Virginal Conception

[Adam Olive]

I'm interested in any reflections on the following as I try to think through how the Virgin Conception meant prevented the transmission of sinful flesh nature to Jesus - and then why ordinarily sinful flesh nature is transmitted.
Does the following sound right?

The Holy Spirit through a special and powerful act of creation created/generated a conception in Mary’s womb utilizing Mary's egg. The generative work of the Holy Spirit created Jesus' human nature in the image of God.

The Spirit’s lack of physicality means copulation is not in view.

Neither the material (egg, sperm), the place (the womb) nor the act of intercourse is defiled – rather original sin is transmitted via the framing of our natures in man's image through the means of human generation/begetting (i.e. a forming power).

In Jesus' case, generation (the framing of Christ's human nature) was the work of the Holy Spirit rather than by man – and thus the original sin (the image of man in his sinfulness) ordinarily passed by human generation did not occur (i.e. generation, 'forming power', was by another hand, ‘the power of the Most High,’ therefore he is a holy one separate from sinners) c.f. Thomas Goodwin, Christ the Mediator

The framing of our natures (patterning in an image) occurs at conception (the commencement of life) by generation (forming power).

Sinful nature is patterned/formed/framed at conception but not simply because of the physical joining of a material egg and a material sperm – but by generation i.e. framing power. The framing power (generation/begetting), while having a material aspect, is more than material alone c.f. the relationship between the physical organ of the brain and the mind – the two are related but the mind is more than just the material brain.
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[Jimmy the Greek]

Never heard anything like that before. You might find some helpful comments in this related thread:

http://www.puritanboard.com/showthread.php/87847-Is-sin-nature-passed-through-the-father

 

[Adam Olive]

Source: Thomas Goodwin, Christ the Mediator

Obj. Yea, but now in the fourth place, you will say, this kindred is too nigh, he had better have married our nature further off, and at a greater distance; for thus he is in danger to be made sinful. Doth not the psalmist say, ‘In sin my mother conceived me,’ Psa_51:5. … But for answer, though there is a concipiet, yet not a genitus est; though there is a conception, yet not a generation. It is conception upon generation defiles. Man begets in his image, but Christ was not begotten, but conceived only. He comes so near, you see, that it is but the cutting of a hair keeps him from being infected; and so though he will have the same substance, yet separate from sinners, as there the separation means quantum ad culpam, as to sin; non naturam, as to nature. And therefore though he will be conceived in the same place we are, and be of the same substance with us, yet not after the same way; and it is not the substance that defiles, or the place, but the way of framing our natures. We are framed by generation of man and woman, he but by conception only of a woman, but made by the Holy Ghost; so in our Creed, ‘conceived by the Holy Ghost;’ so in Luk_1:25, ‘The Holy Ghost shall overshadow thee;’ and Mat_1:20, ‘That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.’ Not σπερματικῶς, but δημιουργικῶς, as the builder framing and forming his body. Therefore it is not said he was begotten of a woman, but made of a woman, non genitus, sed factus, and therefore he is called ‘The man from heaven,’ though the matter of his body was from earth, 1Co_15:47-48. And to this purpose it is observable, that Heb_10:5 is with difference spoken of Christ’s; human nature and ours, ‘A body hast thou prepared me;’ that is, God did it, and not man by generation, which is the ordinary way of producing men, and the only way of conveying sin. The parents, they are therefore said to beget a man, not because they afford matter and stuff, but because there goes a forming power, vis plastica, as philosophers call it, that doth prepare the matter, form it, and, to use the word which is here, doth καταρτὶζει, articulate it for the soul, which is the utmost they do, and for which they are said to beget, and wherein the very formalis ratio of generation lies. Accurately therefore to distinguish this production of the human nature of Christ from the ordinary, though he useth the same word, that signifies the manner of making our bodies by way of articulation, yet he expresseth it as done by another hand, ‘Thou hast prepared it,’ the Holy Ghost performing that which the vis plastica, or forming power, in all other generations useth to do. Luk_1:35, ‘And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God.’ That though the matter is the same, and this formed by articulation, as ours is, yet it is done by the power of the Most High, and therefore exempted from sin; therefore he adds, ‘That holy one that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.’ For because generation by men is the only way of conveying sin, and the formalis ratio of generation lies in that vis plastica, whereby a parent forms the birth (as philosophy teacheth), therefore his body, though made of the same matter, seed, that ours is, and that seed articulated into the same shape ours is, yet because by another hand, ‘the power of the Most High,’ therefore he is a holy one separate from sinners ...

And it was necesssary; for, Otherwise his human nature had been a person (the inconvenience of which you heard afore) for terminus generations est persona. What is produced by generation is a person. ... And therefore though Christ be made a Son of Adam, Luk_3:38, as made of that substance and matter derived from him, yet not in regard of the same way of conveying that matter, by fleshly generation of a man, which is the natural channel of conveying his image and original sin.

 

[Peairtach]

God was making a new covenant head instead of Adam in Christ's human nature. Christ was not included with Adam and the rest of the human race in the original Covenant of Works and so did not break it in Adam. God therefore did not impute Adam's guilt to Christ and the means of conception by the Holy Spirit prevented the transmission of Adam's corruption.

Adam was the Son of God; Christ is the only begotten God the Son.

I think the view of this partly depends on how you believe original sin is transmitted.

I would tend to agree with Dabney that both guilt is imputed immediately and corruption is inherited immediately, although some Reformed believe guilt is imputed immediately and corruption follows from that.

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