Adam Olive
Puritan Board Freshman
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?
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.
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.