Bible Answer

Did God commit adultery impregnating Mary?

Did God commit adultery impregnating Mary since she was considered married to Joseph?

God did not commit adultery by impregnating Mary. First, such a premise is both ridiculous and reveals an unnatural and insincere reading of the biblical text. The Bible describes the conception of Jesus in Mary in very different terms:

Luke 1:30  The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.
Luke 1:31  “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.
Luke 1:32  “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;
Luke 1:33  and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
Luke 1:34  Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”
Luke 1:35  The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.
Luke 1:36  “And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month.
Luke 1:37  “For nothing will be impossible with God.”
Luke 1:38  And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

When Mary asked how she could give birth as a virgin, the angel replied that the power of God would overshadow her, meaning the Creator would create a child inside her, much as He created the first man in the Garden. Just as Adam had no human father, nor would Christ have a human father but would be created out of the womb of Mary by God. 

The circumstances don’t even fit the definition of adultery. Adultery is defined as an act of consensual sexual intercourse between a man and woman when one or both are married to someone else. In the case of the conception of Mary by the Holy Spirit, none of these parameters apply. The Holy Spirit is not a human being, so He cannot commit adultery. Secondly, the Holy Spirit didn’t impregnate Mary through sexual intercourse, so no sexual act took place (Mary remained a virgin).