Jesus born of the Virgin Mary through miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit
The BFM2000 explicitly affirms that Jesus Christ was 'born of a virgin' — that his conception was a miraculous work of the Holy Spirit in Mary, apart from any human father. This is held as an essential historical and theological claim about the identity of Jesus, not merely a symbolic assertion.
The virgin birth is considered important in SBC theology for several reasons: it guards the full humanity of Christ (he was born of a woman), his full divinity (his origin transcended normal human generation), and his sinlessness (he was not inheriting guilt through ordinary human descent, though Southern Baptists differ on whether this is the primary theological rationale). It is also seen as a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.
Denial of the virgin birth has historically been treated within Southern Baptist life as a rejection of biblical inerrancy and a departure from orthodox Christianity. The SBC's confessional documents leave no ambiguity on this point, and it is taught consistently across SBC seminaries and churches.
Key Distinctions
- Affirmed literally:
- yes — Jesus was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit without a human father
- Theological significance:
- confirms Christ's divine origin and fulfils Isaiah 7:14; essential Christian doctrine
Scripture References
Sources
- Baptist Faith and Message 2000, Article II.B: God the Son