Hi all,
Every year the question comes up about celebrating Christmas, and with many new subscribers it seemed good to answer the question.
Let me say at the start that if someone reading this, or someone you know, doesn’t celebrate the Lord’s birth with all the things associated with it, they do it unto the Lord. He accepts them as He does those who celebrate His birth at this time of year. The purpose here is to give good scriptural and logical reasons that one might answer for their beliefs.
First scripture and history, then about our day
Christianity thrived in cultures that openly worshipped hundreds of gods and goddesses. In Paul’s time they weren’t removed from ‘pagan roots’ like those in the west are today. But don’t think western Christianity is all there is to the body of Christ. Today all over the world, Christianity still thrives in the midst of pagan religions, gods and goddesses.
In Paul’s day the names of the religions were different, but it was the same issue of food dedicated to gods, goddesses, idols and false religions. He dealt with the issue in I Corinthians 8 and 10, and Romans 14.
The Corinthians wanted to know if they dishonored God…
…if they ate food in a restaurant or bought meat or drink at a market dedicated to a god or goddess? Paul’s answer was an emphatic no, they did not dishonor God by eating or drinking such food.
The reason is this what he wrote in I Corinthians 8: 4-8: “We know gods and idols are nothing, for we know there is one God, and to Him we belong. But not all (believers) have this knowledge. Some eat knowing about the god or idol, and it doesn’t bother them. Others eating, have their conscience defiled.” His reasoning is that since gods and goddesses and idols are nothing, and Christ is already in us, food no matter its source, doesn’t defile us nor offend God.
Paul said those bothered by the pagan source of the food had a ‘weak conscience.’ He said food neither commends us to God nor detracts from our walk with Him, so it doesn’t matter if it was dedicated to a god or idol. He said to let each person decide what they will eat or not eat, and don’t be a stumbling block for another.
In chapter 10 he focused on walking in love towards those weak in their conscience.
He said if you are going to eat at a restaurant that you know serves meat that was dedicated to or had been sacrificed to a god or idol in the nearby temple, and your dinner companion doesn’t eat that meat, then for their conscience sake don’t eat meat at that meal. But if you are by yourself or with others who don’t care, eat what you want. If the weak in conscience happen to see you in public while you are at such a restaurant, their attitude is their responsibility. You haven’t sinned against them because of that chance encounter.
In Romans 14: 1-12 he again calls those who make a distinction ‘weak’, but again said ‘let everyone be fully persuaded in their own mind.’ That was true for diet and day of the week, specifically stating in v3-11 that what each chooses they do so unto the Lord, who accepts each of us. So don’t criticize each other.
In Romans 14 the subject was food and drink (wine) blessed or dedicated to gods or idols, but also included vegetarians, and those who choose 1 day over another on which to worship. He said let each person choose for themselves.
So that is our foundation. Decide for yourself for there is no spiritual reason not to eat; the decision is in your thinking and emotions (conscience).
Don’t criticize others who choose differently than you and don’t act like an evangelist for your perspective. Each participates or not unto the Lord, who accepts each. These are peripheral issues and do not rise to the level of breaking fellowship.
These scriptures also apply directly to the choice of celebrating or not, Christmas.
Reasons given for not celebrating Christmas
December 25 is a date of pagan religion, and Christmas has symbols that have pagan roots. It’s the same issue Paul faced above with meat or drink having been first sacrificed to pagan gods. For many, it is the Christmas tree in particular that’s the issue. Ancient Germanic tribes 2500 years ago associated evergreen trees with their pagan religions.
In the 1500’s in Germany, sincere Christians brought evergreens into their homes in winter as a symbol of eternal life, decorating them with things reminding them of the Lord. Martin Luther is credited with being the first to add candles to the branches.
When Germans came to America in the 1600s, many residents (including the Pilgrims) still associated the practice with pagan religions. In 1659 Massachusetts, a law was made forbidding using December 25 for anything other than celebrating the birth of Jesus – people were fined for putting up decorations. Soon though, the flood of Germanic immigrants to the US brought the practice into the mainstream and it was adopted as a common Christian practice. It was German Christians who turned their former pagan practice into something celebrating the birth of Jesus and His gift of eternal life.
“December 25 isn’t His birthday.”
That’s true, He was probably born in the fall or spring. Has the person making that statement ever celebrated anyone’s birthday on a day other than their actual date of birth? If yes, their point falls by the way side. So when someone challenges them on it, they need to find another reason for blaming it on it not being His actual birthday.
Some say Jesus didn’t celebrate any festival that wasn’t God-given or God-associated. (Except for the wedding at Cana) But does that make it wrong for us to celebrate His birth? Why can we celebrate or be happy for someone’s wedding anniversary, birthday, retirement, the purchase of a car or home, but we can’t celebrate Jesus coming into our world and giving us eternal life?
Did you know the act of celebrating one’s birthday started as a pagan practice? (Egypt, 5,000 years ago). So not only is the date of December 25 associated with pagans, but the act of celebrating His or anyone’s birthday has pagan roots.
When we celebrate a loved one’s birthday, are we endorsing the pagan roots of that celebration? Ancient Greeks worshipped Selene, the moon goddess, and made round cakes and put candles on them. They asked the birthday person to blow the candles out as they prayed to her.
They believed the smoke carried their prayer to the moon. Today someone may be told to ‘make a wish and blow out the candles’. Are they praying to Selene? No. They are just having fun. (Selene was the Greek moon goddess, Luna the Roman, also associated with Diana, Juno, and Artemis)
No one is endorsing those pagan religions by celebrating someone’s birthday and having them blow out candles. But to be consistent in the logic, if a Christian isn’t celebrating Christmas because of its pagan roots and symbols, they should not be celebrating anyone’s birthday – the mere celebration of a birthday is pagan in its roots! (I had one person be intellectually dishonest with me, saying they only had square cakes, lol, to maintain their stance).
At the root for many is the emotional desire to ‘stand up for God’ to their unsaved families. They feel they need to protect God’s reputation or otherwise defend Him against the onslaught of paganism and commercialism of the Christmas season. Think that through – mere man – defending God. Hmmm…from what I read in the Bible He is quite capable of standing up for Himself. That isn’t our job. We are to share Jesus, making disciples by having them observe and do what He showed us. So that reasoning falls by the way side.
Pagan roots
Are we endorsing the pagan roots if we have a Christmas tree or celebrate the holiday? No, not unless you’re a pagan. So a person who doesn’t celebrate needs to be able to defend their thinking process to others – especially perhaps, to their relatives, their children even. But if it bothers one’s conscience, don’t find fault with those who participate. What one does unto the Lord, they too do so unto the Lord, and He accepts both. Just be able to stand and deliver your reasons.
Most people, Christian and not, wonder why would a Christian allow pagans who lived 2,500 years ago, influence their celebration of the Lord’s coming to earth to save us from our sins? That’s a valid question the person abstaining from Christmas should be able to answer.
I’ve written this so that no matter what how you handle Christmas, you may think through and have answers for why you believe what you believe. What we do, we do unto the Lord and He accepts both.
There are those who celebrate His birth because ancient pagans don’t bother them, and there are those who don’t celebrate because ancient pagans do bother them. Perhaps they think they must defend Jesus, but both are accepted in Him. Just think through what you believe, allow yourself to grow and learn and adapt, and be able to give an answer for your faith.
Hope that helps…new subject next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
