The Virgin Birth

Much has been made of the "virgin birth". Both the Nicene & Apostle's creed acknowledge it. But what's the deal? Is it significant to a believer's theology? It's certainly not a prerequisite for salvation. So, did the Messiah have to be born of a virgin? Was it prophesied? The answer is Yes & No. The only prophesy regarding the "birth" of the Messiah is found in Isaiah.

Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin (עַלְמָה, ’almah) shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel."

The Hebrew word used here (עַלְמָה, ’almah) can sometimes refer to a woman who is a virgin (Gen 24:43), however it does not carry this meaning inherently. The word is simply the feminine form of the corresponding masculine noun עֶלֶם (’elem, “young man”; 1 Sam 17:56; 20:22). The Aramaic and Ugaritic cognate terms are both used of women who are not virgins. The word seems to pertain to age, not sexual experience, and would normally be translated “young woman.”

Matthew's interpretation (Matt 1:22-23) of this passage has several problems, the largest hanging on the Hebrew word 'almah. Writing in Greek, the gospel author turned almah into parthenos, a word usually (but not always) meaning "virgin." In fact, there was a precedent for this; the Septuagint, a translation of the Old Testament used by Greek-speaking Jews of the day, did indeed use parthenos in the Isaiah passage. But the Septuagint was for the most part a notoriously sloppy translation, and its version of Isaiah was generally more error-ridden than the rest. By the Middle Ages, the Jews had abandoned the Septuagint, and later Greek translations, by Aquila, Theodotion, Lucien and others, did not use the word parthenos.

All things considered, words and expressions being mistranslated or a bit out of context is not surprising. What is surprising is that this literary sleight of hand grew to become such a cornerstone of Christendom. That being said, it is still possible that Mary was a "virgin" in every sense of the word. However little can be assumed with the limited information we we're given. I encourage everyone to re-read these passages in context.

Marriage, Abraham, Sarah, Hagar

There's much debate and confusion about the relationship between Abraham and Hagar and it's implications.

OLD TESTAMENT INSIGHTS
Gen. 16:3 identifies Hagar as Abram's WIFE (Strong's #802). She was also a servant to Sarah, but her status as a concubine didn't change the fact that she was just as married to Abram as Sarah was.
The same word used to refer to Sarah is also used to refer to Hagar.
Example:
Gen. 16:3a: "And Sarai, Abram's wife (802), took Hagar her female servant, the Mitsrite, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife (802)..."
It's also important to point out that the same Hebrew word 'ishshah (802) translates into English as both "wife" and "wives". There is no distinction between singular and plural in the original Hebrew text.
Example:
Gen. 2:24: "...and cleave to his wife (802)..."
Gen. 4:19: "And Lemek took for himself two wives (802)..."

Exodus 21:10: “If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish the food, clothing, or marital rights of the first wife.”
Notice that God did not say "He may not marry another woman", but rather "IF he marries another woman".

Biblically, concubinage is not an immoral sexual relationship, similar to having a personal mistress. When the Hebrew word pilegesh (Strong's #6370) is used, it speaks of a female concubine that is MARRIED to her male partner.
*CLARIFICATION* While concubinage is not considered immoral, it is never recommended and typically it is only practiced by men of great wealth.


NEW TESTAMENT INSIGHTS
Since the OT defines na'aph (adultery) as a man laying with a married or betrothed woman (ie. a wife), Matt. 5:27-28 should read:
"You heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone looking at a gune (wife) to epithumeo (lust or covet) for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

If you read Matthew 19:4-6 or Mark 10:6-9, you'll see that Messiah wasn't addressing the issue of monogyny or polygyny (yes, the spellings are correct), He was answering a question about divorce. The entire point of this passage is the permanence of marriage. Nobody at the time, when hearing Messiah's words against divorce, would have been so confused as to think he was actually redefining marriage.

Romans 7:2-3: "Thus a married woman is bound by the law (Torah) to her husband as long as he lives; but if her husband dies, she is discharged from the law (Torah) concerning the husband. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law (Torah), and if she marries another man, she is not an adulteress."
This passage speaks VOLUMES, both in what it says and in what it DOES NOT say. If there were no other Scriptures teaching that a man may have multiple wives simultaneously, this one law teaches this truth. Clearly, God did not change His mind concerning polygyny in the NT.

Polygyny is not a popular concept today. Our "liberated" culture believes that "what's good for the goose is good for the gander", which is not a biblical principle.
While the vast majority of men should not engage in concubinage, that does not negate the fact that the bible allows for wise men with means to do so without condemnation.

Origins of Christmas

What is one of the world's oldest holidays that includes:
- Elaborate rituals & ceremonies
- House decorations of evergreen plants such as holly and mistletoe.
- A time of unrestrained rejoicing, with revelry, drinking, and gluttonous feasts.
- A celebration held one week prior to the winter solstice.

Christmas you say?

Nope. “Christ's Mass”, instituted by the Roman Catholic Church, has only been around +/-1600 yrs.
The answer is actually the Winter Solstice festival. It was held in honor of the (bastard) son of Nimrod, the Babylonian sun-god, who (supposedly) conquered the power of death.

December 25th was the traditional Victory of the sun-god Festival in the pagan Babylonian world. In the ancient Roman Empire, the celebration can be traced back to the Roman festival Saturnalia, which honored Saturn, the harvest god, and Mithras, the god of light, both were celebrated during or shortly after the winter solstice.