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Rev. Ronald C. Purkey claims no originality for this Bible study outline.
However,
every outline posted on this website has been taught by Rev. Purkey.
To see more Bible study
outlines go to page two: More Bible Study Outlines.
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INTRODUCTION:
The
fact that the angel quotes this prophecy in
When
the Revised Standard Version of the Bible was first published, the Hebrew word almah
was translated “young woman,” with “virgin” in the footnotes -- of course, it
should have been reversed. Their argument was that almah
meant only a young woman. While it is true that there are places in the
Scriptures where it is translated “young woman,” it is evident that it means
“virgin.”
For
example, when Abraham’s servant went to
When
the liberal theologian says that the Bible does not teach the virgin birth of
Jesus, I feel like asking him if his papa had talked to him when he was a boy
about the birds and the bees. He can deny that he believes in the virgin birth
of Jesus, but he cannot deny that Isaiah and Matthew are talking about the
virgin birth of Jesus.
Notice
again Isaiah’s prophecy: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and
shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah said that His name would be Immanuel, but
you cannot find any place in the Gospels where He is called by that name. Immanuel means “God with us.” They
called Him “Jesus” because He would save His people from their sins. But,
friend, He cannot save the people from their sins unless He is Immanuel, “God
with us.” Everytime you call Him Jesus, you are
saying, “God with us.” He is God. He is God with us and God for us. He is our
Savior, born of a virgin. Have you put your trust in Him? – J. Vernon
McGee, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon
McGee
I. THE PREDICTION OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH.
A. Old Testament Prophecies.
1. Some Old
Testament prophecies that have been fulfilled.
a. Gen. 12:1-3
- God's promise to make a great nation.
b. Gen.
17:19-21 God's promise that Sarah would bear Isaac.
c. 2 Sam.
7:12-16 God's promise that Solomon would build the
2. What would it mean to us as
Christians if God had failed to fulfill these prophecies?
a. Our beliefs
as Christians would be meaningless.
b. The very
foundation of our faith would crumble.
c. The Word of
God would not be reliable at all.
3. Note some
Old Testament prophecies about the virgin birth.
a. Gen. 3:15 -
the "seed of the woman"
b.
B. The rejection of it's
significance.
1. Modernists
and liberals reject the doctrine of the virgin birth.
2. They want
to reduce Jesus Christ to little more than a great teacher.
3. For them to
accept the virgin birth would require them to accept that Jesus is God.
4. They are
particularly critical of
a. RSV,
"Behold a young woman shall conceive and bear a son..."
b. The Revised Standard Version was
completed by the educational division of the National Council of Churches.
c. How does
this verse accomplish their goal?
5. Their basis
for this change is translating the Hebrew word "Almah"
6. The men who
translated for the RSV were religious liberals and modernists.
7. Like cults who choose to revise
God's Word, they render it how they want it to read.
C. Our reasons for accepting the Virgin Birth.
1. Many
outstanding Hebrew scholars support it.
2. The
Septuagint, Old Testament in Greek, translates it as virgin.
3. But are
these good enough reasons? NO
4. NOTE: Matt. 1:23: there is no
question about the word used for virgin here - it can only mean a woman who has
never had relations with a man.
5. The Holy Spirit inspired both Old
Testament and New Testament writers and He affirms that Jesus Christ was
virgin-born.
II. THE FULFILLMENT OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH.
A. Jesus Christ was born without a human father.
1. NOTE: Matt.
2. NOTE: Matt.
3. NOTE: Matt.
1:25, "...knew her not..."
4. All of
these verses point to nothing but the virgin birth.
5.
a. Gen. 3:15,
"the seed of the woman"
b. Galatians.
4:4, "made of a woman"
B. Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit.
1. Consider
the Jewish custom of marriage. Matt. 1:18-20
a. The betrothal would compare with
our engagement period only a stronger commitment.
b. Then an interval existed before the
marriage was actually physically consummated.
c. It was
during this interval that Mary became pregnant.
d. Joseph had
two options,
1) He could
make a public example of her for her obvious infidelity.
2) Or he could
privately put her away by a bill of divorcement.
e. The Lord supplied Joseph with an
explanation and a third option...to marry her.
2. Both Mary
and Joseph received the same message.
a . NOTE:
b. Mary couldn't understand how that
she, a virgin having never known (sexually) a man, could conceive and bear a
child. Vs. 34
c. The angel
Gabriel told her that the Holy Ghost would bring this to be.
d. He further
assured her that "with God nothing shall be impossible'',
3. Neither
Mary or Joseph question the message from God,
a. Joseph
"...did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him ..."
b. Mary said,
"...be it according to thy Word ..."
A. Is the virgin birth an essential doctrine to
the Christian faith?
1. In other words, can a person be a
true believer in Christ and yet deny that He was born of a virgin?
2. The answer is NO.
a. To deny
that Christ was virgin born is to deny:
b. That the
Word of God is true.
c. That Jesus
was the Son of God.
d. That He
could die a sacrificial death.
B. The doctrine of the virgin birth is vitally
connected to many other Important doctrines. NOTE:
1. The
authenticity of the Scriptures
a. Liberals see the virgin birth as a
"symbol" of Christ's uniqueness and they deny that it happened literally,
b. If the
Scripture is not reliable in this area - how can it be trusted at all?
c. Mary accepted God's Word through
the angelic messenger, we also need to accept God's Word.
2. The
actuality of the miraculous.
a. Humanism sees man as the center of
the universe and magnify him rather than God.
b. They are also evolutionary in their
concept of nature and therefore they refuse to accept the miraculous.
c. However, we cannot view the virgin
birth of Christ as a normal development.
d.
3. The
appropriateness of His person.
a. Heb. 2:9-18
-- In order to redeem man, Jesus Christ had to become a man,
b. The virgin
birth was a vital part of God's plan of redemption
c. The Saviour was born into this world without sin.
d. 2 Cor. 5:21
says that He knew no sin.
e.
f. He was
God's Lamb without blemish and without sport. 1 Pet. 1:19
g. By the miracle of the virgin birth,
the eternal Son of God was united with human nature and only through this union
could redemption be accomplished.
CONCLUSION: Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy
Ghost, in a miraculous manner; born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever
born or can ever be born of woman. He is both the Son of God and God the Son.
Reason and science would tell us that this is a biological impossibility, but
the Word of God makes it clear that it had to be in order for us to have a
Savior who could redeem us from Sin. Once again, I challenge you :Where is your
faith?” -- in men or in God? (Luke 1:37) "For with God nothing shall be
impossible."
REFERENCES: References
used in this Bible study are the Scofield Reference Bible, the Believer’s Bible Commentary, David C. Cook
Publishers Bible-in-Life, Dr. Cliff Robinson Bible Outlines, Dr. Lee Roberson’s
Sermons, KJV Bible Commentary, Our Daily Bread, The Bible Reader’s Companion
Ed. 3, The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version, Thru the Bible with J.
Vernon McGee, (Warren) Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines of the New Testament Ed.
4, (Warren) Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines of the Old Testament, With the Word
Bible Commentary, and selected illustrations.
E-Mail: Ronald Purkey
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