Questions tagged [birth-of-jesus]

Questions regarding the history or theological nature of the birth of Jesus Christ.

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Are there any Christian sects/denominations which reject that Jesus was born of a woman?

So I'm curious if there exist any Christian sects which deny the physical birth of Jesus, i.e. that Jesus was born from Mary. Perhaps such a sect would say that Jesus simply appeared from the Heavens ...
setszu's user avatar
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According to those who believe the Son only "notionally existed" prior to his birth, how much of the Word became flesh?

It has been clearly asserted by Biblical Unitarians that Jesus Christ had no actual existence anywhere prior to his birth in Bethlehem. It has also been clearly asserted that Scriptures which appear ...
Mike Borden's user avatar
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What is the basis for saying Mary is not the mother of God from a trinitarian perspective?

Note: I scoped this question to trinitarians because Christ could be rejected as God and thus it wouldn’t be relevant to non-trinitarians. I was recently inspired by user @Anne to ask this, as she ...
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When Paul wrote about Jesus' birth as "born of a woman," did he not contradict the fact that Jesus was "born of a virgin" as Matthew wrote? [closed]

According to the Scriptures that were given through Matthew, Jesus Christ was born to a virgin. "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will ...
TeluguBeliever's user avatar
2 votes
4 answers
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Do any denomination teach that Jesus was born in the Autumn?

Do any denominations teach that Christ was actually born in the Fall about Tabernacles? Most Christians observe His birth on 12/25 (the same date, regardless of the day it falls), but though observing,...
SLM's user avatar
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According to Catholic scholars, was the Star visible over Bethlehem on the day of Nativity?

The Star of Bethlehem has become an indispensable part of the Christmas Crib. But, we do not see the star in Gospel narrations till the time Magi arrive : In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was ...
Kadalikatt Joseph Sibichan's user avatar
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Did Mary have the assistance of a midwife on the birth of Jesus?

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. - Mark 2:7 Swaddling clothes are narrow strips ...
Kadalikatt Joseph Sibichan's user avatar
19 votes
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Biblical significance of the gifts given to Jesus

Is there any spiritual significance to the gifts the Magi brought – Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh – after they were led by a “star” to Bethlehem where they worshiped the young child Jesus? Why would ...
Lesley's user avatar
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Are there any other early non-canonical nativity accounts besides the Gospel of James?

In the spirit of the season, I wanted to peruse some nativity accounts in ante-Nicene or near-post-Nicene literature. I've read the Gospel of James of course, but I don't really know of any other non-...
Ben W's user avatar
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How can John the Baptist be the greatest man born of woman, when Jesus was also born of woman?

Pope Francis tweeted today: Both John the Baptist, who is the greatest man born of woman, and the Son of God have chosen the path of humiliation. God shows this path to Christians so they can ...
ktm5124's user avatar
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Were the Magi believers?

If so, then why were the Magi still labelled that way? Why call a believer a member of the pagan Zoroastrian religion? Or am I missing something here? And by believers, I meant how the Magi believed ...
AngelusVastator's user avatar
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Has the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary ever been viewed as a dual maternity?

The Old Roman Symbol was a forerunner of the Apostles Creed. The structure seems to imply a dual maternity. I believe in God the Father almighty; and in Christ Jesus His only Son, our Lord, Who was ...
Rick's user avatar
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Where did St. Jerome say this quote about the manger of the nativity?

I have seen on multiple websites, mostly websites about seeing the Holy Land or otherwise pilgrimage-focused sites, that St. Jerome said: If I could only see that manger in which the Lord lay! Now, ...
Alex Strasser's user avatar
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What is the most accurate calculation of Jesus' birth date?

I am trying to develop an accurate historical timeline (expressed on the Gregorian calendar) that includes the events surrounding the annunciation, birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of ...
Bill Morehouse's user avatar
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The water and light in Genesis 1:1-3

The Nicene Creed says that Jesus was "begotten before the ages" (begotten not made). Col 1:15 calls Jesus the ""Firstborn of all creation," Proverbs 8:22 says that, referring to wisdom, it was ...
LivingWater's user avatar
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How do Protestants view the prophecy and birth of Jesus

The prophecy Isaiah 7:14 (NIV) Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. The fulfilment of the prophecy Matthew 1:...
Chris Rogers's user avatar
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Question about nativity and timelines

I can't quite wrap my head round this one. How do we know so much about the birth of Christ, but almost nothing about his growing up? As I see it, there were only a handful of people at the birth, ...
MikeH's user avatar
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According to Catholicism, why did the Blessed Mother stay a virgin during her pregnancy with Jesus?

Why was Jesus born of a Virgin instead of just being conceived of a Virgin? I know the Bible teaches the virgin birth, but why did the Blessed Mother refrain from sex during her pregnancy with Jesus (...
aska123's user avatar
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What did "Teaching of the Twelve Apostles" say about the Epiphany?

I was reading the "Teaching of the Twelve Apostles" to answer another question on this site and chanced upon a strange tidbit that I don't understand the meaning of: The apostles further ...
Peter Turner's user avatar
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Does Catholicism teach that the Wise Men from the East in fact, Jews settled in a far away place?

At Matthew 2:16 (RSVCE), we read about the visit of the Wise Men to Infant Jesus, and the massacre of children by Herod : "Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was ...
Kadalikatt Joseph Sibichan's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
713 views

According to the Jehovah's Witnesses, why was Jesus likely not born in December because of Levite temple service schedule?

This is about a particular reason why it was not likely for Jesus to have been born in December, based on an explanation I remember hearing from a Jehovah's Witness over a decade ago. I know that ...
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25 votes
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What denominations, besides JWs, hold that the Star of Bethlehem was sent by Satan?

I looked up information about the Star of Bethlehem on Jehovah's Witnesses website and it looks like their point on it was that it was actually created by Satan in an attempt to kill Jesus. Now of ...
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2 answers
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Has the Catholic Church responded to the apparent implausibility of a census as described in Luke?

Over on History Stack Exchange, answers to the question Why would Jesus' parents travel to their birthplace for a Roman census? indicate that the scholarly consensus is that Luke is wrong in his ...
Thunderforge's user avatar
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Do Mormons believe in the Virgin birth taught in the Bible? (LDS)

According to Brigham Young, the second prophet and president of the LDS church: "The birth of the Savior was as natural as the births of our children; it was the result of natural action. He ...
Oliver K's user avatar
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Origin of La Madonna Del Gatto

Someone purchased a copy of "The Christmas Cat" by MaryAnn MacDonald for my children. At the end of this fictional book depicting a cat which soothes a colicky baby Jesus and helps Jesus (and his ...
James Shewey's user avatar
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8 votes
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What is the origin of the word "Nativity" as a title for Christ's Advent?

I am interested in knowing when the term "Nativity" came into popular use for Christ's Advent and what are its origins.
Don Jewett's user avatar
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1 answer
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Why Was Jesus Represented as Being Born in a Cave?

I'm wondering why Jesus's birth/Nativity started being represented as occurring in a cave, as opposed to some structure having a manger in it (Luke) or the family home (Matthew). This first occurred ...
Arthur George's user avatar
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1 answer
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Why is the Crucifixion said to have been between 30-33 AD, if Jesus was born between 4-6 B.C. and lived to be 33 years old? [duplicate]

Here are the facts as far I know: Jesus must have been born between 4 and 6 B.C. to precede Herod. Jesus's ministry begins when He was about 30 years of age He engages in a 3-3.5 year ministry He ...
masque's user avatar
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Where were the Magi from?

I heard an idea that the Magi that followed the star, came and brought gifts to Jesus, came from Japan. However, the one saying this didn't mention the source. He mentioned the fact that Japanese ...
Ionică Bizău's user avatar
4 votes
4 answers
637 views

By what process did the miraculous conception of Jesus occur?

Is there an official position in Roman Catholic doctrine about the following: when Jesus was conceived, was it from an egg cell of Mary fertilised in a supernatural way, or did Jesus's embryo directly ...
DaG's user avatar
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1 answer
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What was silent about the night in 'Silent Night'? [closed]

Happy Lent! I remember back when I was an undergrad my philo prof said that there was nothing silent about the night referred to in 'Silent Night'. Why might this be? Massacre of the Innocents? What ...
BCLC's user avatar
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6 votes
5 answers
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What is the biblical basis for commemorating the birth of Jesus?

For many Christian denominations, Christmas is the highest holiday of the year. What is the biblical basis for commemorating/celebrating the birth of Jesus, regardless of the particular day of the ...
Kris's user avatar
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15 votes
1 answer
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What is the earliest historical testimony of the celebration of the nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ?

What is the earliest historical testimony (e.g., in writing) of the celebration (i.e., a feast) of the nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ, whether it be on the equivalent of December 25, January 6, or ...
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4 votes
1 answer
957 views

Why was St. Joseph given instructions in dreams? (Roman Catholic perspective)

We see that St. Joseph was given instruction by the Lord in dreams, as follows: But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do ...
Kadalikatt Joseph Sibichan's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
448 views

According to the Eastern Orthodox, in what sense did the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) give birth to Christ's divinity?

Nestorianism would claim that Mary only gave birth to Christ's humanity. When I thought about it and considered it, I realized my prior attitude towards the Virgin Birth had been somewhat Nestorian, ...
Josiah's user avatar
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1 answer
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Baby Jesus couldn't exist in "Total Depravity" because he was God? [closed]

I was recently reflecting total depravity after reading from a site which stated, Total depravity does not mean that man is as wicked or sinful as he could be, nor does it mean that man is without ...
Theo Christos's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
974 views

Caesar Augustus' census in Luke 2 - is it a-historical? Fabricated story? [closed]

Luke 2 speaks of a census by Caesar Augustus that everyone should go to their town of birth to be counted/enrolled. I recall, from a number curses on "historical Jesus", that there is a claim that ...
Greg Bala's user avatar
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2 answers
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What is the origin of the idea that the baby Jesus did not cry?

"...the cattle are lowing. The baby awakes. But little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes." ~ 2nd verse to Away In A Manger Did this idea originate from historical Christian doctrine? Where did ...
LCIII's user avatar
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4 votes
2 answers
555 views

What indication is there that the famous census under Quirinius is the first-ever done in the region?

Besides Luke's Gospel (which is grammatical difficult and may not mean "first" chronologically, but rather "most prominent/important"), is there any evidence that the famous census conducted by ...
ThaddeusB's user avatar
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3 votes
2 answers
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Why are wise men common in contemporary [American] nativity scenes?

It is widely supported that the wise men were not present at the time of Jesus' birth. (ie. What is the basis for the belief that the wise men did not arrive in Bethlehem until several months after ...
user2864740's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
1k views

Did Jesus have a divine biological Father? [duplicate]

I'm LDS. Our way of looking at Jesus' parentage is that Heavenly Father is his actual biological father, not via intercourse (a virgin shall conceive) but supernaturally via the Holy Ghost implanting ...
bwperrin's user avatar
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3 votes
2 answers
196 views

Within the Catholic Church, when and by whom did the story that Jesus was born in a house arise?

This post is a counterpart to this other question of mine: What is earliest mention of the Church tradition that Jesus was born in a cave? In the World Library Publications Missalettes, which have an ...
user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
273 views

When is earliest mention of the Church tradition that Jesus was born in a cave?

The birth of Jesus as recounted by Luke says that: 7 And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in ...
user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
3k views

When did the massacre of the innocents happen? [duplicate]

When the Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. Get up, he said, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to ...
Lynob's user avatar
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6 votes
2 answers
4k views

How many Wisemen were there? [duplicate]

The wise men are commonly thought of as three men, each bearing a gift for the baby Jesus. When in fact the scriptures don't indicate exactly how many wise men there were, only what gifts they brought....
ShemSeger's user avatar
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5 votes
7 answers
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Did Jesus visit the temple before the wise men came?

I was looking into the accounts of Jesus' birth both in Matthew and Luke and tried to make something of a chronology of the events on a piece of paper so that I can get it clear in my head. The thing ...
Redeemed's user avatar
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5 votes
4 answers
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Where is the prophecy of the star that the wise men followed?

Is the star that the wise men saw that caused them to come to Bethlehem prophesied in the Bible? If so, where is that prophecy? The wise men spoke about the star here: 1 Now when Jesus was born in ...
David's user avatar
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12 votes
3 answers
3k views

Was the virgin conception of Jesus known to the people at the time?

In the Bible, it seems that Mary consulted with Elizabeth after the Annunciation but from the people's reaction to Jesus at ministry, it occurs to me that they are not aware of the surrounding story ...
msk's user avatar
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11 votes
5 answers
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Why does the Battle Hymn of the Republic say Jesus was born "in the beauty of the lillies"?

A seldom-quoted stanza of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" says In the beauty of the lillies Christ was born across the sea with a beauty in his bosom that transfigures you and me. As he died ...
Keshav Srinivasan's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
4k views

According to Catholicism, what does 'come upon thee' and 'overshadow thee' mean?

When reading the verse regarding the miraculous birth of Jesus, there are certain terms used which I find very confusing. How does the Catholic Church understand the bolded phrases in Luke 1:35 ...
user1361315's user avatar
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