Articles
The Christmas Season
We are in that season of the year known as "Christmas." Elsewhere in this issue you will find a historical summary of the true origins of that holiday which has become such a part of our American culture. As you will see, the holiday did not originate in the Bible. But it cannot be denied that it is during this season that many folks hear the story of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, over and over again - some perhaps for the first time. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I believe that hearing about the birth of our Lord is a good thing, even if the origin of the holiday is couched in false religious tradition.
Let me point out a parallel in the Bible. In Phil. 1:15-18, Paul wrote, "Some, to be sure are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will....the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed: and in this I rejoice, yes, and I will rejoice."
The point, as I see it, is this: If Paul could rejoice when Christ was preached by those of impure motives, then surely I can rejoice when people focus on the birth of my Lord, even though their motivation for doing so may be rooted in ignorance or acceptance of some false religious traditions. Yes, Paul exposed their false motives and errors. And I intend to point out the errors which led false religious teachers to make December 25th the day for a religious celebration of His birth. But, instead of focusing totally upon the negative, I, like Paul, choose to rejoice that the birth of our Saviour is acknowledged and advertised in a world which needs Him so badly.
