The Virgin Birth

We at Moody believe that the eternal Son of God "took upon Him our nature, being conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary."

The virgin birth is implied in the Old Testament as early as Genesis 3:15, which promised that "the seed of woman" would be the victor over Satan and sin. It is expressly predicted in Isaiah 7:14: "Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel" (NASB). According to Matthew 1:22-23, this prophecy was fulfilled in Mary. She is called a "virgin" in Luke 1:27. The Greek term parthenos normally referred to an unmarried woman of marriageable age. Mary did not conceive through ordinary means, but through the Holy Spirit.¹

This was God's miraculous intervention, producing offspring without a human father.² No man or angel was involved.³ Christ, who was God from all eternity, took hold of this human nature thus conceived and joined it to Himself.⁴

What called for the virgin birth? The fundamental need was found in the nature of the human race. Every normal, human birth produces another sinner, just as Adam, as sinner, produced a race of sinners.⁵ Our Savior had to be genuinely human and truly sinless in order to be our perfect substitute and pay our penalty of guilt before an infinite God by His death.⁶

This doctrine stands at the heart of the Lord's person and saving work. Without the virgin birth, there would be no salvation for sinners. Jesus Christ would be a sinful human being. If the virgin birth did not occur, then the Bible is not true and cannot be trusted. In short, it is an essential part of salvation and of Scripture.

Moody believes and teaches the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.

¹ Luke 1:35

² Luke 1:26–28

³ Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:35

⁴ Hebrews 2:14; Philippians 2:7

⁵ Genesis 5:1–3; Romans 5:15–21; Ephesians 2:1–2

⁶ 1 Peter 1:18–19; Hebrews 9:14