Posted on 12/15/2014 9:22:24 AM PST by Laissez-faire capitalist
On December 25, Christians around the world will gather to celebrate Jesus' birth. Joyful carols, special liturgies, brightly wrapped gifts, festive foods - these all characterize the feast today, at least in the northern hemisphere. But just how did the Christmas festival originate? How did December 25 become associated with Jesus' birthday?
The Bible offers few clues: Celebrations of Jesus' nativity are not mentioned in the Gospels or Acts; the date is not given, not even the time of year. The biblical reference to shepherds tending their flocks at night when the hear the news of Jesus' birth (Luke 2:8) night suggest the spring lambing season; in the cold month of December, on the other hand, sheep might well have been corralled. Yet most scholars would urge caution about extracting such a precise but incidental detail from a narrative whose focus is theological rather than calendrical.
The extrabiblical evidence from the first and second century is equally spare: There is no mention of birth celebrations in the writings of early Christian writers such as Irenaeus (c. 130-200) or Tertullian (c. 160-225). Origen of Alexandria (c.165-264) goes so far as to mock Roman celebrations of birth anniversaries, dismissing them as "pagan" practices - a strong indication that Jesus' birth was not marked with similar festivities at that place and time.1 As far as we can tell, Christmas was not celebrated at all at this point.
This stands in sharp contrast to the very early traditions surrounding Jesus' last days. Each of the Four Gospels provides detailed information about the time of Jesus' death. According to John, Jesus is crucified just as the Passover lambs are being sacrificed. This would have occurred on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Nisan, just before the Jewish holiday began at sundown (considered the beginning of the 15th day because in the Hebrew calendar, days began at sundown). In Matthew, Mark and Luke, however, the Last supper is held after sundown, on the beginning of the 15th. Jesus is crucified the next morning - still, the 15th. ...
Finally, in about 200 C.E., a Christian teacher in Egypt makes reference to the date Jesus was born. According to Clement of Alexandria, several different days had been proposed by various Christian groups. Surprising as it may seem, Clement doesn't mention December 25 at all. Clement writes: "There are those who have determined not only the year of our Lord's birth, but also the day; and they say that it took place in the 28th year of Augustus, and in the 25th day of [the Egyptian month] Pachon [May 20 in our calendar] ... And treating of His passion, with very great accuracy, some say that it took place in the 16th year of Tiberius, on the 25th of Phamenoth [March 21]; and others on the 25th of Pharmuthi [April 21] and others say that on the 19th of Pharmuthi [April 15] the savior suffered. Further, others say that He was born on the 24th or 25th of Pharmuthi [April 20 or 21]."2
Clearly there was great uncertainty, but also a considerable amount of interest, in dating Jesus' birth in the late second century. By the fourth century, however, we find references two dates that were widely recognized - and now also celebrated - as Jesus' birthday: December 25 in the western Roman Empire and January 6 in the East (especially in Egypt and Asia Minor). The modern Armenian church continues to celebrate Christmas on January 6; for most Christians, however, December 25 would prevail, while January 6 eventually came to be known as the Feast of the Epiphany, commemorating the arrival of the magi in Bethlehem. The period between became the holiday season later known as the 12 days of Christmas.
The earliest mention of December 25 as Jesus' birthday comes from a mid-fourth-century Roman almanac that lists the death dates of various Christian bishops and martyrs. The first date listed, December 25, is marked: natus Christus in Betleem Judae: "Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judae."3 ...
[Actually, for a full reading of the article, click on the URL above as the article is actually quite long. References are cited below the article].
If one wishes to peruse the full writings of various bishops, scholars, apologists, etcetera (from the 2nd century A.D. on), a great resource is "Early Christian Writings, Early Church Fathers" [link below].
Listed are : Church Fathers: Didache, down to Church Fathers Justin Martyr, Claudius Appollinaris, Irenaeus of Lyons, Theophilus of Antioch, Polycrates of Ephesus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Serapion of Antioch, Hippolytus of Rome, Origen, and many, many others (30 plus in all).
Early Christian Writings, Early Church Fathers:
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/churchfathers.html
I asked this question to a holy roller guy I used to work with. He told me the date of 25 December was originally a pagan holiday, and the assignation of the Christmas holiday to this date was actually the result of a political compromise by a king of England. I have no reason to disbelieve him!
You should. Christmas was celebrated on December 25th hundreds of years before there was a King of England.
The 1st Recorded Celebration of Christmas
http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/301-600/the-1st-recorded-celebration-of-christmas-11629658.html
There is some research that I saw on EWTN (although this research is not conclusive - yet) that uses past astronomical data (which can be determined using the precise movement of planets in conjunction with computers) in an attempt to date exactly when the magi would have noticed “we have seen his star in the East and are come to worship him).
It would seem that the king planet, Jupiter, entering Virgo the Virgin at 2-3 B.C. announced to them that the King planet was entering the constellation of Virgo the Virgin, in connection with Saturn (the planet then ascribed as having significance to the Jewish people) and thus a King was being born in Judea.
Christmas = Winter Solstice
Easter = Spring Equinox
The objections to December 25th being the birthday of Jesus Christ aren’t the Straw Man objections cited in that article (that December 25th replaced the Roman festival of Saturnalia or the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun...
The objections are that there is no historical evidence that shows that December 25th was celebrated as Jesus’ birthday prior to the fourth century, while there is a plethora of historical evidence from Early Christian Fathers and other writers that lists March or April as Jesus’ birthday, with the majority of Christians then believing March or April as being Jesus’ birthday.
It is up to people to argue FOR December 25th and proving this, not arguing AGAINST the objections listed in tat article.
Arguing against proves nothing.
What he’s probably referring to in the Roman feast of “Sol Invictus” or the feast of the “unconquerable sun” which was celerated on December 21st or 22nd(the winter solstice). The Roman church did this a lot, providing christian alternatives to pagan festivals.
According to Clement of Alexandria, who gave a then-synopsis of what Christians then believed was the actual days of the Lord’s birth 9and they were much closer to His birth than we are), Christians then placed Jesus’ birth on March 21, April 21, April 20 or 21.
By looking at and citing Clement (and the first-hand account that he had, and thus avoiding the historical revisionism which we see today), the consensus before and at Clement’s time was March or April, with the date of 21 (March or April) being the most recognized date.
The Bill of Rights was ratified in 1787. What if we were discussing the real meaning of the any of the Amendments (say, the Second) and could only go back to what a scholar said in 1987 about its true meaning, how reliable would that opinion likely be?
Do we trust the opinion of say, Justice Ginsburg to be completely honest about the meaning of the Second Amendment? Well of course it would be foolish to. Yet, instead of searching the Scriptures about the true, accurate and harmonious facts about the birth of Our Savior, no, we are happy to base a pivotal holiday of the Christian holidays upon this tissue of historical noise: “Finally, in about 200 C.E., a Christian teacher in Egypt makes reference to the date Jesus was born.”
But it gets worse, far worse. In this Post-Christian society. We have seen a tech mob ride Mozilla CEO Brenden Eich out of a job because they found out that he believes that marriage should only be between one man and one woman. I see in other news that techies almost relish the vast holiday parties that Google throws. Apple CEO Tim Cook, who is gay, was widely quoted as anticipating an “iPad Christmas”.
By his actions, Tim Cook acknowledges that Jesus is important to his employees and to him personally. Otherwise, why would he cheer selling a lot of iPads for the holiday that celebrates His birth? Obviously a lot of techies have no problem with how Google observes Christmas.
But if a person wants to actually study the words of Jesus, and shapes his thinking and actions based on those words, how should he react when Jesus clearly speaks to the topic of sexual morality? (Like in Revelation 22:15?) How should he react when he knows that God could not bless anyone with a gift of a behavior that He declares to be detestable? How should he react knowing that should he make his opinion public that he could suffer the same fate and public humiliation as Brenden Eich did?
If advocates of same sex marriage want to be consistent, they must now repudiate Jesus and anything associated with Him including Christmas. Are these people proud enough of being gay and or supporting equal rights for gays that they are willing to stop observing Christmas? Or will they just re-imagine Christmas to suit their agenda? What does that make them?
If a society that violates many of the core values of Jesus can still observe a day that is dedicated to His birth, what does that say about their values? What does that say about the holiday?
The brutal answer is: the holiday is as corrupted as they all are. Jesus was not born on any day near December 25. There is not a single passage in God’s word that commands that anyone observe the day of His birth, while there are many that command observing His Teachings, which include commands to live a life of morality, including sexual morality. Jesus said (dare I quote Him?) it was God’s intent from the beginning of humanity that marriage was ONLY to be between one man and one woman. He also lamented that many people call Him Lord yet do not obey Him.
And He said that people who insist on adding to His word or taking away from what He said, would be cursed. And clearly we are now very cursed. The fruits of the way that society relates to Jesus and His teachings show how corrupted we have become. The truth about Jesus does indeed set people free, if only they were willing to read His Word as closely as they read their friend’s Facebook postings.
Why didn’t the Roman church instead go with Clement of Alexandria, who gave a first-hand account of the evidence he had at his time concerning what Christians before him believed, which he listed as March or April 20 or 21 as the most likely date(s) for Jesus Christ’s birth?
This is what Christians believed before Clement, and he gave testimony to that.
Clement would have been a much better source to rely upon than anyone else, and thus any chance of historical revisionism and then a celebrating of Jesus’ birthday on any other month or day other than March or April 20 or 21 would have been avoided.
Luke 2 provides several clues. Not Winter, sheep are not in the field for Winter at 35 North. Zechariah is the order of Abijah. Not wasted information. We learned that King David assigned orders for priestly service. Now we can determine when John was born, and 6 months later, Jesus. Not December...
If people want to celebrate December 25th, I have no problem with it.
But I understand where you are coming from: Christmas has become commercialized, and most people no longer celebrate the season for the right reason: a savior (Christ Jesus) has been born! Celebrating that is the real reason for the season.
Secondly, what you posted can be summed up thusly: People today “Have a form of Godliness, but deny the power thereof.” (2 Timothy 3:5).
A majority perhaps, but probably not a true consensus or it wouldn’t have been such a topic of discussion.
My point was, it was well before Power of English Kings.
LFC,
Do you care or just like stirring the pot?
I can’t answer for why the ancient church selected Dec 25th over any other day, and any attempt to change it at this late date seems to me to be immaterial.
What the church has always believe is that Jesus was born, and that is what is being celebrated. I know many people who celebrate their “birthday” on a different day then when they were born.
I think you should look at the larger issue of obeying the teaching of Jesus and the NT writers, and less on the trivia of the Christian faith.
Grace and Peace,
K51
The birth of Christ on December 25 ? Sukkot as the date is supported by Elizabeth's Zacharias served as a high priest and John would have been born on Pesach. Factor in when Miriam visited her cousin Elizabeth, John (1:14) tells us that Yah'shua was made flesh The word "dwelt" in the Koine Greek is: Eight days after the beginning of Sukkot is Eight days after a Jewish male is born he is circumcised. After the Eighth day comes the the most Joyous day: Nine months back from Sukkot is Chanukah
A clear reading of the Holy Word of G-d would lead to another date.
A date commanded by YHvH with clear Biblical meaning and understanding.
Chanukah is a great time for followers of the Jewish Messiah to celebrate.
The eight day Feast of Chanukah echoes of the eight days of the Feast of Tabernacles
Chanukah was most likely when the "light of the world"
(John 8:12) entered human form and tabernacled among us.
Feast of Tabernacles is the birth day of Yah'shua.
This question is answered when you believe and trust
the Holy Word of Elohim in Luke 1.
Yah'shua's birth on Sukkot
shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach
(Sukkot is the Feast of Tabernacles or booths,
where we live in temporary shelters.
Sukkot is when YHvH took on a temporary
garment to be with His People
and to die as the Lamb of G-d on Pesach
in order to bring salvation to all
who would call on His Name:
(Romans 10:13 & Joel 2:32)
Yah'shua ( YHvH is become my salvation)). Ps. 18:2, 46; 27:1; 35:9; 38:22; 88:1;
118:14; 119:174; 140:7; Isa. 12:2; 56:1;
61:10; Mic. 7:7; Hab. 3:18
pregnancy of John the Immerser.
The time sequence is outlined by the
Holy Word of Elohim in Luke 1 with Zacharias.
based on his tribe, we know when he served
(1 Chronicles 24:7-18) and when he was
struck dumb and when John was conceived.
Most Jews believed that Elijah
would come at Pesach to announce
the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5).
Elizabeth was six months pregnant (Luke 1:26)
Thus the timing of Yah'shua's birth can be ascertained.
and tabernacled among us. σκηνόω Strong's G4637 - skēnoō
1) to fix one's tabernacle,
have one's tabernacle,
abide (or live) in a tabernacle (or tent),
tabernacle
2) to dwell
another Holy Feast Day called Shemini Atzeret.
Simchat Torah or
the rejoicing in the Torah (The Word of Elohim).
where the light entered the temple.
If you can city any Church Father at or before that time (200 AD) who cited Christians as believing in any other month besides March or April as the month Jesus was born, then please cite them.
Otherwise you using an argument from silence, and have nothing to argue in favor of, and have to resort to arguing against April or March (although that is the only evidence we have from then (200 AD) as to what Christians believed before Clement of Alexandria, which he attests to).
By saying “probably not a true consensus” you are arguing against, not for something.
BTW, the lack of consensus is whether it was May, March or April, with only one citation of Christians believing it was May, and the other months being (April or March) - 2 for April and one for March - but ALL months then cited (May, March and April) as having the 20th or the 21st as being the day Jesus was born. Not December and not December 25th.
My point was, it was well before Power of English Kings.
At least we know WHERE He was born.
Unlike a certain modern day leader.
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