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Should Christians celebrate Christmas?

by Larry Harriman

In 2003, if we were to ask the average Christian "Should we as Christians celebrate Christmas? - we would here a resounding "yes!". But this was not always the case. Since the first official celebration of Christmas in 340 A.D. under the order of the Roman Emperor Constantine, there have been many Christians who refused to celebrate Christmas.

The question we will seek to answer here is not whether there have been Christians throughout the centuries who have opposed Christmas - that fact we concede. The question we will seek to answer in this article is whether or not Christians of the past (and present) were right in opposing the observation of Christmas.

It is really an improper statement to say that "Christmas has pagan origins". It would be more accurate to say that "The timing and many things practiced during Christmas have pagan origins". The act of celebrating Christmas was started by not by Pagans, but by Christians. Although some would say that since it was started by Constantine , whose Christianity is somewhat suspect, that it still was started by a Pagan.

As we have previously mentioned, Constantine instituted the practice of celebrating Christmas in 340 A.D.. His motives are somewhat suspect, as it was more of a political move than a religious one as we will now explain.

Most of the Roman empire was still pagan, and celebrated their winter solstice in honor of the pagan sun god Saturn. He was the God of Agriculture and it was believed that by honoring him at the end of the year the next years crops would be more plentiful. Actually the day of December 25th goes all the way back to ancient Babylon, when they celebrated the feast of the Son of Isis.

The evergreen tree was used in this and many other celebrations at the end of the year throughout Europe and even in some parts of the Middle East. The tree was a symbol of everlasting life as its leaves could survive the cold winter. It is actually believed the use of the evergreen tree goes back to Egypt where a Princess had a vision of an evergreen stump sprouting to life after her husband died.

The Romans even had the equivalent of our modern day carolers who were called "Mummers". At this time of year groups of merry men would go from house to house singing songs and dancing. Romans would exchange wreathes much like ours at this time as well.

Constantine replaced the pagan festival of honoring Saturn with the celebration of the birth of Christ to allow the festival to continue but with a different object as its focus. Now instead of honoring Saturn and exchanging gifts in his honor, the people were to give gifts in honor of the greatest gift God gave to man, his son Jesus Christ. This would appease the Christians who were calling on him to end the festival because of its pagan object, and it would appease the pagans who still wanted an excuse to celebrate.

To the pagan, this was not much of leap, and they were still able to have fun and give gifts. To the Christian, this was a special opportunity to celebrate the birth of Christ.

Immediately after Constantine instituted Christmas in 340 A.D., there were many separatist Christians who opposed it and refused to honor the day. There still are Christians who oppose the celebration of the holiday even today.

What are the reasons some Christians have opposed celebrating Christmas? Well, there are two main arguments that are made. The first is it is never commanded in the scriptures to take a special day and celebrate the birth of Christ. This leads many separatists to say if is not commanded, we may not do it. The other reason is that Christmas replaced or was made over a pagan celebration. Therefore it is poisoned with what used to be pagan symbols and cannot be used by Christians.

Lets first tackle the argument that "if it is not commanded in the New Testament we are forbiden from doing it".

This argument is actually used by some separatist for many other practices they oppose in the modern church. The problem is that this thinking is not supported by the scriptures:

Romans 14:1-6(NIV)
"1Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God."

In its original context, when Romans 14 speaks of some considering certain days sacred and others considering every day alike they were speaking of the Jewish holy days and festivals. The stronger Christian in this context, was the one who realized he was no longer under compulsion to keep the dietary laws, holy days and festivals.

But the principle that is taught here is much greater. It is that there are disputable matters that Christians ought not "to judge someone else's servant" about. It is an unfortunate fact that most of the Christians today that oppose the celebration of Christmas are fundamentalist. This is not to say that most fundamentalists oppose Christmas, because in most IFB churches I have ever seen they do not. But there are some on the fringes that do and they make up most of the Christians that oppose Christmas today.

Actually I will say that those fundamentalists today who oppose Christmas are simply taking the modern day fundamentalist fault of "passing judgment on disputable matters" to its logical conclusion. They take their idea that if it is not in scripture not only are they not obligated to observe it, but they also vehemently condemn those Christians that do as "worldly compromisers".

To understand why this division has taken place in Christianity over Christmas lets look at why divisions happen in the first place. There are three reasons historically why divisions have risen among Christians:

• 1. False Doctrine - Some have completing warped the scriptures to form and teach doctrines the scriptures never taught. This has resulted in the separation of faithful disciples and false teachers.
  
  

  Romans 16:17(NIV)
  "17I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them."
  
  2 Thessalonians 3:14(NIV)
  "14If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed."

  Clearly we are to "Keep away from" and separate from those who teach false doctrines. Many Christian churches today have compromised and fellowship with other so-called "churches" that deny the deity of Christ and the miracles of the Bible along with many other fundamentals of the faith. This is false unity, we should "not associate with" them, that they "may feel ashamed".



• 2. Going beyond the Bible - On one side there were those such as some Catholic teachers (including Popes) who added doctrines to Christianity that are never taught in the scriptures. On the other side there were and still are today those who add standards and rules to Christianity which are not taught in the scriptures. Unfortunately this includes many fundamentalists today.
  
  

  1 Corinthians 4:5-6(NIV)
  5Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. 6Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another.

  How many times have divisions arisen among good bible-believing Christians, even those of the same denomination such as baptists, because of preachers going beyond what is written. Then their congregations take pride in their Pastor against another Pastor of a Baptist church. How sad and true this is today.



• 3. Differences of Application and Interpretation - throughout the ages, good, bible-believing Christians have differed on how to interpret and how to apply certain scriptural passages. Many of these are honest disagreements and while some of these Christians may not be able to worship together in the same local churches, they still acknowledge their common bond of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and their common membership in the universal body of Christ.
  
  Each of us as Bible-believing Christians, "...should be fully convinced in his own mind."(Rom 14:5). We should remember not to be "passing judgment on disputable matters"(Rom 14:1).

It is one thing to simply choose not to celebrate Christmas, it is quite another to make it a doctrinal issue and condemn and judge those Christian brethren that do. Those who judge other Christians for celebrating Christmas have clearly gone "beyond what is written" and are "passing judgment on disputable matters".

The second argument of those who oppose the celebration of Christmas by Christians is one that is more intimidating to many Christians. They say "because it has pagan origins, we as Christians should not celebrate it".

Most of the time Old Testament passages are quoted to defend their position. The problem with their use of these passages is that they are talking about those practices being used in honor of Pagan gods. At Christmas we are not honoring the pagan god Saturn, but we are honoring the birth of Christ. Sure the festival and celebration used to honor a pagan deity, but that is not how we use it now.

Actually there is an item we will use to demonstrate and this was used not only by the Apostles but by our Lord himself. It is the use the Greek word Hades. Many times our English word "hell" is a translation of the Greek word Hades. Modern translations use the actual Greek word 'hades' in place of hell at times as to rightly distinguish it from another word that is translated 'hell' - 'gehhenna'. Here are some examples:

Luke 16:22-24(NIV)
"22"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In hell[Greek Hades], where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

Revelation 1:18(NIV)
I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

So what is the big deal with Christ and the Apostles using the Greek word Hades?

The Greek word 'hades' referred to the Greek god Hades and as well as the realm of Hades. Hades was equivalent to what we would today call the grim reaper. He was the master of death. The place he oversaw was were all souls went after death. In it were two compartments, one for those who were honorable and just, and one for those who were evil. In the book of Acts Hades is used to directly correlate to the Hebrew Sheol as the realm of the dead.

Psalms 16:9-10(NIV)
"9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, 10 because you will not abandon me to the grave[Hebrew Sheol], nor will you let your Holy One see decay."

Acts 2:26-27(NIV)
"26Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, 27because you will not abandon me to the grave[Greek Hades], nor will you let your Holy One see decay."

So here in Acts,Peter quoting the prophecy of David about Christ, uses the word 'hades' to speak of where Christ was and in direct correlation to the Hebrew Sheol. But 'hades' was refering to a pagan God and place - how could Peter as well as his Lord use this word if it they considered it wrong to use things with pagan origins? This is a prime example of how we can claim things from a pagan culture and turn them to good use for God.

If it is wrong for us to celebrate the birth of Christ on a day that used to be used to honor a pagan deity, then how was it right for Christ and his Apostles to use a pagan deity to teach about the after life?

Not to get into much detail here, but even the Christian practice of baptism was pagan in origin. The Greeks and other cultures were using the practice to purify themselves among other things for hundreds of years before Christ. The church fathers Tertullian and Justin Martyr both plainly acknowledged the pagan origins of water baptism. Yet God took this pagan practice, and used it for his purpose and plan.

So the belief that Christians may not take things that have pagan origins and turn them to use for Christ falls on its face when compared with the example of the New Testament.

I read on a web site by a non-baptist who is opposed to the celebration of Christmas this quote by Charles Spurgeon about Christmas:

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the famous English preacher of the last century, said,

"We have no superstitious regard for times and seasons. Certainly we do not believe in the present ecclesiastical arrangement called Christmas ... we find no scriptural word whatever for observing any day as the birthday of the Saviour; and consequently, its observance is a superstition, because (it's) not of divine authority ... probably the fact is that the 'holy days' (were) arranged to fit in with the heathen festivals ... how absurd to think we could do it in the spirit of the world, with a Jack Frost clown, a deceptive worldly Santa Claus, and a mixed program of sacred truth with fun, deception, and fiction."
(Quoted from Metropolitan Pulpit Series, Pilgrim Publications: Pasadena, Texas, 1871, p. 1026).

While the world celebrates Christmas with its gift swapping and wild parties, what should be our attitude? God's Word makes it plain that we should have nothing to do with this pagan holiday. Let's not associate the birth of the holy Son of God with the pagan traditions of men. Let us heed God's command, ".... be ye separate, saith the Lord...." (II Cor. 6:17).

To the non-discerning reader this looks like a slam dunk for how Charles Spurgeon felt about Christmas. Yet when taken in context with many Christmas sermons he preached this is not the case at all. Let me say this though, even if Charles Spurgeon was completely opposed to Christmas that would not make him right, even though I respect him as one of the greatest men of God who ever lived.

Lets look at a quote from another sermon of Spurgeon's which balances out against the one quoted above:

"For my part, I wish there were twenty Christmas days in the year. It is seldom that young men can meet with their friends; it is rarely they can all be united as happy families; and though I have no respect to the religious observance of the day, yet I love it as a family institution, as one of England's brightest days, the great Sabbath of the year, when the plough rests in its furrow, when the din of business is hushed, when the mechanic and the working man go out to refresh themselves upon the green award of the glad earth. If any of you are masters you will pardon me for the digression, when I most respectfully beg you to pay your servants the same wages on Christmas-day as if they were at work. I am sure it will make their houses glad if you will do so. It is unfair for you to make them feast or fast, unless you give them wherewithal to feast and make themselves glad on that day of joy."
("Going Home--A Christmas Sermon",December 21, 1856, C. H. SPURGEON)

Charles Spurgeon did not like the Catholic and Pagan origins of Christmas, yet he realized Christmas had many positive things and still could be used for the Lord. It was a great time to be with family, and he used it many years for evangelism.

As for me and my family we celebrate Christmas. I know that Jesus was not born in December (some scholars think it was October or November, or even earlier). But this is a day we have chosen to celebrate the birth of Christ. Nothing in the scriptures forbids us from celebrating his birth.

Do I condemn those who do not celebrate Christmas? No! They have as much freedom not celebrate Christmas as I do to celebrate it. I will say just this, that I believe it is somewhat of a hindrance though to the cause of Christ for those who do not celebrate it to condemn those who do. And even the non-observation of Christmas can cause an obstacle to unbelievers in coming to Christ. Try and explain to them why it is bad to put up a tree, decorate it and your house and give your family presents!