Many are seeking today to control us by controlling our minds and many are going about denying every comforting belief of Christianity. Dr. Jack Sparks has shown in his book "The Mindbenders" (Thos. Nelson, 1979) that such tearing away at familiar doctrine is but the first step in brainwashing and re-programming as practiced by mind control organizations. (p.16)
This Christmas season and in those of the past several years, numerous cultists and even some Christian leaders have been disputing the historical basis of Christmas and have in this manner caused more than a few young Christians to be vulnerable to the brainwashing attacks of the enemy of our souls.
In this study I will reach back down the centuries to examine the human tapestry of Christmas past.
Dr. E. L. House in his little book entitled "The Virgin Birth of Christ" (Hood River, Oregon, 1924) sets forth the background of this holy day:
"Historically we have no trouble in finding the birth of Jesus. Memorial days rest on a solid basis. The Fourth of July is celebrated because of the fact of National Independence proclaimed in 1776. Christmas proclaims in the same way, the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to earth in human form. There is no question as to the truthfulness of Christmas. In 1066, we read that William the Conqueror was crowned King of England after the battle of Hastings and we are told that this was on Christmas day. So more than a thousand years ago, the nativity of Jesus Christ was not doubted. Again we are told that Charlemagne was crowned in Rome on Christmas day, 800. France has never forgotten that memorable day when King Clovis, with three thousand warriors and a great many women were baptized into the Christian faith. And this we are told occurred on Christmas day, 496 A.D.
"But we can go still further back and read that there was a time when the silver-tongued orator Chrysostom preached a sermon at Antioch, 386, A.D. and that his subject was 'Christmas'. The birth of Jesus Christ has a historical basis."
Dr. Samuel Fallows in his "Popular and Critical Bible Encyclopaedia and Scriptural Dictionary" (Howard-Severance, Chicago, 1912) takes us back further in time:
"The first records we find of the observation of this day are in the second century, about the time of the emperor Commodus. The decretal epistles, indeed, carry it up a little higher; and say that Telesphorus, who lived in the reign of Antoninus Pius, ordered divine service to be celebrated and an angelic hymn to be sung the night before the nativity of our Saviour. That it was kept before the time of Constantine we have a melancholy proof; for whilst the persecution raged under Diocletian, who then kept his court at Nicomedia, that tyrant, among other acts of cruelty, finding multitudes of Christians assembled together to celebrate Christ's nativity, commanded the church doors where they were met to be shut, and fire to be put to it, which soon reduced them and the church to ashes."
The ancient legend of the Holy Grail has Joseph of Arimathea arriving in England the day before Christmas and "The Apostolic Constitutions" (A.D.300, approx.) enumerate Christmas as a feast day.
Much more has been written about the suitability of Christmas as a Christian celebration, both for and against. Yet in reading all the critics and their attempts to place Jesus birth at any time other than Christmas, I find nothing in the traditional Christmas incompatible with the Bible account of our Saviour's nativity.
Rather than argue about Christian festivals, let us lift up JESUS and HIS WORD and HIS MIRACLE WORKING POWER. Although many want to bury the Church and her celebrations, this is the day the Lord is raising up His Church and His two witnesses in it. Yes, the world has long thought these two witnesses were dead:
WITNESS #1: The Absolute, Eternal, Inerrant, Verbally Inspired, and Unbroken Word of God, THE HOLY BIBLE and symbolized by the prophets.
WITNESS #2: His HOLY GHOST Miracle Working Power, symbolized by the apostles.
NOW IS THE ACCEPTED TIME and His Prophetic Word and His Apostolie Power are being raised up in His Church to go forth and WITNESS to the world His mercy toward mankind and you dare not reject HIS CALL:
"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely." (Revelation 22:17)
written by
Bro. David C. Holdridge
Long Beach, California
CHRISTMAS 1980
copyright 1980-2005
Note: In 1980, I stated:
"Much more has been written about the suitability of Christmas as a Christian celebration, both for and against. Yet in reading all the critics and their attempts to place Jesus birth at any time other than Christmas, I find nothing in the traditional Christmas incompatible with the Bible account of our Saviour's nativity."
I still stand behind that statement. Please read this:
The Date of Christ's Birth (Originally Published in the Bible League Quarterly, October/December 1965 by David J. Gibson
THIS ARTICLE FROM: http://nabataea.net/birthdate.html points out the absolute reliability of St. Luke's account of that first Christmas with the shepherds in the hills. I grew up in an area that Israeli agricultural scientists studied in the 1950's when they were restoring agriculture to the newly restored nation of Israel and I KNOW that the conditions were favorable for the shepherds to be right where St. Luke said they were. Please follow this link & read what Dr. Alfred Edersheim, Smith's Bible Dictionary, Unger's Bible Dictionary, and others have to say relative to this subject:
http://nabataea.net/birthdate.html
You may think that my article is old and so is David J. Gibson's; you may want another opinion- go to Pastor Richard P. Bucher's CHRISTMAS PAGE: http://www.orlutheran.com/html/christma.html
