A common narrative suggests that Matthew invented the virgin birth in order to claim that Jesus fulfilled an Old Testament prophecy. According to this view, the story was constructed to enhance Jesus’s stature, and if we remove Matthew’s literary contributions, the tradition itself vanishes. This explanation is appealing for its simplicity and skepticism, offering a…
Among the many words found in the Bible, few have generated as much controversy as parthenos. This word sits at the center of the debate over the virgin birth. Parthenos is the Greek term translated as ‘virgin’ in both Matthew 1:23 and Luke 1:27. Depending on whom you ask, it is either a clear affirmation…
For those raised within a Christian context, the virgin birth is often presented as entirely unique. It is described as a singular event, unprecedented and unrepeated, standing alone as a miracle unlike anything found in the Hebrew Bible. Conversely, those who did not grow up within a Christian context may have encountered a very different…
There is a claim that has become quite common, especially among skeptics and, more recently, in some progressive Christian communities. The claim is that Mary was a child bride, perhaps twelve or thirteen years old, married to a much older man. If this were truly the historical reality, it would understandably raise deep moral concerns….
If you have spent any time around debates about the virgin birth, you have probably run into some version of this claim. The Hebrew word in Isaiah 7:14 is almah, which means “young woman” rather than “virgin.” If Isaiah had wanted to say virgin, he would have used bethulah. Therefore, Christianity rests on a translation…
Throughout history, some passages of Scripture have comforted readers, while others have challenged them. Romans 13 is a clear example of a passage often invoked to justify control. It has been quoted to enslaved people seeking freedom, as well as to those who sought to help them. It was used from pulpits during apartheid in…
If you have read much about sexuality in ancient Greece and Rome, you have probably run into one big idea. It goes something like this: for the Greeks and Romans, sex was not really about love or pleasure. It was about power. Who was on top, socially and literally. Who penetrated and who was penetrated….
There is a version of the Dark Ages question that deserves real respect. It usually comes from someone who has heard that professional historians now frown on the phrase, but who still suspects that a few of the old lessons must be worth keeping. Didn’t cities shrink? Didn’t reading and writing decline? Didn’t Latin splinter…
Many people imagine that the New Testament canon was decided all at once, perhaps when Athanasius of Alexandria sent out his Thirty-Ninth Festal Letter in 367 AD, listing the twenty-seven books we know today, or when the Councils of Hippo and Carthage confirmed that list in the late fourth century. According to this view, the…
If you read through the Hebrew Bible, you may notice something peculiar. Nearly every named character seems to own land, have servants, arrange marriages with significant dowries, or argue with neighbors about property. Slaves and attendants appear in the background, almost as if they are always present but rarely the focus. Many books focus on…