Mary.
This doctrine is often dismissed by modern scholars, who, at best, see it is a misunderstood parable, and at worst see it as a fabrication on the part of the biblical evangelists. However, for orthodox Christians around the world, this doctrine is integrally linked to our understanding of God, his Word, and the incarnation of Jesus.
In Conceived by the Holy Spirit: The Virgin Birth in Scripture and Theology, Rhyne Putman defends the authenticity and significance of the virgin birth of Christ through a meticulous examination of biblical texts and historical context. He addresses both traditional and contemporary objections to the doctrine of the virgin birth, providing robust answers rooted in Scripture and reason.
The virgin birth transcends mere parable; it stands as a testament to the profound union of God and humanity. In this work, Rhyne Putman demonstrates not only the truth of the virgin birth, but also its necessity for orthodox theology and its implications for Christian life.
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Introduction: Reading the Christmas Story Like Jesus
Part One: The Virgin-Born King in the Biblical Story
1 That You May Know with Certainty (Luke 1:1–4): Answering Objections: The Virgin Birth Came from Pagan Mythology
2 The God Who Keeps His Covenants (Matthew 1:1, 17): Answering Objections: The Genealogies of Matthew and Luke Cannot Be Reconciled
3 The Son Who Chose His Own Parents (Matthew 1:2–16)
4 Forerunner to the Virgin-Born King (Luke 1:5–25, 57–80)
5 The Virgin-Born King Announced (Luke 1:26–28) 69:
Answering Objections: The Virginal Conception Was Only a Metaphor
Answering Objections: God Violated Mary
6 My Soul Magnifies the Lord (Luke 1:39–56)
7 The Virgin-Born Savior (Matthew 1:18–21, 24–25): Answering Objections: Jesus Was Illegitimate
8 The Virgin-Born King Is God with Us (Matthew 1:22–23, Isaiah 7:14)
9 In the Fullness of Time (Luke 2:1–7): Answering Objections: Luke Invented the Census
10 The First Witnesses to the Virgin-Born King (Luke 2:8–17)
11 Born Under the Law (Luke 2:21–24)
12 Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (Luke 2:25–38)
13 The Virgin-Born King Manifested to the Nations: (Matthew 2:1–12)
14 Out of Egypt I Called My Son (Matthew 2:13–23):
Answering Objections: Matthew Invented the Slaughter of the Innocents
Answering Objections: Luke Contradicts the Flight to Egypt
15 The Boy Grew Up and Became Strong (Luke 2:39–52)
16 The Word Became Flesh: The Virgin-Born King in the Other Gospels: Answering Objections: The Virgin Birth Contradicts the Preexistence and Incarnation of Christ
17 Born of a Woman: The Virgin-Born King in the Letters of Paul
18 The Serpent Crushed (Genesis 3:14–15; Revelation 12:1–17)
Part Two: The Virgin-Born King in Christian Theology and Practice
19 The Church Fathers Who Saved Christmas: The Virgin-Born King in Early Christology
20 One and the Same Son: The Unity of the Virgin-Born King
21 The Fittingness of the Virgin Birth: The Virgin-Born King as the Revealer of God
22 Veil’d in Flesh the Godhead See: The Virgin-Born King and the Trinity
23 And Heav’n and Nature Sing: The Virgin-Born King in Creation and Science: Answering Objections: “Mary Should Have Had an Abortion”
24 Born to Give Them Second Birth: The Virgin-Born King as the New Adam
25 Joy to the World: The Two Advents of the Virgin-Born King
Conclusion: Come Let Us Adore Him
Appendix 1: A Harmony of the Nativity Stories
Appendix 2: Marian Dogma and the Sufficiency of Scripture
Bibliography
Name Index
Subject Index
Scripture Index
