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A Series of Lessons in Mystic Christianity948
made no mention of the Virgin Birth, and taught nothing of the kind, Luke
must have acquired the legend later, if, indeed, the narrative was written by
him at all in his Gospel.
It is likewise noted that Luke also gives a genealogy of Jesus, from Adam,
through Abraham, and David, and Joseph. The words in parenthesis “as was
supposed,” in Luke 3:23, are supposed to have been inserted in the text by a
later writer, as there would be no sense or reason in tracing the genealogy of
Jesus through a “supposed” father. The verse in question reads thusly: “And
Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed)
the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,” etc. Students, of course, notice
that the line of descent given by Luke differs very materially from that given
by Matthew, showing a lack of knowledge on the part of one or the other
writer.
On the whole, scholars consider it most remarkable that this account of
the Virgin Birth should be given by Luke, who was a most ardent Pauline
student and follower, in view of the fact that Paul ignored the whole
legend, if, indeed, he had ever heard of it. Surely a man like Paul would
have laid great stress upon this wonderful event had he believed in it, or
had it formed a part of the Christian Doctrine of his time. That Luke should
have written this account is a great mystery—and many feel that it is much
easier to accept the theory of the later interpolation of the story into Luke’s
Gospel, particularly in view of the corroborative indications.
Summing up the views of the Higher Criticism, we may say that the general
position taken by the opponents and deniers of the Virgin Birth of Jesus is
about as follows:
1. The story of the Virgin Birth is found only in the introductory portion of
two of the four Gospels—Matthew and Luke—and even in these the story
bears the appearance of having been “fitted in” by later writers.
2. Even Matthew and Luke are silent about the matter after the statements
in the introductory part of their Gospels, which could scarcely occur had