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ARTICLE 3

Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary

The Creed proceeds to declare belief in the doctrine of the Incarnation, which is thus set forth in the Shorter Catechism:  “Christ, the Son of God, became man, by taking to Himself a true body, and a reasonable soul, being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her, yet without sin."[069]

Two Evangelists record the miraculous birth of Jesus.  Mark and John do not refer to it, and their silence has led some opponents of Christianity to discredit the statements of Matthew and Luke.  But while there is no direct account given by Mark or John of the miraculous conception and birth of Jesus, the fact of His Divine descent is implied in many portions of their Gospels.  The words with which Mark opens his narrative clearly express it, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;"[070] as does the statement he makes that at His baptism there came a voice from heaven saying, “Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."[071] John is equally explicit in declaring his belief in the Divinity of Jesus.  The opening words of his Gospel assert His Divine nature:  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made."[072]

It is evident, therefore, that each of the Evangelists believed in the Divine origin of Jesus, for they would not have used such language regarding one who in their opinion was a mere man, the son of Joseph the carpenter and of Mary his espoused wife.  Matthew, who wrote for Jewish converts, shows how fully the Old Testament prophecy was accomplished that Christ should be born, not at Nazareth but at Bethlehem, and especially that Isaiah’s prophecy, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, GOD with us,"[073] was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus Christ.  Luke, who is termed by Paul “the beloved physician,” gives the fullest account of the Nativity.  His writings are characterised by minuteness of detail and historical accuracy.  Recent investigations have shown that, even in regard to matters about which he was long thought to have been mistaken, Luke’s statements are strictly correct.[074]

The story of the miraculous conception would not, without the strongest corroborative evidence, have commended itself to a man of his acumen and his calling.  A physician by profession, the companion of Apostles, and possessing singular penetration and sagacity, he tells us that he had received the facts he narrates from eye witnesses and competent authorities.  For information as to the events connected with the birth of her Son, Luke would naturally have recourse