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10 Hope of Israel Ministries BIBLE Correspondence Course Lesson 31

YEHOVAH God that said correctly -- “I will YEHOVAH God at birth, as some believe?
make man in My image, according to My Matthew 1:20-21.
likeness” (Genesis 1:26), thus executing His COMMENT: While this passage tends
awesome office as the ONE GOD and LAW- to indicate YEHOVAH God became the Father
GIVER (James 2:19, 4:12) -- “the ONLY WISE of the Messiah by “impregnating” Mary through
GOD” (Jude 25). At the time of the Creation the agency of the holy spirit -- there are a number
YEHOVAH God was ALONE and “there [was] of problems with this understanding.
NONE ELSE beside Him” (Deuteronomy There is much evidence to show that the
4:35). EARLIEST versions of the gospels of Matthew
and Luke DID NOT CONTAIN THE FIRST
A “Father-Son” Relationship TWO CHAPTERS we see in the versions extant
today. The first two chapters were regarded as
After Yeshua the Messiah was LATE ADDITIONS to the original text which
resurrected from the dead in 31 A.D. he became began, as the Gospel of Mark did, with the
the FIRST-BORN son of YEHOVAH God. baptism of the Messiah.
Therefore, at the present time, the Kingdom, or Epiphanius (315?-403 A.D.) records that
FAMILY of YEHOVAH God, consists of TWO the Gospel of Matthew used by the early
members. Now we need to understand how the Christian Ecclesia (known as “Ebionites”) was
“Father”-and-”Son” relationship developed LACKING the first two chapters. He also wrote
between YEHOVAH God and the Messiah. about Cerinthus (a Christian author of the early
1. Was the Messiah born of human second century) who had taught that “at the
parents -- Joseph and Mary? Luke 2:27, Luke baptism God caused a real divine force...to
2:41. descend upon Jesus of Nazareth, THE SON OF
COMMENT: Notice that the word JOSEPH AND MARY.”
“parents” is in the PLURAL in both of these That the EARLIEST edition of Luke did
passages. NOT contain the Immaculate Conception/Virgin
2. Does the Bible actually mention that Birth story is now admitted by most commen-
the Messiah had a HUMAN father? Luke 2:48, tators. The Gospel according to Luke, which
John 6:42. Marcion (about 110-about 165 A.D.) used began
3. Does the Bible actually give the -- like Mark’s -- with the BAPTISM of the
NAME of the Messiah’s HUMAN father? Luke Messiah. It did NOT contain anything about the
2:16, Luke 2:33, Luke 2:43, John 6:42 and birth of the Messiah.
John 1:45. If we take the Canonical Gospels as a
COMMENT: All mankind has sinned guide to the time when the Virgin Birth story
(Romans 3:22) -- EXCEPT the Messiah, who was FIRST INTRODUCED into the history of
led a perfect, SINLESS life. Because of the the Messiah, and the evidence of the “Fathers of
Messiah’s sinless life he became the perfect the Church,” who first mention them, for the
sacrifice for those of us who have sinned and dates of these gospels, we are justified in stating
face ETERNAL death! (Romans 6:23). The that the Immaculate Conception/Virgin Birth
Messiah was CHOSEN by YEHOVAH God doctrine was certainly UNKNOWN until the
from among the human race (i.e., a human being middle of the first half of the second century at
born of human parents) to be the means by which the very earliest, and probably until consider-
SINFUL man could be redeemed and have a ably LATER than that.
chance to become members of the Kingdom of The second problem with the Immac-
YEHOVAH God. ulate Conception hypothesis is that by “impreg-
4. Did the Messiah become the Son of nating” Mary by means of the holy spirit

How Do You Know YEHOVAH God Exists?