Concerning Christmas
Presently, political Babylon is less prominent than religious Babylon.
Political Babylon is somewhat in a state of repose, whereas religious Babylon
is flourishing. For example, Christmas, which is celebrated throughout the
world, is altogether from Babylon. Participating in Christmas may seem to be
a small thing, but anything that is part of Babylon is abominable in the eyes
of God. The system in the church meetings of one man speaking and all the
rest listening is also a part of Babylon. This Babylonian element must not be
allowed to remain among us. (Life-Study of Isaiah, Chapter 26)
Recently I read an article in which I was accused of destroying the practice
of Christmas. Actually I do not have any intention to attack the practice of
Christmas. My time is fully occupied with ministering Christ to others. But
while I am ministering Christ, Christmas is spontaneously exposed. Yes, I
have said that we should care fully for Christ and forget about the so-called
Christmass or Christmas. I have also said that we should be Christians, but
not care for the '-anity' of Christianity. I certainly do not have the
intention of opposing either Christmas or Christianity. Nevertheless, in my
ministry I have said that we should care for Christ and be real Christians,
but have nothing to do with the '-mass' or '- anity.' When certain ones hear
such a word, they accuse me of opposing Christianity and ruining the practice
of Christmas. (LIFE-STUDY OF SECOND CORINTHIANS, MESSAGE SEVENTEEN)
Not only the Catholic Church has taken in leaven, but the Protestant
denominations and groups have also. Rock music and drama are types of leaven
used to make spiritual things easier for people to accept. When I was in
China, I knew of some young men in a certain organization who mixed
basketball with the preaching of the gospel. Using basketball for gospel
preaching is also leaven. I doubt that very many were saved through this.
The whole principle of the Y.M.C.A. is leaven, for the goal of the Y.M.C.A.
is to bring the heavenly standard down to the earthly level, to bring the
gospel to secular society in a worldly way. So many things in Christianity
are leaven. These include Christmas, Easter, idols, pictures, images, rock
music, drama, and the entire Y.M.C.A. system. We must be careful not to take
anything other than Christ for God's purpose, because anything other than He
is leaven. Oh, the subtle one is crouching nearby waiting for his prey! We
can easily become his prey because in our human nature is the desire to make
it easy for people to experience spiritual things. But whatever you use to
help people to touch spiritual things is a type of leaven. The pure and
sanctified way to preach the gospel and to bring people to Christ is prayer
and the ministry of the Word. Do not take any other way. If after praying and
ministering the Word, people will still not receive the gospel, that is up to
the Lord. Whether or not people receive our word is a matter of the Father's
will. We do not want to use any gimmicks to help in our preaching. Every
gimmick is leaven. We are not for a work or for a movement--we are for the
testimony of Jesus. (LIFE-STUDY OF MATTHEW, MESSAGE THIRTY-EIGHT)
Almost nineteen centuries have passed since the book of Revelation was
written. Throughout these centuries a struggle has been taking place between
Satan and God. Satan has been trying in different ways to replace Christ. As
a result, many of us, including me, were born into an organized Christianity
that had very little of Christ. For example, how much of Christ is there in
the celebration of Christmas? In today's Christianity there is a mixture of
truth and falsehood. Very few believers know the truth in a deep and thorough
way. (LIFE-STUDY OF ACTS, MESSAGE SIXTY-FIVE)
This is not my teaching. If we return to the pure Word in the New Testament,
we find the term Christ and the term Christians (Acts 11:26). However, the
terms Christianity or Christmas are not in the Bible. A kind of 'anity' or
'mas' has been added to Christ. Christmas is vanity. When people hang lamps
on a little tree, that is 'anity' and 'mas.' That is vanity. We must beware
of religion: religion is vanity. 1. Having an Outward Name Now we need to
consider a few matters about the vanity of religion. First, religion has an
outward name (2:17). Recently, I went to the barber shop for a haircut. The
barber talked about attending Christmas Mass. I used the opportunity to ask
him how many people would be there. He said, 'You know, this is just a
religious duty. Some people attend Mass only once a year at Christmas time.'
Here we see an example of the vanity of religion: attending Mass once a year
as a religious duty in order to keep the name of being a Catholic. What kind
of believer is this? A believer with a mere outward name. If you are real in
the spirit, meaning you are a genuine believer, that is wonderful. However,
if you lack the reality and simply keep the outward name, it means nothing.
It is vanity. (LIFE-STUDY OF ROMANS, MESSAGE FOUR)
Today millions of Christians are occupied even more by the religious world
than by the secular world. Take Christmas as an example. The celebration of
Christmas is certainly related to the religious world. If you still observe
Christmas, it is doubtful that you are living a new creation. The celebration
of Christmas has nothing to do with God's new creation.
(LIFE-STUDY OF GALATIANS, MESSAGE THIRTY)
The incarnation should not be associated with Christmas. You need to burn
everything related to Christmas. If you would go to China and preach the
gospel to the learned people and mention Christmas, they would not listen to
you. They would say that things such as Christmas trees, stockings full of
candies, and Santa Claus are too low, shallow, and childish. That is not the
gospel from the Word of God. That is the paganism, the leaven mentioned by
the Lord Jesus in Matthew 13:33, brought into Catholicism
by the 'woman' as the Lord prophesied.
(LIFE-STUDY OF HEBREWS, MESSAGE EIGHT)
Unbelievers will think it strange that we do not care to participate with
them in fleshly indulgences. In particular, they may think it strange that we
do not celebrate Christmas or care for Christmas parties. The way of this
corrupted world, the way of this crooked, perverted generation, is to follow
the trend of indulgence and dissipation. But we would not run together with
them according to this trend.
(LIFE-STUDY OF FIRST PETER, MESSAGE TWENTY-SIX)
One of the most striking examples of the deeds of this apostate church is the
so-called Christmas. We want Christ, but we do not need a mass. Originally,
December 25, the so-called Christmas Day, was the day the ancient Europeans
worshipped the sun. They said that December 25 was the birthday of the sun.
When the apostate church spread to Europe, she assimilated this ancient
custom because she had taken in thousands of unbelievers into the church.
These unbelievers still wanted to celebrate the birthday of their god.
Therefore, to accommodate them, the apostate church declared December 25 to
be the birthday of Christ. This is the source of Christmas. The book, The
Two Babylons, exposes the origin of the evil, demonic, pagan things that were
brought into the apostate church. If we see this picture on the negative
side, then we shall know what we must be on the positive side.
(LIFE-STUDY OF REVELATION, MESSAGE THIRTEEN)
Frequently Asked Questions Concerning Christian Practices
Christmas - December 25th - is the day designated in today's calendars as
the day of Christ's birth. Christians and non-Christians alike celebrate it.
But does the Bible have a command to remember the birth of Christ? Is this
the day on which Christ was born? Are today's Christmas custom and practices
of Christian origin? Or is Christmas an example of mixture between paganism
and Christianity?
Christ Not Being Born in Winter
Although the birth of Christ is one of the most important events that
happened in the whole universe, yet remembering it by celebrating Christmas
is not something God wants Christians to do. That no precise date of the
Lord's birth is recorded in the Bible indicates that the Lord never intended
to celebrate His birthday. Rather, He wants us to remember His death and
look forward to His second coming (1 Cor. 11:26; Rev. 22:12).
As to the actual date of Christ's birth, December 25th is to be doubted.
Weather condition at the time of Jesus' birth indicates that it could not
have taken place in December. Luke 2:8 tells us that when Jesus was born,
the shepherds were watching over the sheep at night. The cold weather in the
evening during midwinter is very piercing; it is the custom of shepherds
in Judea to bring home their flocks before the start of November, prior to
the onset of the cold winter months. Hence, the birth of Christ could not
have been in December.
In 4 B.C. the Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar issued a decree for a census
to be taken in order to know just how many subjects he had and how much taxes
he could collect. Quirinius, who was then governor of Syria (where Judea was
then part of the great Roman-controlled province), implemented the decree to
take the first enrollment for census of Judea that same year. There were no
historical records to indicate that the inconvenient harsh months of winter
was the time the authorities scheduled for the tax enrollment, which
necessitated the population's traveling from all parts of the land to their
natal districts to register in the electoral roll, for storms and rain make
journeys both unsafe and unpleasant in winter. It was in compliance to this
decree for registration that Joseph went up with Mary from the city of
Nazareth in southern Galilee to his hometown Bethlehem in southern Judea
(Luke 2:1-5). It is also unlikely that Mary, who was pregnant, would travel
190 kilometers from Nazareth to Bethlehem because it was considered not fit
for a pregnant woman to travel during winter (Matt. 24:20; Mark 12:18).
Christmas' Account Being Inconsistent with Scriptural Record
The Christmas nativity scene, as customarily portrayed, with the infant
Jesus in the manger surrounded by His parents, the shepherds with their
flock, the 'three kings' with their gifts, gathered together in the barn,
and heralded by the angels and the star outside, is not an accurate account
of what actually took place during the birth of Jesus.
The shepherds' visit of Jesus and the magi's visit occurred at different
times and separate places! Matthew 2:1-12 and Luke 2:1-20 are two Biblical
passages that record separate accounts of stories related to the birth of
Jesus. We do not see the shepherds in Matthew chapter 2, neither do we see
the 'three kings' in Luke chapter 2. Luke chapter 2 presents the picture of
the angels appearing to the shepherds who eventually found both Mary and
Joseph, and the baby Jesus lying in the manger (v.16). Matthew
chapter 2 portrays the magi (or wise men, not kings) from the east, who
after sighting the star and believing such a star must be the sign that a
great king had been born in far off Judea, set off to the capital city,
Jerusalem, where a new king is supposed to be born, only to find that Herod
still reigned as king and were interrogated by him. By the time they arrived
in Bethlehem under the guidance of the star, Joseph had been able to move
Mary and Jesus from the temporary rough shelter of the barn to
a house. As they entered into the house they found the child Jesus and
Mary only (v.11). This could have transpired quite a while after the Lord's
birth, which was why Herod ordered the slaughter of all the boys in
Bethlehem and in all its borders from two years old and under according to
the time accurately determined from the magi (Matt. 2:16). Moreover, the
fact that the magi brought three kinds of gifts does not necessarily mean
that there were three magi.
The Origin of Christmas Being Paganistic
Under the article 'Christmas', the Catholic Encyclopedia states: 'In the
earliest days of the Church there was no such feast. ...Christmas was not
among the earliest festivals of the Church ...' Christians in early days
did not commemorate Jesus' birthday!
Christians in the first three centuries were persecuted for their faith
until 325 A.D. when Roman Emperor Constantine in the council of Nicea
formulated the Nicene Creed, fully legalizing and legitimizing Christianity,
even making it the state religion of the Empire. In an effort to appease the
nominal converts all over the Roman-subjugated territories who were unwilling
to give up their heathen feasts and to make them subservient to the cause of
religion, Constantine adopted many heathen religious feasts and practices in
honor of the various gods into Christianity. Despite protests by many
faithful believers against the paganistic nature and frivolity with which
Christ's birth was celebrated, a Roman Almanac from 354 A.D. gives a first
clear reference to December 25, the date celebrated by several pagan
religions, being regarded as the date of Christ's birth.
Prior to conversion to Christianity, Mithraism was the most wide-spread
and most influential pagan religion among the Roman subjects. Mithra was the
sun god in ancient Persia (today's Iran). After the defeat of the Persians
by Alexander centuries ago, the soldiers brought the worship of Mithra
throughout Asia and to Europe where he was called Deus Sol Invictus Mithras.
It fostered the celebration of December 25 as a holiday throughout the Roman
and Greek worlds. The Catholic Encyclopedia states that,
'The birth of Christ was assigned the date of the winter solstice because on
this day, as the sun began its return to northern skies, the pagan devotees
of Mithra celebrated dies natalis Solis Invicti (birthday of the Invincible
or Unconquered Sun). ...The well-known solar feast...celebrated on 25
December, has a strong claim on the responsibility for our December date.'
The Romans adopted this festivity to honor Saturn and other agricultural
gods with boisterous week-long feasts of Saturnalia and Brumalia during
the winter solstice that culminates on December 25. These two pagan feasts
were too deeply entrenched in popular custom to be set aside by Christian
influence that in 530 A.D. the Roman church commissioned the Monk Dionysius
Exiguus to officially proclaim December 25 as the birth of Christ.
The midwinter festival was also celebrated by many other cultures. The
Egyptians dedicated it to the son of Isis, Queen of Heaven, and to Osiris
and Horus. The Greek dedicated it to their gods Apollo, Dionysus, and Adonis.
Sabeans of Arabia celebrated it as the birthday of the moon. The Saxons
celebrated Yule in honor of Thor, Scandinavian god of war. In Scotland,
Hogmany was celebrated. In England it was to the Nordic God Balder. The
Babylonians celebrated Baal's birthday with the festival of Bacchus,
the 'Drunken festival'.
In 600 A.D. Pope Gregory I instructed Augustine, the first Archbishop
of Canterbury, to adapt existing local religious customs to Christianity
in order to help propagate the faith. This humongous amalgamation of paganism
and Christianity has resulted in a grotesque mixture of what is known today
as Christmas.
The Customs and Practices of Christmas Being Idolatrous
Christmas Tree - Scandinavians in pre-Christian era worshipped trees.
In Egypt, the date palm was brought indoors as a religious symbol. In Rome,
the fir tree was decorated with toys in honor of Saturn's birthday; candles
were fastened to trees to indicate the return of the sun to the earth.
The Druids honored Odin (Woden) by tying gilded apples and other offerings on
the tree branches. The Germans used evergreen trees in worship and celebration
of the yule god and also in observance of the resurrected sun god; they
brought it indoor as a symbol of good luck. In Jeremiah 10:2-5, the Lord
strongly forbade us to learn the vain and idolatrous customs of the nations
in cutting down trees and decorating them indoor.
Wreaths - In early days, pagans decorated places of worship with wreaths at
the feasts to express good luck. But 'blessed is the man who makes Jehovah
his trust' (Psa. 40:4a) and 'blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him'
(Psa. 34:8b).
Holly, Berries, and Mistletoe - The Christmas practice of 'kissing under
the mistletoe' came from the feast of Saturnalia. The holly, berries, and
mistletoe were hung in doorways of temples and homes to invoke powers of
fertility in those who stood beneath and kissed, causing the spirits of
god and goddess to enter them.
Gift-Giving - This originated from the Roman celebration of the feast of
Saturnalia and Kalends of January (Roman New Year). Today's Christmas
practice of exchanging gifts is based on the notion that gifts were presented
during the Lord's birth. But the wise men gave gifts to the Lord and not
to one another.
Santa Claus - Saint Nicholas in the 4th century was said to have brought
gifts to children by throwing them through the windows. The belief that he
enters the house through the chimney comes from an Old Norse legend that
believed the goddess Hertha appeared in the fireplace and brought good luck
to the house.
Christmas Party - The merrymaking in Christmas parties today is
commensurable to the ancient pagan feasts of Saturnalia and Brumalia that
were highlighted by wanton indulgence of eating, drinking, and revelries
dressed in costumes. Paul warned us to 'neither become idolaters, as some
of them did; as it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink, and
stood up to play' (1 Cor. 10:7).
Conclusion
In his message REMEMBERING CHRISTMAS, Brother Watchman Nee said, 'According
to the opinions of many believers, it is a good thing to have a day each
year to remember the Savior's birth....Apart from one's opinion, God's Word,
the Bible, is still the only standard and the highest standard. Our concern
lies not on what man speaks, but on what God has spoken....Does the Bible
have a command to remember the birth of Christ?...Only one who believes in
the Bible will know that the things God did not command and the things God
did command have the same significance ....Many say that God never put a stop
to the celebration of Christmas....It is sad when Christians search the
Scriptures to give a basis for their sin and an occasion to the flesh....May
God give us more strength to enable us to say, 'How do we dare do what God
has not commanded?''
The true significance of Christ's birth is God became man (through His
incarnation - John 1:14) that man may become God (through our regeneration to
become His sons - John 1:12-13) in life (1 Pet. 1:3) and in nature (2 Pet.
1:4) but not in the Godhead (1 Cor. 8:6). As God's children, we are in the
world, but we are not of the world (John 17:11,14). If we make a clear-cut
separation from the world, we will live a sanctified life (1 Thes. 5:23) and
a holy life for the church life. Jesting and revelry in paganistic Christmas
celebration will put our holy life under siege. Idolatry is a serious sin. To
participate in Christmas celebration is an abomination that the Lord hates.
Christ is the reality of all feasts; we do not need the shadow because we have Christ as the reality (Col. 2:16-17; John 1:14b). As the world is celebrating the day of the unconquered sun god, we have Christ as the true Sun of righteousness (Mal. 4:2) who has conquered Satan,
world, sin, and death. We want Christ, but not the 'mas', the mixture.
Christmas is a leaven added to the meal by Christendom (Matt. 13:33). In 1
Corinthians 5:6-8 Paul admonished us to purge out the leaven and instead
keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the continuation of the Passover
(Exo. 12:15-20). It lasted for seven days, a period of completion, signifying
the entire period of our Christian life. It is a life-long feast that we must
keep with unleavened bread, which is Christ as our nourishment and enjoyment.
Only He is the life supply of sincerity and truth, absolutely pure, without
mixture, and full of reality.
We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people acquired
for a possession (1 Pet. 2:9). In this age of apostasy the Lord is calling
us, the overcomers, to come out and be separated from the world and from the
degraded Christianity that is full of mixtures (2 Cor. 6:17), and not to
participate in her sins that we might not receive her plagues (Rev. 18:4).
The Lord's promise to the overcomers is to give them to eat of the hidden
manna (Rev. 2:17). If we love the Lord and forsake the world and its
enjoyment, we shall surely enjoy the Lord in a subjective and transcendent
way.
Bible Verses for Your Reading:
Jer. 10:2-3 'Do not learn the way of the nations ...for the customs of the
people are vanity.'
1 Cor. 5:8 'So then let us keep the feast, not with old leaven ...but with
the unleavened bread of sincerity and truths.'
1 Cor. 10:14 ' Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.'
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