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convey truth- not myths or half–
truths. This Greek-speaking physi–
cian was nobody's fool. He was a
weJI-educated man.
Here is the thoughtful conclu–
sion of Professor A. Plummer
about Luke the physician and gos–
pel writer and the apostle Paul:
"It
is not improbable that it was at
Tarsus, where there was a school of
philosophy and literature rivalling
those of Alexandria and Athens,
that they first met. Luke may have
studied medicine at Tarsus. No–
where else in Asia Minor could he
obtain so good an education"
(St.
Luke,
pp. 20-2 1, T .&T . Clark,
1896).
Luke is one of the most versatile
and prolific of all the New Testa–
ment writers. He uses 800 Greek
words not employed elsewhere in
the New Testament. He spent valu–
able time with another prolific
writer-the apost le Paul who, like
Moses, was not only educated in
biblical doctrine, but in this world's
secular and legal knowledge as
well.
Only Luke sets the birth and
ministry of Christ in the wider con–
text of the Roman Empire. Consid–
erable historical and chronological
data are used in his account. He is
conscious of the impact of Christ's
teaching in the whole of the civil–
ized world. He realizes the gospel
goes far beyond Palestinian bor–
ders.
The point is, here is a man
uniquely equipped to write an
account of the life and teaching of
Jesus Christ to one in high office.
Luke understands the Graeco–
Roman world . He possesses liter–
ary gifts and historical awareness.
He has professional experience.
Luke's Birth Accounts
The birth stories of John the Bap–
tist and Jesus Christ are set in the
days of Herod (Luke 1:5). The
account begins with Zechariah,
who is approached in the Temple
by the archangel Gabriel while
Zechariah is performi ng his
priestly duties. Gabriel predicts
the birth of John. Not unnatural–
ly, Zechariah protests his and his
wife's advanced age. Nevertheless
Elizabeth conceives (verse 24).
This crucial account follows: " In
the sixth month the angel Gabriel
was
sent from God
to a city of Gal–
ilee named Nazareth, to a virgin
betrothed to a man whose name
Questions on the Virgin Birth
was Joseph, of the house of David;
and the virgin's name was Mary"
(verses 26-27).
God is director of this entire
scenario. Gabriel was sent by the
Creator. The archangel said to the
betrothed virgin Mary, "Do not
be afraid, M ary, for you have
found favor
with
God"
(verse
30).
What is to happen to Mary as a
result of God 's favor? " And
behold, you will conceive in your
womb and bear a son, and you
shall call his name J esus" (verse
3 1).
Tripartita Testimony
N ot ice the account carefully.
Notice how Scr iptu re affirms
Ma ry's virginity. In verse 27 Luke
says that Mary was a virgin. In
verse 34 Mary herself states she
was a vi rgin. In verses 35 through
37 the archangel Gabriel affirms
her virgi nity.
But what was Mary's reaction to
the angelic greeting? Just what
you' d expect in a real life si tuation.
Luke records that "she was greatly
troubled at the saying, and consid–
ered in ber mind what sort of greet–
ing this might be" (verse 29).
describe a married
W
hy does John Mark ,
the wrlter of the
gospel of Mark, fail to
report a virgln birth?
Mark is the briefest of the
tour gospels. He simply omits
the ftrst 30 years of Jesus'
life-beginning his gospel
with Jesus' ministry. Says
Mark 1:1: "The beginning of
the gospel of Jesus Christ ,
the Son of God '
(Aevised
Standard Version
throughout) . Even here a
virgin birth is inferred.
his apostolic duties. None
is a catalog of Christian
doctrine.
Certainly nothing in
Paul's epistles contradicts
a virgin birth. Notice
Galatians 4:4 : " But when
the time had fully come,
God sent forth his Son,
born of a woman.... " At
the outset of every one of
Paul's 14 letters, there is a
reference to the
What about Matthew's
quotation of lsaiah
7:14 In the Old
Testament? ls not the
word
vlrgln
a
mistranslatlon? Does
not the Hebrew word
almah
mean " young
woman''?
woman. Says
The New
Bible Oictionary:
"In using
the word
alma.
however.
lsaiah employs the one
word which is never
applied (either in the Bible
or in other Near Eastern
sources) to anyone but an
unmarried woman" (page
557).
This is not true of
btula-the
other term that
may be translated
What about the silence of
the apostle Paul?
Paul 's epistles were all
what theologians term
"occasional" letters. That is,
they were written to either
inform or corree! a specific
congregation or an individual
because of problems that
arose during the course of
Father-Son rela tionship in
the God family. Note an
excerpt from the
salutation in 11
Corinthians
1:3: " Biessed be the God
and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ." Also in
Colossians 1:3: " We
always thank God, the
Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ. " Oraw your own
conclusions.
The Hebrew word
almah
can be translated
" young woman," " girl " or
"maiden, " as well as
" virgin." As
The New
Bible Commentary
Revised
puts it: " lt
presumes rather !han
states virginity" (page
596) .
Almah
is used to
describe Aebekah as a
" young woman" befare
her marriage lo Isaac
(Gen. 24:43) . She was a
virgin (verse 16).
Almah
is never used to
" virgin." Continues
The
New Bible Oictionary,
" The word
btula
may
designate a virgin, but
when it does the
explanatory phrase 'and a
man had not known her' is
often added ... the word
btula
may also indicate a
married woman."
Mases uses both
Hebrew words to describe
the virgin Rebekah (see
Genesis 24:16, 43) . But