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Bible Will I Find: Christmas As The Birth Of Jesus? By: Gary Colley
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Bible Will I Find: Christmas As The Birth Of Jesus? By: Gary Colley
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The word “Christmas” is from two words, “Christ” and “mass.” The word “Christmas” is not found in the Bible. The “celebration” of “Christmas” is not given in the Bible therefore we can not know how to celebrate this as the birth of Jesus. Had God wanted us to celebrate His Son’s birthday, he would have told us when, where, and how it was to be done. Since He has not, it should not be hard to understand that it is not a Holy Day commanded by God, and should not therefore be observed by New Testament Christians. It was not observed in the early church of Christ, it was not commanded by the Lord (Matt.28:19-20), it was never instructed by the apostles, who were guided into all Truth by the Holy Spirit (Jn.16:13). McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia (Vol.II, P.276), states, “The exact year of his birth is not agreed on by chronologers, but it was about the four thousandth year of the world; nor can the precise season of the year, the month, and the day in which he was born be ascertained…The Egyptians placed it in JANUARY; Wagenseil in FEBRUARY; Bochart in MARCH; some, mentioned by Clement of Alexandria, in APRIL; others, in MAY; Epipohanius speaks of some who placed it in June, and others, who supposed it to have been in JULY; Wagenseil, who was not sure of February, fixed it probably in AUGUST; Lightfoot on the 15th of SEPTEMBER; Scaliger, Casubon, and Calvisius in OCTOBER; others in NOVEMBER; and the Latin Church in DECEMBER.” This diversity of views may seem strange to some, but it is the reason for the confusion in religion in general! Too many are following their human reasoning. Too many simply refuse to follow the Bible (II Tim.3:16-17; Matt.28:20; Col.3:17). Christians have no more authority to observe Christmas as a religious holy day than to use hot dogs on the Lord’s table or mechanical instrumental music in New Testament worship (I Cor.11:23-29; Eph.5:19). On the other hand, Christians can enjoy national holidays, but not as HOLY DAYS. The gathering of families, the serving of meals, and the giving of gifts, is not wrong on this day anymore than any other. The English language is a living language, which is constantly changing. To use the word Christmas in reference to a national holiday today, does not connote the celebrating of the Lord’s birthday, nor have the same significance as in its beginning usage. It is not wrong therefore to use the term in speaking about a national holiday. For example the days of the week used to carry a pagan or religious significance, which they do not carry today. “Sun-day,” does not carry a religious meaning to us today as it once did, along with all names of the days of the week.–Gary Colley