Christmas. Part 4
Is December the 25th the birth date of Jesus?
Not only was he not born on that date, He was not even born in the winter season! When the Christ-child was born "there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night" according to Dr. Luke. This never could have occurred in Palestine in the month of December. The shepherds always brought their flocks from the mountainsides and fields and corralled them prior to the winter season to protect them from the cold, rainy season of winter. The Bible states in Song of Solomon 2:11, and Ezra 10:9, and 13, that winter was a rainy season not permitting shepherds to abide in open fields at night.
According to the Adam Clarke Commentary, Vol. 5, page 386-370, it was an ancient custom among Jews of those days to send out their sheep to the fields and deserts about the Passover (early spring), and bring them home at commencement of the first rain,
Continuing, his commentary states: "during the time they were out, the shepherds watched them night and day. As . . . the first rain began early in the month of Marchesvan, which answers to part of our October and November [begins mid-October], we find that the sheep were kept out in the open country during the whole summer. And, as these shepherds had not yet brought home their flocks, it is a presumptive argument that October had not yet commenced, and that, consequently, Jesus was not born on the 25th of December, when no flocks were out in the fields; nor could He have been born later than September, as the flocks were still in the fields by night. On this very ground, the nativity in December should be given up. The feeding of the flocks by night in the fields is a chronological fact.
Any encyclopedia, or any other authority, will tell you that Christ was not born on December 25. The Catholic Encyclopedia frankly states this fact.
The exact date of Jesus' birth is unknown, as all authorities acknowledge. Most authorities suggest it was in early fall.
If God had wished us to observe and celebrate Christ's birthday, would His birth date have been so concealed.
There is not one word in the Bible, telling us to observe Christmas or even observe the birth of Christ. Believers in the first century, under the inspired teachings of Peter and Paul and the other apostles, never observed it. There is no Biblical authority for its observance, which I find strange seeing how is is so important to the religious world.
Then where did this "Christmas" thing come from? Since it has come to us thru the Roman Catholic Church, and has no authority but that of the Roman Catholic Church, let us examine the Catholic Encyclopedia, published by that Church. Under the caption "Christmas," you will find:
"Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the Church . . . The first evidence of the feast is from Egypt. . . . Pagan customs centering around the January calends gravitated to Christmas." And, further, we find this truth acknowledged: " . . . in the Scripture, sinners alone, not saints, celebrate their birthday.
Encyclopaedia Britannica has this: "Christmas (i.e., the Mass of Christ). Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the church . . . ." It was not instituted by Christ or the apostles, or by Bible authority...it was picked up afterward from paganism.
The Encyclopedia Americana says: "CHRISTMAS. It was, according to many authorities, not celebrated in the first centuries of the Christian church, as the Christian usage in general was to celebrate the death of remarkable persons rather than their birth . . ." (The "Communion" which is instituted by New Testament Bible authority, is a memorial of the death of Christ.) "...a feast was established in memory of this event [Christ's birth] in the fourth century. In the fifth century the Western Church ordered it to be celebrated forever on the day of the old Roman feast of the birth of Sol, as no certain knowledge of the day of Christ's birth existed."
From the above it is clearly shown that Christmas was not observed by believers for the first two or three hundred years. It was not until the 5th century that the Roman Church ordered it to be celebrated as an official "Christian" festival!
How did Christ believers become so entrenched in the Christmas custom as to accept it as a God ordained Biblical practice?
One source, "The Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia" in its article on "CHRISTMAS" explains it this way: "How much the date of the festival depended upon the Pagan Brumalia (Dec. 25) following the Saturnalia (Dec. 17-24), and celebrating the shortest day of the year and the 'new sun' . . . cannot be accurately determined. The pagan Saturnalia and Brumalia were too deeply entrenched in popular custom to be set aside by Christian influence . . . . The pagan festival with its riot and merrymaking was so popular, that Christians were glad of an excuse to continue its celebration with little change in spirit and in manner. Christian preachers of the West and the Near East protested against the unseemly frivolity with which Christ's birthday was celebrated, while Christians of Mesopotamia accused their Western brethren of idolatry and sun-worship for adopting as Christian this pagan festival."
In the early stages of their being Christ believers their numbers were few, tho increasing daily, and were persecuted by the pagan Roman government. But, with the advent of Constantine as emperor in the fourth century, placed the Christ followers (Christians) on an equal footing with paganism, people of the Roman world began to accept the Jesus people, thus their acceptance as a religion began.
These people had grown up in pagan customs, chief of which was this idolatrous festival of December 25th. It was a festival of merrymaking, with its special SPIRIT. They enjoyed it! They didn't want to give it up! Now this same article in Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia explains how the recognition by Constantine, of Sunday, which had been the day of pagan SUN-worship, and how the influence of the pagan Manichaeism, which identified the SON of God with the physical SUN, gave these pagans of the fourth century, now turning over wholesale to "Christianity," their excuse for calling their pagan-festival date of December 25th (birthday of the SUN god), the birthday of the SON of God.
We may call it by another name, but it's the same sun-worshipping festival!
Is a part 5 worth it?
Not only was he not born on that date, He was not even born in the winter season! When the Christ-child was born "there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night" according to Dr. Luke. This never could have occurred in Palestine in the month of December. The shepherds always brought their flocks from the mountainsides and fields and corralled them prior to the winter season to protect them from the cold, rainy season of winter. The Bible states in Song of Solomon 2:11, and Ezra 10:9, and 13, that winter was a rainy season not permitting shepherds to abide in open fields at night.
According to the Adam Clarke Commentary, Vol. 5, page 386-370, it was an ancient custom among Jews of those days to send out their sheep to the fields and deserts about the Passover (early spring), and bring them home at commencement of the first rain,
Continuing, his commentary states: "during the time they were out, the shepherds watched them night and day. As . . . the first rain began early in the month of Marchesvan, which answers to part of our October and November [begins mid-October], we find that the sheep were kept out in the open country during the whole summer. And, as these shepherds had not yet brought home their flocks, it is a presumptive argument that October had not yet commenced, and that, consequently, Jesus was not born on the 25th of December, when no flocks were out in the fields; nor could He have been born later than September, as the flocks were still in the fields by night. On this very ground, the nativity in December should be given up. The feeding of the flocks by night in the fields is a chronological fact.
Any encyclopedia, or any other authority, will tell you that Christ was not born on December 25. The Catholic Encyclopedia frankly states this fact.
The exact date of Jesus' birth is unknown, as all authorities acknowledge. Most authorities suggest it was in early fall.
If God had wished us to observe and celebrate Christ's birthday, would His birth date have been so concealed.
There is not one word in the Bible, telling us to observe Christmas or even observe the birth of Christ. Believers in the first century, under the inspired teachings of Peter and Paul and the other apostles, never observed it. There is no Biblical authority for its observance, which I find strange seeing how is is so important to the religious world.
Then where did this "Christmas" thing come from? Since it has come to us thru the Roman Catholic Church, and has no authority but that of the Roman Catholic Church, let us examine the Catholic Encyclopedia, published by that Church. Under the caption "Christmas," you will find:
"Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the Church . . . The first evidence of the feast is from Egypt. . . . Pagan customs centering around the January calends gravitated to Christmas." And, further, we find this truth acknowledged: " . . . in the Scripture, sinners alone, not saints, celebrate their birthday.
Encyclopaedia Britannica has this: "Christmas (i.e., the Mass of Christ). Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the church . . . ." It was not instituted by Christ or the apostles, or by Bible authority...it was picked up afterward from paganism.
The Encyclopedia Americana says: "CHRISTMAS. It was, according to many authorities, not celebrated in the first centuries of the Christian church, as the Christian usage in general was to celebrate the death of remarkable persons rather than their birth . . ." (The "Communion" which is instituted by New Testament Bible authority, is a memorial of the death of Christ.) "...a feast was established in memory of this event [Christ's birth] in the fourth century. In the fifth century the Western Church ordered it to be celebrated forever on the day of the old Roman feast of the birth of Sol, as no certain knowledge of the day of Christ's birth existed."
From the above it is clearly shown that Christmas was not observed by believers for the first two or three hundred years. It was not until the 5th century that the Roman Church ordered it to be celebrated as an official "Christian" festival!
How did Christ believers become so entrenched in the Christmas custom as to accept it as a God ordained Biblical practice?
One source, "The Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia" in its article on "CHRISTMAS" explains it this way: "How much the date of the festival depended upon the Pagan Brumalia (Dec. 25) following the Saturnalia (Dec. 17-24), and celebrating the shortest day of the year and the 'new sun' . . . cannot be accurately determined. The pagan Saturnalia and Brumalia were too deeply entrenched in popular custom to be set aside by Christian influence . . . . The pagan festival with its riot and merrymaking was so popular, that Christians were glad of an excuse to continue its celebration with little change in spirit and in manner. Christian preachers of the West and the Near East protested against the unseemly frivolity with which Christ's birthday was celebrated, while Christians of Mesopotamia accused their Western brethren of idolatry and sun-worship for adopting as Christian this pagan festival."
In the early stages of their being Christ believers their numbers were few, tho increasing daily, and were persecuted by the pagan Roman government. But, with the advent of Constantine as emperor in the fourth century, placed the Christ followers (Christians) on an equal footing with paganism, people of the Roman world began to accept the Jesus people, thus their acceptance as a religion began.
These people had grown up in pagan customs, chief of which was this idolatrous festival of December 25th. It was a festival of merrymaking, with its special SPIRIT. They enjoyed it! They didn't want to give it up! Now this same article in Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia explains how the recognition by Constantine, of Sunday, which had been the day of pagan SUN-worship, and how the influence of the pagan Manichaeism, which identified the SON of God with the physical SUN, gave these pagans of the fourth century, now turning over wholesale to "Christianity," their excuse for calling their pagan-festival date of December 25th (birthday of the SUN god), the birthday of the SON of God.
We may call it by another name, but it's the same sun-worshipping festival!
Is a part 5 worth it?
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