197. Bernard Aubert on J. Gresham Machen's The Virgin Birth of Christ

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Bernard Aubert to discuss his article “J. Gresham Machen’s The Virgin Birth of Christ: Then and Now”. What is the context of Machen’s The Virgin Birth of Christ and why was the book so important? Taking us through the overlapping contexts of the Fundamentalism-Modernist Controversy, the Presbyterian Controversy, and a context in the academy where the Hellenization Thesis and the “History of Religion School” was prominent - Dr. Aubert helps us understand this book, in context. Moreover, he takes us through how Machen’s confessional Presbyterian background and classical education, in which historical context and authorial intent are emphasized, aided Machen’s work in New Testament studies. Bringing it all together, Dr. Aubert shows why the topic was key when it came to standards for ministers, in his Presbyterian context – and was a key defense of the historical reliability of the New Testament, the integrity of the Gospels’ presentation of Jesus’ birth, and indeed - the Incarnation, itself. Further aiding our understanding of Machen’s book, we also ask about how the book was received, in its time, as well as how the book’s arguments stood up over time.

Article: “J. Gresham Machen’s The Virgin Birth of Christ: Then and Now”

The Virgin Birth of Christ by J. Gresham Machen

Other resources by Dr. Aubert:

- “Calvin and the Interpretation of Scripture”, Verbum Christi

- The Sheperd-Flock Motif in the Miletus Discourse (Acts 20:17-38) Against its Historical Background

- Reformed Standards of Unity: The Historic Confessions of Faith Confessed by the Presbyterian Churches

Also: check out a database Dr. Aubert did work on that is a comprehensive list of prooftexts in key Reformed confessions: standards.wts.edu