HEAD OF ANGLICAN CHURCH SAYS VIRGIN BIRTH NOT NECESSARY TO CHRISTIAN FAITH

(Friday Church News Notes, December 28, 2007, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Speaking on BBC Radio Five, Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, said that although he "believes" in the virgin birth of Christ he advised that new Christians need not fear that they had to leap over the "hurdle" of belief in the Virgin Birth before they could be "signed up" ("It's All a Christmas Tall Story," The Times, Dec. 20, 2007). In fact, it is difficult to know in what sense Williams himself "believes" in the virgin birth, because The Times reported: "He hinted that decades ago he was not 'too fussed' with the literal truth of the doctrine of the Virgin Birth. But as time went on, he developed a 'deeper sense' of what the Virgin Birth was all about." Theological liberals have this amazing way of believing that biblical statements are true even when they (allegedly) aren't historical facts. It is an abuse of language, of course, but it is part of the deception of heresy. Anyway, it is certain that the Archbishop claims that belief in the virgin birth is not a necessary part of the Christian faith, and that is a gross error. If Jesus was not literally virgin born He was a mere sinner just like the rest of us, and he was not therefore the eternal Son of God, and he could not have made atonement for our sin by his sacrifice. Further, if Christ was not virgin born the Bible is a lie. The virgin birth of Christ is at the very heart of the biblical Christian faith, and it is no "hurdle" to those who believe in Almighty God. If one believes that Genesis 1 is true, then Matthew 1 follows easily. "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 1:18).