Legal case for the virgin birth (so that ELF will see this)

Joseph Crea Joseph.Crea@worldnet.att.net
Fri, 5 Feb 1999 07:21:32 +0000 (00918220892, 19990205072132.GRJW23934@LOCALNAME) 

Hello, Achilles!


At 11:44 PM 2/4/99 -0500, Achilles wrote:
--snip--

>ACHILLES

>I seem to recall also reading that Ignatius around the turn of the century 

>wrote arguments to *pursuade* other Christians that Mary was the mother of 

>Jesus, if that's correct it would good evidence that not all Christians 

>believed that at the time. Anyone know the reference I am thinking of, or

maybe 

>a site where I could find it? 



CREA
    As far as I can tell, there are three passages in Ignatius' Letters
which mention Mary.  They read as follows (from Bart Ehrman's  __The New
Testament and Other Early Christian Writings__):


Ignatius: To the Ephesians

  [Eph. 18.1]  "I am giving my life (not that it's worth much!) for 
                the cross, which unbelievers find a stumbling block, 
                but which means to us salvation and eternal life.  
                Where is the wise man?  Where is the debater?  Where 
                are the boasts of those supposedly intelligent?  

  [Eph. 18.2]  "For our God, Jesus the Christ, was conceived by Mary, 
                in God's plan being sprung both from the seed of David 
                and from the Holy Spirit.  He was born and baptized that 
                by his Passion he might hallow water.

  [Eph. 19.1]  "Now, Mary's virginity and her giving birth escaped the 
                notice of the prince of this world, as did the Lord's 
                death...."



Ignatius:  To the Trallans

  [Tral. 9.1]  "Be deaf, then, to any talk that ignores Jesus Christ, 
                of David's lineage, of Mary;  who was really born, ate 
                and drank;  was really persecuted under Pontius Pilate;  
                was really crucified and died, in the sight of heaven 
                and earth and the underworld."



Ignatius:  To the Smyrneans

  [Smy. 1.1]  "I extol Jesus Christ, the God who has granted you such 
               wisdom. for I detected that you were fitted out with an
               unshakable faith, being nailed, as it were, body and soul 
               to the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, and being rooted 
               in love by the blood of Christ.  Regarding our Lord, you 
               are absolutely convinced that on the human side he was 
               actually sprung from David's line, Son of God according to 
               God's will and power, actually born of a virgin, baptized 
               by John, that all righteousness might be fulfilled by him."


CREA
    Hope that this helps.


With Mettaa,

Joseph Crea
<Joseph.Crea@worldnet.att.net>