A good book on this overall subject is J. Gresham Machen's The Virgin Birth of Christ. I would be strongly inclined to agree with his argument that the perpetual virginity of Mary is a forced and unnatural interpretation of the texts (requiring Joseph and Mary to live together as man and wife without performing conjugal duties and contrary to Scriptural evidence for the children that they had), and plays into the hands of Popish asceticism. But I appreciate the wisdom of Calvin and Poole in refraining from a dogmatic position on this issue, and so I will likewise refrain further on that point. But contrary to the Auburn Affirmation of 1924, I would affirm that the virgin birth of Christ is a cardinal doctrine of Christianity about which all Christians should be dogmatic (cf. The Apostles' Creed, et al.).

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Andrew Myers
Husband of Jessica, Father of Jackson, Katie and Samuel
Member, Presbyterian Reformed Church of Northern Virginia
Warrenton, VA USA
Editor, The Matthew Poole Project

"Let your Morning Thoughts, and your last Evening Thoughts, be what shall become of you to all Eternity." -- Matthew Poole