Truth Magazine

By Ferrell Jenkins

“Christmas time” is almost here. Lights are already up in town and signs indicating that December 25 is not far off are to be found almost everywhere. No doubt you have already bought a new doll for Sue and a bike for Johnny. It’s the time of the year when people are singing, “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.” Many denominations are making announcements of their “Christmas program.” Since Christmas is practiced as a “religious” holiday it is necessary that we make an investigation concerning this festive occasion.

In particular, two questions are in order: (1) Where did Christmas originate? and (2) Who authorized it? Since the term “Christmas” clearly indicates that there is some connection with Christ we ought to be able to turn to the historical books writ-ten by inspiration that tell the life of Christ and learn of this holiday. When we study Matthew and Luke, the only two gospels that record the birth of Jesus, we learn that no date (year, month or day) has been given for his birth. In order to determine the origin of Christmas we must turn to the appropriate place in the available encyclopedias and histories.

1. Birth Year. The Bible does not give the year of Christ’s birth, and most people think that he was born at “zero” B.C., since B.C. means “before Christ.” Actually Christ was born somewhere between 7 and 4 B.C.

 

Henry Halley gives a good explanation of this in the following paragraph:

When Christ was born time was reckoned in the Roman Empire from the founding of the city of Rome. When Christianity be-came the universal religion over what had been the Roman world, a monk named Dionysius Exigus, at the request of the Emperor Justinian, made a calender, 526 A.D., reckoning time from the Birth of Christ, to supersede the Roman calendar. Long after the Christian calender had replaced the Roman calendar it was found that Dionysius had made a mistake in placing the birth of Christ in year 753 A.U.C. (From the founding of Rome). It should have been 749 or a year or two earlier. So the reason we say that Christ was born 4 B.C. is merely because the maker of the Christian Cal- ender made a mistake of 4 or 5 years in coordinating it with the Roman Calender which it re-placed (Pocket Bible Handbook 436).

2. Birth Month and Day. Albert Barnes, noted Presbyterian commentator, says with reference to the shepherds keeping their sheep in the field:

The climate was mild, and, to keep their flocks from straying, they spent the night with them. It is also a fact that the Jews sent out their flocks into the mountainous and desert regions during the summer months, and took them up in the latter part of October or the first part of November, when the cold weather commenced. While away in these deserts and mountainous regions, it was proper that there should be some one to attend them to keep them from straying, and from the ravages of wolves and other wild beasts. It is probable from this that our Saviour was born before the 25th of December or before what we call Christmas. At that time it is cold, and especially in the high and mountainous regions about Bethlehem. But the exact time of his birth is unknown; there is no way to ascertain it (emphasis mine, F.J.). By different learned men it has been fixed at each month in the year. Nor is it of consequence to know the time; if it were, God would have preserved the record of it. Matters of moment are clearly revealed; those which He regards as of no importance are concealed.

Collier’s Encyclopedia concurs with Mr. Barnes when it says, “It is impossible to determine the exact date of the birth of Christ, either from the evidence of the gospels, or from any sound tradition.” The Catholic Encyclopedia tells us that “Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the Church.” Three commonly accepted dates for the birth of Jesus are January 6, March 25, and December 25. The majority of people celebrate Christmas on December 25. One might ask the question, “Why was December 25 chosen as the birthday of Christ?” Why December 25? Liberius, Bishop of Rome (it should be remembered that the Catholics consider him as one of their early popes), in 354 A.D. ordered that December 25 be adopted. The choice of this date was probably influenced by the fact that this was the day on which the Romans celebrated the Mithraic feast of the Sungod. The Romans Saturnalia also came a this time. “`The indications are that the Church in this way grasped the opportunity to turn the people away from the purely pagan observance of the winter solstice to a day of adoration of Christ the Lord. Both St. Cyprian and St. John Chrysostom allude to this thought in their writings” (Colliers Encyclopedia). The Lincoln Library of Essential Information states that, “December 25 was already a festive day for the sun god Mithraand and appealed to the Christians as an appropriate date to commemorate the birth of Jesus, the ‘Light of the World.’ From these statements from reliable sources it is easy to see that Christmas had its origin in a pre-Christian age among the pagans. It was adopted into the so-called Christian holidays by the Roman Catholic Church. Christmas did not originate by the authority of God. None of the apostles ever celebrated the birthday of Christ. Even the name “Christmas” is of Catholic origin. Encyclopedia Americana tells us, “The name is derived from the medieval Christes Masse, the Mass of Christ.” The Catholics had a special “mass” (their corruption of the Lord’s Supper) for Christ and so they called “Christ-Mass.” In time this was shortened to “Christmas.”

The Americana further states: “The celebration was not observed in the first centuries of the Christian church, since the Christian usage in general was to celebrate the death of remarkable persons rather than the birth.” The Bible teaches us that the death of Christ is the important thing and not the birth. we are taught to observe the three following memorials: (1) Baptism, a form of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (Rom. 6:1-2), (2) The first day of the week, a memorial of Christ’s resurrection, and (3) The Lord’s Supper each first day of the week (Acts 20:7). This is a memorial of the death of Christ. Men have no right to set up other memorials for people to observe. It is a violation of the Law of God to do so. Sober thinking people who are striving to follow the teachings of Christ will not bow down to these Roman Catholic traditions.

3. What Does the Bible Say? Many are simply ignorant of the teaching of the Bible concerning the birth of Christ. It is a shame for parents to read fictitious stories to their children and call them “Bible Stories.” Parents, be sure the story is true to the Bible before you call it a “Bible Story.” Matthew and Luke tell of different events connected with Christ’s birth. The following chronology should prove helpful:

Birth of Jesus Matt. 1:25; Luke 2:1-7

Visit of Shepherds (same night) Luke 2:8-20

Jesus’ circumcision (eight days old) Luke 2:21

Jesus Presentation (at least 40 days after birth)

Read Lev. 12:2-6; Lk.2:22-38

Visit of Wise Men Matt. 2:1-12

Journey to Egypt Matt 2:13-15

Male Children Killed Matt. 2:16-18

Return to Nazreth Luke 2:39; Matt 2:19-23

Read the Bible account in that order. Remember that the wise men and the shepherds were not the same. The shepherds visited the child Jesus the night of his birth but the wise men traveled from the East (they did not travel by plane, but by plain) and did not arrive until, at least, after the presentation in the temple which was at least 40 days after the birth. The wise men found Jesus in a “house” (Matt. 2:11). The Bible does not say how many wise men there were. Three gifts do not indicate only three visitors. To conclude so, is just as silly as saying there were only three guests at a party where a person received money, perfume, and cologne. There could have been two men or many.

4. Customs Connected with Christmas. “Most of the customs now associated with Christmas were not originally Christmas customs but rather were pre-christian customs taken up by the Christian church” (Americana). The Roman Saturnalia, already mentioned, provided many of the merry-making customs of Christmas. “From the pagan ac-cent on light it is not difficult to trace the rise of lights and open fires  from the bonfires of sun worship and their variant the yule log to the many customs centering around the candle and its legends to light the Christ child” (Britannica).

Christmas Tree. It is generally believed that the Christmas tree is of German origin. Boniface, an English missionary to Germany, is said to have “replaced the sacrifices to Odin’s sacred oak by a fir tree adorned in tribute to the Christ child” (Britannica), in the 8th century.

Santa Claus. Santa Claus is a contraction of Saint Nicholas. “St. Nicholas was a real bishop, who lived in the fourth century and became the patron saint of children. The children have adopted him as the `gift-bringer”‘ (Book of Knowledge) in some countries. There is some more Catholicism! Children in America sing songs in which they use both “Santa Claus” and “Saint Nicholas.” Could a Christian teach his child to sing to a Catholic “saint”? Certainly not! (It is understood by this writer that some of these seasonal songs are good.) Space does not allow us to give a detailed discussion of these things, nor the origin of decorations, the use of mistletoe, holly, etc.

Shall We “Keep Christ in Christmas”?

It is impossible to keep Christ in Christ-Mass for He was never in it. The Catholic Church dreamed that up all by themselves without the help of Christ, and I might add, without his approval.

What about “X-mas”? At the time of this writing a sign in our town reads “X means nothing. Christ in Christmas means everything.” Many people seem to think it is irrelevant to let X stand for Christ. I suppose it might be considered that way if one doesn’t know that the “X” is not an English “X.” The name of Christ in Greek could be transliterated Christos. The English “CH” is equivalent to the Greek “Chi” (X). Actually, when a knowing person writes “X” to stand for Christ he is simply abbreviating. It is no more irreverent to abbreviate “Christ” than it is unpatriotic to abbreviate “United States of America” with the usual U.S.A.

It is not wrong for families to get together and exchange gifts. The winter season is a time when people enjoy being with their loved ones. We are not opposed to this. We are not opposed to national holidays, such as July 4 and Thanks-giving. We are not opposed to families having a good dinner and many other things which might be called “folk customs” on December 25 (or any other day), but when a person tries to make such a day a “religious holiday” by claiming that Christ was born on that day, he errs. To observe December 25 as a Civil Holiday is as innocent as observing July 4. But let’s make sure we keep it that way, without adding “religion” to it. Christ never authorized such. There will be no special services at the church of Christ in observance of this pagan and Catholic holiday. (Used by permission. Originally published in The Preceptor 8:2 [November 1958], 216, 225).

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: No. 24, p.1
December 21, 1995

By Connie W. Adams

One in authority has the right to command, direct, and enforce obedience. He also has the right to administer punishment to the disobedient. When the one having ultimate authority empowers others to act upon his will, then in that manner he authorizes action. One who assumes authority not granted by the one who has the right to empower acts with presumption and flaunts all authority.

In divine matters, as they relate to man, authority springs from the creation. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Gen. 1:27). If there is no divine creator, then there is no creation, the universe is the product of chance, man himself is an accident of nature and there is no basis for moral or spiritual authority. This is the very premise from which the secular humanist works. He boldly proclaims “There is no God” and “Man is the measure of himself.”

Order in the Universe

But if God created the universe, then order flows from his power to make whatever exists. In God’s speech to Job he asked, Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war? By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth? Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder; to cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man; to satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth? Hath the rain a father or who hath begotten the drops of dew? Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it? The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? (Job 38:4, 22-31).

Start with the premise that “God is” and the existence and order in the universe makes sense. If God made it all and it functions according to his power, then we are spared all the hand wringing about global cooling, global warming, depleting the ozone, running out of water, running out of wood, running out of food, and all the anxieties concocted in the humanist mind. That is not to say that man should not be a good steward of the world God made for us. But he did make it for us! The God who made it is still in charge. The unbeliever with all his vaunted wisdom and arrogant self-assurance cannot form one drop of dew on the ground, cannot make it rain, nor stay the terrifying rumble of an earthquake, nor stop the force of a hurricane. The authority of the Almighty rules in the universe.

Order in the Moral Realm

Because God made man, man is subject to divine law. If there is no God, then there is no basis for moral order. Much of the chaos which is evidenced by all forms of crime and immorality grows out of a disrespect for divine authority. If man has evolved by chance then he has no standard for moral behavior except whatever he imposes upon him-self. This is the spring from which situation ethics flows. But if God made us, he has the right to determine what is moral conduct and to call us to account for disregarding his authority over us.

This point was forcefully driven home by Paul on Mars Hill in his speech to the Athenian philosophers. Read Acts 17:24-31. Go on, and read it. Notice verse 24: “God that made the world and all things therein.” Then look at verse 26: “And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.” Look at verse 28: “For in him we live, and move, and have our being.” Verse 30 informs us that “God commands all men everywhere to repent.” Why is that? Now look at verse 31: “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”

Do you see the progression? God made the world and all things therein. In him we live and move and have our being. Therefore, God calls upon us to repent. Why is that?

He has appointed a day of judgment. God made us, expects something of us, and will call us to account for that responsibility. The Creator has authority over the creature. Paul’s question to the Romans is pertinent. “Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonor” (Rom. 9:20-21)?

With notable exceptions, the morals of this nation are a shambles. How did we come to such a sad state of affairs? The creature has scorned his Creator. We have fallen into the same pit into which the Gentile nations plunged as described by Paul in Romans 1:18-32. When they knew God, they did not glorify him as God (v. 21). Did they have abundant evidence of his power and majesty? Oh yes! They had the whole universe as testimony to the existence and power of the Al-mighty (v. 20). But they became ungrateful, filled with vanity and arrogance. While they boasted of their great wisdom they in reality became fools. As their hearts became darker and darker they made idols to satisfy man’s innate desire to worship something. The end result of all that was moral chaos. Everything from homosexuality to murder followed. How and why did this happen? The creature lost respect for the Creator. As in the world at large, even so among those who claim to follow Christ, moral looseness grows out of waning respect for the authority of God to rule in our hearts and direct the affairs of life. Happy is the one who seeks the Lord, gropes after him and finds him, though he is not far from every one of us (Acts 17:27). (More to Come)

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: No. 24, p. 3-4
December 21, 1995

By Jim McDonald

There is power in the word. The gospel is God’s power to save and is quick and powerful (Rom. 1:16; Heb. 4:12). Thousands of Filipinos have been saved by having heard the Word. Many thousands more would obey but they wait because they have not yet heard. There are perhaps 600 Filipino preachers but most earn their living by various occupations and are very limited in the amount of time they can give to preaching. It is true that there are some who are supported by American brethren, but these are a minority. These preachers simply cannot get to all those who would obey by just a “seek and find” operation. They need something to help arouse in the Filipinos a desire to seek out the preacher, just as Cornelius. What can we do to help our brethren in this field “white unto harvest”?

One of the most effective tools in reaching such is radio. The radio is the Filipino’s ears to the outside world. The woman working in the rice paddy or the man plowing with the caribou is not far away from a radio. The woman may be listening to one that is perched on a knoll in her field; the man may have a transistor in his pocket. The gospel flourishes in many regions today because the preacher’s message has been extended to many regions through the wonder of radio. The Cagayan Valley region has perhaps 50 congregations. This was not true even 13 or 14 years ago when Rody Gumpad came into this region with his young family. Securing radio time in Tuguegarao, his voice was carried into the remote places of this valley and soon his was a familiar voice to the radio audience. Many were led to obedience through his teaching. One sad, yet true story tells of a terminally ill father who heard Rody and who told his two sons to search out that man “for he is teaching the truth.” He died without being baptized, but today both those sons are active preachers of the word.

The fact that there are so many congregations in this region tells both of the power of the gospel and of the role that radio has in spreading it. Domie Jacob in Cordon, Isabela has a effective radio program as also has the Torreliza brothers (Leonito and Romeo) in north-west Luzon. These two brothers live in Condon and Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur and report several baptisms as the direct result of their broadcast. Jun Apatan in Pagadian City (Mindanao) has had a radio broadcast for many years now. The programs do not always meet with the same success as those of Tuguegarao and Cordon. Lordy Salunga, preacher in Angeles City had a program for a short while but not with the reported suc-cess as some of these others. But whether the programs produce great or more limited results, they help to fulfill the preacher’s responsibility of planting and watering. There are no radio programs (to my knowledge) in all of Metro Manila but there badly needs to be. This is a teeming metroplex of 8-10,000,000 people and a program would surely produce many conversions in this area. And, there are able, effective preachers in the area who could do a splendid job of handling such a program. Another area which has no program but which badly needs one is Laoag City. The newly opened work of northern Samar would be greatly aided were brethren able to air the gospel in that region. Radio reaches into nooks and crannies where the feet of no preacher has yet gone and helps to pave the way for con-versions once he comes to the area.

Radio programs bring questions which can be answered over the radio or by correspondence but there is inevitably the request for tracts. These brethren have very few. Filipinos devour reading material; tracts on first principles and denominational errors are greatly needed. There is a need for English tracts, an even greater need for tracts in the various dialects.

Stateside brethren with computers can render real service to preachers on foreign soil be it in the Philippines or elsewhere. Capable brethren in the Philippines have tracts they have written but cannot reproduce because of the prohibitive cost. The computer can reduce that material to tract size if there are those who are willing to copy out the words, letter by letter. Once the material is on the computer, it can be reproduced on a copier with excellent results. The tract may lack “the professional look” but is nothing at all of which to be ashamed. Such tracts are very inexpensive. One that takes about 1 and 1/2 letter size pages (two tracts I have written to carry are of such length) costs about a penny for the paper and a total of 3 cents by the time it is mailed by MBag to brethren there. For about $100 one could print 3,500 tracts capable of producing tremendous good in the fertile mind of Filipinos. A lot of manual labor is necessary to copy and assemble such tracts, but nearly every congregation has those who are willing to help fold and staple such material together: earnest souls, who though they can-not go, want to help and what help they render! Good is done for the brother at home as well as the brother abroad!

Doors are open in the Philippines, but preachers there need tools to work with. The preacher who has tracts to send to interested listeners or to hand out in the market place is greatly expanding his work. A tract will be there long after his voice is silent.

May God help us to have a heart eager to share with others the gospel that brought salvation to our own souls! May we never weary of telling the story or forget that “Of one the Lord hath made the race, through one has come the fall. Where sin has gone must go his grace, the gospel is for all!”

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: No. 24, p. 5
December 21, 1995

By Mike Willis

The holiday season is an occasion that some use to commemorate the birth of Jesus. Many who pause to remember Christ’s birth are those who make no time in the rest of the year to pay homage to our risen Lord. Christmas is a time when TV provides live coverage of the Catholic mass on Christmas eve and features those who have made a pilgrimage to Bethlehem. We hear such phrases as “Remember the reason for the sea-son” and “Let’s keep Christ in Christmas.” There are commentaries on the dangers of consumerism and the abuse of credit. We would expect such things from those who have never been taught the difference between revealed and unrevealed religion, but what can we expect from those in God’s house?

There has been a significant change to occur among brethren in recent years. When I began preaching in 1966, the Christmas season was an occasion that brethren generally used to distinguish revealed and unrevealed religion. The Sunday before Christmas was frequently used to distinguish what the Bible teaches about the birth of Christ from the religious trap-pings that have grown up around it. Church bulletins featured articles on Christmas that taught why it was wrong to celebrate Christmas in a religious way. One of the most popular articles was the one reproduced on the front page, “Christmas,” by Ferrell Jenkins. My copy of this article is from the 1968 bulletin of the Plainfield, Indiana church, but it has been reproduced in many other bulletins through the years.

Brethren understood that they should not participate in the religious celebration of Christmas. Some discussed whether or not a Christian could exchange gifts on December 25th or have a Christmas tree. There were no special Christmas services or church-sponsored Christmas parties.

But things are changing in God’s house with reference to the celebration of Christmas. Here are some of them:

1. Some of our liberal brethren participate in the religious celebration of Christmas in their public worship. The Bering Drive church in Houston, Texas, a church on the vanguard of liberalism, announced in their bulletin (December 15, 1991) that the following Sunday would feature a Christmas celebration. The announcement said that they would have a choral presentation of special music, the sanctuary would be adorned with poinsettias, and the worship planned to celebrate the birth of Christ. Their 1994 bulletin (December 18, 1994) said,

Each year, on the second Sunday before Christmas and the last Sun-day before Christmas we celebrate together the birth of Jesus. This Sunday we will enjoy the special gift of the Bering Chorus. For months they have prepared this music to lift our hearts in praise to God for the gift of Bethlehem. Bill will tell a Christmas story or two. We will sing Christmas carols together. After morning service we will fine the Fellowship Hall decked out in beautiful Christmas decor and a feast will be enjoyed by all. There will be violin music with the dinner, and ______________’s singing group will share their wonderful songs with us again this year.

The December 1994 issue of Love Lines, the bulletin of the Woodmont Church where Rubel Shelly preaches lamented that Santa was getting top billing over Jesus at the Christmas season and urged their members to “tell the real Christmas story at your house this year.

I have no way to judge how widespread this is.

2. Many congregations seem to have gotten too sophisticated to preach against the religious celebration of Christmas. They justify not preaching on the subject on the basis that it offends visitors who might attend at that time of the year. They castigate those who preach against the religious celebration of Christmas for being abrasive and confrontational. In the meantime, the rearing of a generation who has never heard these sermons has created a group who is asking, “What is wrong with setting aside a special day to commemorate the birth of Christ?”

3. A larger number of brethren are allowing their children to participate in the choral presentations at school that feature songs teaching that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ.

What Is Wrong With the Religious Celebration of Christmas?

There is only one thing wrong with it. No Bible authority exists for the religious celebration of Christmas. Scripture teaches that one must have Bible authority for whatever he practices, in such texts as the following:

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him (Col. 3:17).

Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds (2 John 9-11).

And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another (1 Cor. 4:6).

For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book (Rev. 22:18-19).

If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen (1 Pet. 4:11).

The same thing is wrong with the religious observance of Christmas as is wrong with sprinkling for baptism, infant baptism, using mechanical instruments of music in worship, observing the Lord’s supper on Thursday, etc.  there is no Bible authority for the practice. In the absence of divine authority for the practice, one cannot walk by faith in observing Christmas religiously.

No man has a right to dictate to brethren what to preach on the Sunday before Christmas or any other time. No man has the right to demand that brethren publish an article in their local church bulletin on the subject. However, to have a generation to grow up among us who does not know what is wrong with the religious observance of Christmas, Easter, and other unauthorized “holy days” would be tragic. How long has it been since you heard any teaching on the subject?

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: No. 24, p. 2
December 21, 1995