Virgin Birth

Definition and Meaning

The Korean term dongjeongnyeo (童貞女) denotes "a woman who has not had relations with a man," that is, a virgin. The virgin birth is the teaching that Jesus Christ was conceived in the womb of Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, without a human father, and was born of her. Strictly speaking, the doctrine concerns the manner of conception, so it is also called the "virginal conception." Christian theology links this doctrine with the doctrine of the Incarnation, which holds that God became man. It is understood as supporting the Christological confession that Jesus is both truly God and truly man.

Biblical and Historical Background

Matthew 1:18–25 and Luke 1:26–38 recount this event directly. Luke records the Annunciation, in which an angel announces the conception to Mary, while Matthew narrates the same event from the perspective of Joseph of Nazareth. Matthew 1:23 quotes Isaiah 7:14. The Hebrew word almah in that verse can also be translated "young woman." The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, however, rendered the word as "virgin" (parthenos). As a result, interpreters have long debated whether the verse should be read as a prophecy of the virgin birth.

The early church incorporated this teaching into its confessions of faith. Notable examples are the Apostles' Creed, which confesses that Christ was "conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary," and the Nicene Creed. In the modern era, some scholars in the tradition of liberal theology interpreted these accounts as symbols of faith rather than as historical fact. In response, conservative American Protestants in the early twentieth century upheld the virgin birth as one of the fundamental doctrines of the faith. This development was one of the factors behind the rise of fundamentalism.

The virgin birth is distinct from two other doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church. One is the Immaculate Conception, which holds that Mary was conceived without original sin; the other is the perpetual virginity of Mary, which holds that she remained a virgin throughout her life. Protestants generally do not accept these two doctrines.

Practice in Korean Churches

Most major Korean Protestant denominations recite the Apostles' Creed in worship. They therefore officially confess the virgin birth as part of their denominational faith. The doctrine is addressed chiefly in Christmas sermons, new member classes, and confirmation instruction.

Emphasis varies by denomination and theological orientation. Evangelically oriented churches, including conservative Presbyterian denominations, Baptist churches, and Full Gospel churches, teach it as an essential doctrine to be believed as historical fact. Progressive theological traditions also confess the Apostles' Creed, but they sometimes interpret the account with an emphasis on its theological meaning, namely that salvation originates with God.