Dear Steve ~
SW: "Was Jesus' birth parthenogenetic?"
Yes, of course; there could scarcely be any other kind of Virgin Birth. But it was the result of a unique and supernatural event, not the sort of natural parthenogenesis that can occur in sea urchins. A harder question is, "How did the parthenogenetic conception of Jesus occur?" -- or, /was/ there even a moment of conception within Mary's womb at which a zygote existed, or did God miraculously create a body at some slightly more developed stage?
SW: "Was he (or she) haploid or diploid?"
(I hope I haven't confused terms here -- ) Diploid. God could have used an egg from Mary as part of the material which formed a diploid zygote which proceeded to develop into Jesus' body. Or, God could have instantaneously created a diploid zygote -- or morula -- with a genotype consistent with Judaic/Davidic descent. Either way, I don't think there was ever a point at which one could simultaneously say, "There is the body of Jesus" and "Lo, it's haploid."
SW: "Or did the Holy Ghost provide a sperm so that conception occurred in the usual manner?"
No sperm was involved, just God's command for the miracle to happen (whether it was the miracle of Mary's egg instantly changing into a zygote with a male Judaic/Davidic genotype, or of a morula with a male Judaic/David genotype instantly appearing in Mary's womb and being implanted there, or something else).
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
SW: "Was Jesus' birth parthenogenetic?"
Yes, of course; there could scarcely be any other kind of Virgin Birth. But it was the result of a unique and supernatural event, not the sort of natural parthenogenesis that can occur in sea urchins. A harder question is, "How did the parthenogenetic conception of Jesus occur?" -- or, /was/ there even a moment of conception within Mary's womb at which a zygote existed, or did God miraculously create a body at some slightly more developed stage?
SW: "Was he (or she) haploid or diploid?"
(I hope I haven't confused terms here -- ) Diploid. God could have used an egg from Mary as part of the material which formed a diploid zygote which proceeded to develop into Jesus' body. Or, God could have instantaneously created a diploid zygote -- or morula -- with a genotype consistent with Judaic/Davidic descent. Either way, I don't think there was ever a point at which one could simultaneously say, "There is the body of Jesus" and "Lo, it's haploid."
SW: "Or did the Holy Ghost provide a sperm so that conception occurred in the usual manner?"
No sperm was involved, just God's command for the miracle to happen (whether it was the miracle of Mary's egg instantly changing into a zygote with a male Judaic/Davidic genotype, or of a morula with a male Judaic/David genotype instantly appearing in Mary's womb and being implanted there, or something else).
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
