5. Does the doctrine of Jesus' divinity depend on the miraculous conception?

Even if the doctrine of the miraculous conception were abandoned, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to account for the facts of Christ's life, by any other theory than that of his being the incarnation of God.

If you regard him as man, you must explain how he, a plain peasant, trained as a carpenter, brought up in an obscure Oriental town, could live such a life as he undoubtedly lived, and give utterance to truths which have thrilled the world for nineteen hundred years.

Besides this he spoke with authority, making claims to a higher nature, which if he did not consciously possess that higher nature, would be false claims.

His whole life was consistent with his divinity, and, therefore, even per­sons who reject his miraculous conception, have good ground for be­lieving him to be divine. It is the only theory that explains such a life.

There is no need, however, to reject the doctrine of the miraculous con­ception. The more you study the life of Jesus, the less you will be sur­prised to learn that the promise of God through the prophets, of the union of divinity and humanity, was literally fulfilled in him.