Posted on 12/04/2005 7:27:20 AM PST by DouglasKC
One day, years ago, someone asked me why I kept Christmas. "The Bible says to keep it," I responded. "Somewhere in the Gospel of Luke, it speaks of the nativity scene. An angel told some shepherds that were keeping their sheep in the fields at night that the baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem. I think they went to see Jesus at that time.
"That was the first Christmas! And that's why I keep Christmas, because the Bible supports Christmas, the birthday of Jesus Christ."
"That's not true and here's why," my friend replied.
I soon learned that the Bible didn't teach Christmas. I also found that its origins have nothing to do with the Bible. It was an important lesson about things I'd long assumed to be true.
Just because some 2 billion people—roughly 1 billion Catholics and another billion in Protestant faiths—observe Christmas, does that make it right? Does it really matter one way or the other?
Why do so many people observe it?
If you were asked, "Why do you celebrate Christmas?" how would you respond? Many would say Christmas honors the birthday of Jesus. Others feel that Christmas is a good Christian family get-together. Many do it simply because they've always done it.
Christmas can appear tantalizing to the eye and ear. People appear happy, generous, full of good cheer. Twinkling lights decorate many houses. Santa Claus and his reindeer are pictured as poised to lift off from snow-covered front yards or rooftops, although in the southern hemisphere and tropics there is no December snow. The colorful, peaceful-appearing Christmas scene can be intoxicating, addicting.
Shoppers pack stores, browsing for gifts they hope to buy at bargain-basement prices. Soaring strains of "White Christmas," "Silent Night" or "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" resonate everywhere.
The December weather of the northern hemisphere might be frightful outside, but the feeling and warmth inside is delightful. Christmas trees with twinkling lights and bright, sparkling ornaments create a mystical and glowing environment. Entire families want to experience the special mystery that only comes with the Christmas season. There is no religious holiday quite like it for the millions everywhere who observe it.
Was Jesus really born on Dec. 25?
But stop and ask yourself: Was Christ really born on Christmas Day? After all, the Bible nowhere tells us the day of His birth.
In fact, most credible secular historical writings tell us that Christmas, more than 200 years after Jesus' death, was considered sinful: "As late as A.D. 245 [the early Catholic theologian] Origen . . . repudiates as sinful the very idea of keeping the birthday of Christ" (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition, 1910, Vol. 6, p. 293, "Christmas").
In A.D. 354, a Latin chronographer mentioned Christmas, but even then he did not write about it as an observed festival (ibid.).
There is no biblical evidence that Dec. 25 was Jesus' birth date. In fact, the Bible record strongly shows that Jesus couldn't have been born then.
For example, Luke tells us that the shepherds were keeping their sheep in the fields at night when Jesus was born. "And she [Mary] brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night" (Luke 2:7-8, emphasis added throughout).
But late December is Judea's cold and rainy season. Would shepherds actually keep their fragile flocks out in the open fields on a cold late-December night near Bethlehem?
No responsible shepherd would subject his sheep to the elements at that time of year when cold rains, and occasional snow, are common in that region.
"The climate of Palestine is not so severe as the climate of this country [England]; but even there, though the heat of the day be considerable, the cold of the night, from December to February, is very piercing, and it was not the custom for the shepherds of Judea to watch their flocks in the open fields later than about the end of October" (Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons, 1959, p. 91).
Luke also tells us that Jesus was born at the time of a census ordered by the Roman emperor (Luke 2:1-3). The Romans were brilliant administrators; they certainly would not have ordered people to journey to be registered at a time of year when roads would have been wet and muddy and traveling conditions miserable. Such a move would have been self-defeating on its face.
The belief that Jesus was born on or around Dec. 25 simply has no basis in fact, even if 2 billion people have accepted it without question. As the famous playwright George Bernard Shaw said, "If 50 million people believe a foolish thing, it's still a foolish thing."
Does Christmas really honor Christ?
If the Christmas holiday is an important celebration to honor the birth of Jesus Christ, why is it nowhere mentioned in the Bible? Why didn't Christ instruct His closest followers, His 12 chosen apostles, to keep Christmas? Why didn't they institute or teach it to the early Church?
Before you answer, consider that Jesus gave great authority to His 12 apostles, assuring them that they will hold positions of great importance and responsibility in His Kingdom (Matthew 18:18; 19:28; Luke 22:29-30). But since Jesus never taught His apostles to keep Christmas, nor did they ever teach it to the Church though they had years of opportunity to do so, shouldn't that make us question whether Christmas is something Jesus really wants or appreciates?
So how did Christmas become such a widespread practice if the Bible doesn't sanction it, if Christ didn't observe it and if He never taught His disciples and the early Church to celebrate it?
True origins of Christmas
Most people never stop to ask themselves what the major symbols of Christmas—Santa Claus, reindeer, decorated trees, holly, mistletoe and the like—have to do with the birth of the Savior of mankind. In
the southern hemisphere summer climate of December, few people question why they observe a Christmas with northern hemisphere winter scenery!
The fact is, and you can verify this in any number of books and encyclopedias, that all these trappings came from ancient pagan festivals.
Even the date, Dec. 25, came from a festival celebrating the birthday of the ancient sun god Mithras. (If you'd like to learn more about the origins of the many customs and symbols associated with Christmas, request our free booklet Holidays or Holy Days: Does It Matter Which Days We Keep?)
Jesus never told His followers to celebrate Christmas, but He did warn us not to adhere to false, man-made religious doctrines: "And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" (Mark 7:7). The truth is, Christmas and other non-biblical religious holidays constitute vain or empty worship of Christ.
The Catholic Encyclopedia indicates that the Christmas season came from an ancient midwinter festival that occurred at the time of the winter solstice. Interestingly, the previously noted Origen, despite the early period in which he lived (ca. 182-251), never even mentioned it (The New Catholic Encyclopedia, 1967, Vol. 3, 1967, and "Christmas and Its Cycle," The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913, Vol. 3, "Christmas").
Tertullian, another Catholic theologian who lived at about the same time (ca. 155-230), referred to compromising Christians then beginning to join in the pagan midwinter festival celebrated in the Roman Empire, which eventually evolved into what is now Christmas:
"The Saturnalia, the feasts of January, the Brumalia, and Matronalia are now frequented; gifts are carried to and fro, new year's day presents are made with din, and banquets are celebrated with uproar; oh, how much more faithful are the heathen to their religion, who take special care to adopt no solemnity from the Christians" (Tertullian in De Idolatria, quoted by Hislop, p. 93).
In time Catholic religious leaders added solemnity to this pre-Christian holiday by adding to it the Mass of Christ, from which it eventually came to be known by its common name of "Christmas."
A matter of whether, not what
The purpose of The Good News magazine is to share with you the living truth of Jesus Christ. A true Christian cannot decide what he will obey, only whether he will obey God's truth.
We strive to publish God's pristine truth; people who read that truth have to decide what to do about it and whether they will honor it. Our commission from Jesus Christ is to teach the truth of God and to welcome as disciples and fellow workers those few who hear and obey the truth. We hope the truth about Christmas starts you on the road to true happiness and God's purpose for you.
History shows that Christmas does not represent Christ. It misrepresents sound biblical teaching and is in opposition to God's truth. God wants us to worship Him in truth (John 4:23-24), not fable.
In Deuteronomy 12:28-32, God told His people to worship only in the ways He commanded, telling them "Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it." He explicitly ordered them not to copy or adopt the religious practices of the pagans, calling such practices "abomination[s] . . . which He hates."
Yet hundreds of millions of men, women and children unwittingly observe Christmas, not knowing or caring from where it came. They assume that 2 billion Christians can't be wrong or that it doesn't matter how we worship God so long as our intentions are good. But why should we think we honor God or please Him when we worship contrary to His commands?
Crucial questions only you can answer
The crucial question is, do we worry more about what others think or about what God requires? Also, can other human beings give us salvation? If honoring God's truth determines our salvation, then why honor men over God?
Jesus Christ said to those who appeared religious but denied the power of His true teaching, "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46; compare Matthew 7:21). Since Christ is opposed to Christmas, why would any thoughtful Christian observe it?
Walking in Jesus' footsteps in a world that doesn't is never easy. But it is much better and eminently more rewarding than following the empty ways of the world.
God tells us in 1 John 2:15-17: "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." GN
"This borders on anti-Christian propaganda. It's the same BS the imfamous walmart email used for saying happy holidays."
Yup, you said it. However, these Johnny-come-lately-do-it-yourself religions have quite strange ideas about what is and what is not "Christian".
Apparently the great Chrysostom is nothing but an "anti-semite" so I guess there's not much hope for the rest of us.
Pharisees loved scripture alone too, it let them ignore what was clearly the spirit of God so they could profit from legalistic interpretations.
I don't beleive there are many protestants who's churches do not inherit the work of St John Chrysostom, though I know a lot of ignorant protestants who haven't been told his name or what he did for the church.
Actually this isn't an attack on Christianity. It's a rebuke of Christmas. It's a defense of Christianity:
2Ti 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Santa Claus is a fable. Our society lusts after gifts. Our itching ears refuse the truth that our Lord created holy days and that they are inviolate.
Which bible translation do you accept as the unaltered, pure word of God? The Message? New International Version? Which one?
Still full of tough love, aren't you, CTID?
**You're so foolish. BTW, are you a Jew or a Christian? Get off the fence.**
CTID, some think you should come down off your self-elevated pedestal.
Me? I (along with my better half) was over to some friends home for supper last night. They had all the decorations, tree, lights, etc. I didn't bring it up, but he admitted the tree is pagan, but just likes to set it up, decorate it, and admire it. I left it at that.
I used to do the same thing. But then after being 'born again', in obedience to the Christ, I too (as Paul proclaimed) became a new creature. All things DO become new. One of those things was the 'tree'. Suddenly I realized that the Lord made the evergreen beautiful, as is; green, with a pleasing scent, a home for his beautiful finches. Bringing the tree into the house, and decorating it, seems so foreign, so vain to me.
We set up a ceramic nativity scene. Nothing spectacular, just like the background around that spectacular birth.
Are we thankful? OOOOHHHH yes!
Are you to judge those who honor Christ by celebrating His birth? Yes, good luck to you too.
No, you're wrong, this is an attack on Christianity and the way that we observe Christmas. Christmas, like many religious rites that do not derrive directly from admonition of Jesus, were made part of the early church worship service in an effort to make Christianity come alive for the many illiterate worshipers. The celebration of Christmas simply gives a special time of year for Christians to remember and celebrate the birth of Christ as told in the New Testament. What's wrong with that?
That translation has been through at least 4 revisions. Which of those revisions is the pure, unaltered word of God?
So are you trying to use this verse to say those who celebrate Christmas are on the path to destruction? Including all Christians?
Please familiarize yourself with the Gospel.
So it's based on tradition. I can't argue against that except to say it didn't really become tradition until hundreds of years after Christ died.
The celebration of Christmas simply gives a special time of year for Christians to remember and celebrate the birth of Christ as told in the New Testament. What's wrong with that?
Christ created holy days to mark, signify and portend what God knew to be important for man. Christmas was not one of these days. Christ also commanded to walk as he walked. He did not celebrate his own birth or command his followers to celebrate his birth. Instead, he observed the holy days that he himself created. Christmas distracts and pulls people away from the truths that are contained in the true, holy, days that he created.
How certain are you of that "fact"?
The NEW TESTAMENT didn't become tradition until hundreds of years after Christ died (Around 150AD).
Also Christ was in fact BORN that is in fact what established Christmas.
If Christmas is a meaningless exercise why did the apostles who wrote about Christ birth do so? Why waste that time in scripture?
The Orthdox Church in America also commemorates Creation on September 1st, however, I've yet to hear any Orthodox suggest that's when Creation occurred. It's just when we commemorate it.
The supposed theologic fuss over commemorating the birth of Christ stems from certain Christians who merely can't stand the concept of any Christian not embracing their every interpretation as the Gospel truth.
Around here, we call them the followers of YOPIS (Your Own Personal Interpretation of Scripture). Not only can their posts be ignored, it is also spiritually advisable.
The basis for the Christian era Santa Claus is Bishop Nicholas of Smyrna (4th century A.D.) The Orthodox Church later raised "St. Nicholas" to the position of patron saint of children and seafarers. His day is December 6th.
Coca Cola stock at this point was selling 20,000 shares a penny.
In 1773 St.A.Claus made his American press debut but was never popularized until 1823 with the poem "The night before Christmas" by Clement Clarke Moore. At this point Coca Cola stock had been delisted from the exchanges but reappeared in 1886 with a "New Improved Formula by an Atlanta, Georgia pharmacist.
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