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Adam Hamilton says Christians do not have to believe in the Virgin Birth of Jesus. What do you think?
When I received your question, I had to research who Adam Hamilton is. Hamilton is in Kansas (I live in Florida) who is a candidate for the US Senate. But I do not want this column to become political; so therefore my reply is delimited to "only” the theological nature of your question.
Theologically, I am in full disagreement with Adam Hamilton on this, as my belief is that no true Christian can deny the virgin birth of Jesus. I suspect, being a politician he read a recent research reported that for the first time in history, the majority in the US do not believe in the Virgin Birth and thus he assumes his statement that Christians do not have to believe in the virgin birth might garner him more votes. To his credit he does affirm that he "personally” has always believed in the Virgin Birth. But then Adam, have the courage of your convictions and stand by what you "personally” say is your belief!
Hamilton stated that since the virgin birth gets little mention in the New Testament apart from Matthew and Luke, "it's OK for people not to believe in it." Since he also stated that he did not believe that the Bible is inerrant would it also be okey for Christians to not believe in the Beatitudes, since they too “get little mention in the New Testament apart from Matthew and Luke?" You see his argument from silence is no argument at all. It is the worst of all possible arguments because with it you can prove or disprove almost anything. For example, it's true that Mark never mentions the Virgin Birth of Christ. It is also true that Mark never mentions that Christ was even born. Ergo, Mark did not believe that Jesus was born. Isn't logic wonderful? That same argument from silence could be used to say that because Paul did not mention any of the miracles or parables of Jesus, Paul obviously did not believe that Jesus worked miracles or told parables. The argument from silence has been long refuted by anyone who thinks clearly.
An ordained deacon in Adam Hamilton's denomination once denied the virgin birth and stated, "no human could have the power to make (emphasis mine) Jesus what he was. God did (that is to say God made Jesus)." Apparently Arianism (which denies the full deity of Christ and maintains that the Son of God is not eternal but was created or "made" by the Father) is no longer a heresy in that denomination, despite their denomination listing the Nicene Creed in their Book of Confessions. The Nicene Creed clearly states that Christ was, "begotten," not made, one in being with the Father.
For some reason, the Virgin Birth of Christ comes under greater attack than any other miracle in the New Testament. A group of liberal theologians, who call themselves the Jesus Seminar, voted on their opinion of the "truth" as it was contained in the Gospel stories. They voted, for instance that the Virgin Birth of Christ never occurred. Other more deceptive skeptics do not attack the truth of the Virgin Birth directly, but suggest as does Adam Hamilton that it really doesn't matter.
Well, let me assure you that it certainly does matter. It matters because:
If Jesus were not born of a virgin, then ALL the New Testament narratives are false and unreliable.
Mary is stained with the sin of un-chastity.
Jesus was mistaken about His paternity, because He repeatedly declared that God was His Father and that He was the Son of God.
Christ was not born of "the seed of a woman" and therefore the promise made in the Garden of Eden that the seed of a woman would destroy the head of the serpent is unfulfilled.
Jesus, would be an illegitimate child and not the God-man, the peerless Son of God.
Jesus was then a sinner, like the rest of us, and as a sinner He cannot be our Redeemer.
Without Him as our Redeemer, our sins are not forgiven and we have no hope after death.
There would be no mediator between God and man, and there would be no Second Person of the Trinity, hence no Trinity.
But for me the most obvious proof of the virgin birth was Mary's passivity at the crucifixion. Mary's silence at the cross is further proof of the virgin birth. Mary could have stopped the crucifixion. Jesus Christ was crucified for one reason. As it is stated, He claimed that God was His Father. If it was a lie, and Jesus was not virgin born, Mary could have stepped forward at any time and said, "I will tell you who his father is." She could have destroyed His whole pretensions and the FACT of the Virgin Birth and saved Jesus from the cross. There is not a mother who would allow her son to be so horribly mutilated and killed to save her own reputation.
No, Jesus IS the virgin born, divine Son of God, the Redeemer of men; and that fact must be believed by Christians.