The term 'virgin birth' can be understood in two senses, the first scriptural, the second is not.
1) Virgin birth in the first sense is better termed 'virgin conception,' and refers to the assertion of Scriptures that Mary conceived Jesus with having sexual intercourse with a man, that Jesus's conception was accomplished by a miraculous act of the Holy Spirit. The only alternative to such a virgin birth is an illegitimate conception, which was Joseph's first thought on discovering that Mary was pregnant (Matt 1:19). He was, however, fully persuaded only by the angel of the Lord that "what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit" (v20). Lk 1:26-38 teaches the same facts. Though the virgin birth, understood in this sense, is accepted by all mainstream churches—it is also affirmed by the most important of the creeds, including the Apostles' Creedand the Nicene Creeds—its significance is often debated. Traditionally it has been taught that the virgin birth meant that Jesus was, therefore, sinless. This, however, is inadequately supported both by Scriptures as well as by logic (Mary was no less fallen as Joseph was). What may be clearly and safely said is that Jesus's birth is miraculous indicating that he was special. "The role of Christ requires that there should be both continuity and discontinuity between him and us; that he should be one of us (Heb. 2:10-18) and yet also different from us. Jesus is the second Adam—one of the human race, yet inaugurating a new redeemed humanity. The virgin birth points to this combination of continuity and discontinuity" (A. N. S. Lane, New Dictionary of Theology).
Further Reading & Resources:
☰ Thomas Forsyth Torrance [1913-2007], "The Doctrine of the Virgin Birth," Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology 12.1 (Spring 1994): 8-25.
A. N. S. Lane, "The Rationale and Significance of the Virgin Birth," Vox Evengelica 10 (1977): 48-64.
B. Witherington II, "Birth of Jesus," Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, esp.,70-72.
2. A second conception of the virgin birth—taught by some in the early church and still a dogmatic affirmation of the Roman Catholic mariology—teaches his birth (as well as his conception) was miraculous, i.e., that Mary remained perpectually a virgin and her marriage to Joseph was never consummated. The first is a conjecture that is not supported by Scriptures and the second is contradicted by it. Matt 1:25 states that Joseph "had no union with her [Mary] until she gave birth to a son." The natural reading of this statement is that the marriage was consummated but after Jesus's birth. Those who hold to this view would thus argue, again without meaningful grounds, that "Jesus's brothers" (Matt 12:46-47; 13:55; Mk 6:3) were Joseph's children by an earlier marriage, or otherwise adopted, or were his cousins. Finally, it needs to be noted that such an understanding of the virgin birth has no theological or spiritual utility; is it at best interesting and norminally superstitious.
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