1) Pagan Origin

CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS? Some feel that it is unimportant (or even sinful) to celebrate Christ’s birthday at all. The arguments used by anti-Christmas proponents are normally: 1) The Bible is silent on the date of Jesus birth. The December 25th date of Christmas and the many associated customs all come from pagan sources. All Christmas celebrations are therefore pagan. 2) Christians never observed Christmas until the 4th century. Therefore it must have been the emperor Constantine or “some pope” who introduced the festival as a form of honour to the sun god. 3) There is no instruction or precedent in the Bible to celebrate Jesus’ birth. LEGAL EVIDENCE In most legal systems today: The quantum of evidence is the amount of evidence needed; the quality of proof is how reliable such evidence should be considered. This includes such concepts as hearsay, authentication, admissibility, reasonable doubt, and clear and convincing evidence. There are several types of evidence, depending on the form or source. Evidence governs the use of testimony (e.g., oral or written statements, such as an affidavit), exhibits (e.g., physical objects), documentary material, or demonstrative evidence, which are admissible (i.e., allowed to be considered by the trier of fact, such as jury) in a judicial or administrative proceeding (e.g., a court of law). 1 1 Wikipedia - Evidence (law) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evidence_%28law%29 LEGAL EVIDENCE We have concepts like “burden of proof”. This principle also known as the presumption of innocence, is summed up with the phrase “innocent until proven guilty”. In order for a successful conviction a crime must be proven “beyond a reasonable doubt”. Motive should also be established and the defence may use “character witnesses” for the accused. Indirect evidence: Circumstantial evidence might point to the possibility of guilt but it is only when a significant amount of this type of evidence is presented that the likelihood of guilt is assumed. Hearsay is never admissible. DIRECT EVIDENCE If eye witnesses are available then it must be established if they are reliable. The Bible gives cases when false witness brought about a wrongful conviction of the likes of the righteous Naboth (1 Kings 21:10), Stephen (Acts 6:13) and even Jesus (Matt 26:60-61). The Bible itself indicates that there should be at least 2 or more witnesses in order for a conviction. Deut 17:6 On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. 1 Tim 5:19 Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. FAIR EVIDENCE Now if we use these principles of ‘fairness’ in a secular court, surely they should apply to allegations made concerning events in church history. Yet many of the evidences offered by anti-Christmas lobbyists are based on hearsay, assumptions loosely based on circumstantial evidence, or even arguments from silence. 1) PAGAN ORIGIN Let’s look at the first objection: 1) Pagan origin a. The Bible is silent on the date of Jesus birth. b. Therefore the December 25th date for Christmas and the many associated customs must all come from pagan sources. c. Hence all Christmas celebrations are pagan. SILENCE a. THE BIBLE IS SILENT ON JESUS’ BIRTH DATE. It is true that the exact year of Jesus’ birth is unknown, although historians place it some time between 7 BC and 2 BC. The day and month is also unknown. Narratives of Jesus’ birth are included in two of the gospels (Matthew & Luke), but the Bible is silent on the issue of Jesus’ birth date. If it was really important, God would have told us in His Word. But you cannot make a conclusive argument either way, based on the silence of Scripture. THE EARLY CHURCH The early church had opinions about the birth date of Jesus, but were by no means in total agreement. Clement of Alexandria (150-215 AD) recorded that “there are those who have determined not only the year of our Saviour’s genesis, but even the day, which they say took place in the twenty-eighth year of Augustus on the 25th of Pachon… Indeed, others say that he came to be on the 24th or 25th of Pharmuthi.” 1 He gives 2 possibilities, both on the 25th day of a Coptic (Egyptian) calendar month. Pachon was the ninth month of the Coptic calendar (9 May to 7 June on the Gregorian calendar). Pharmuthi was the eighth month of the Coptic calendar (9 April to 8 May on the Gregorian calendar). 1 Stromata, 1.21.145-146 THE EARLY CHURCH Origen (184/5–253/4) pointed out 1 that in the Scriptures only sinners celebrated their birthdays. As such he claimed that Christians should not celebrate birthdays. Ex 40:20 Now the third day was Pharaoh’s birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials… Mark 6:21 Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. This idea of not celebrating birthdays has been adapted by the Jehovah’s Witness cult. 1 Lev. Hom. viii in Migne, P.G., XII, 495 WINTER OR SUMMER Some attempt to make an argument from Scripture that the census of Augustus would have been impossible in winter (i.e. December to February in the Northern hemisphere). But others counter by saying that it must have been in winter, because it was only then that field labour was suspended. Also the Romans were not known for their consideration towards their subjects; the coldness of winter would have been a non-issue to Emperor Augustus them when calling a census. (63 BC – 14 AD) WINTER OR SUMMER Some further argue from Scripture that Jesus’ birth could not have been in winter because the shepherds would not have been out in the fields as seen in Luke 2. WINTER OR SUMMER But according to Richard P. Myers, “… it is very possible that this scene could have taken place in winter in Israel. Israel has a very moderate climate, and mild winters, much like southern California. In fact, our family made a trip to Israel in December 1989. The weather was mild; we wore short sleeves and no coats some of the time. We personally passed by several fields in which shepherds were out in the fields, watching over the sheep as they were grazing.” 1 1 http://www.tbclacey.org/resources/PDF%20 Articles/Should%20We%20Celebrate%20 Christmas%20-%20Richard%20Myers.pdf 1) PAGAN ORIGIN b. BECAUSE THE BIBLE IS SILENT, THE DEC 25TH DATE MUST COME FROM PAGAN SOURCES. Examining the actual documentary evidence: While there are peripheral customs linked to current Christmas celebrations which have pagan origins, the only documented arguments for the December 25th date actually come from Christian sources. 1) PAGAN ORIGIN The tradition of December 25th as Jesus’ birthday is actually quite old, dating from the 2nd century and not the 4th as many claim. The earliest known testimony is Theophilus, Bishop of Caesarea (AD 115-181): We ought to celebrate the birth-day of our Lord on what day soever the 25th of December shall happen. 1 1 Magdeburgenses, Cent. 2. c. 6. Hospinian, de orign Festorum Chirstianorum 1) PAGAN ORIGIN Around 202-211 AD Hippolytus of Rome also argued that this was the date. In his Commentary on Daniel he states: For the first advent of our Lord in the flesh, when he was born in Bethlehem, was December 25th, a Wednesday, while Augustus was in his forty-second year… 1 1 Some scholars claim that the Dec 25th date must have been added into this document at a later stage. Tom Schmidt of Chronicon.net investigated the matter and published findings defending the Dec 25th date online at: http://chronicon.net/blog/chronology /hippolytus-and-the-original-date-of-christmas/ Hippolytus (170-235) 1) PAGAN ORIGIN Sextus Julius Africanus 1 wrote a history of the world (Chronographiai 2) from creation to the year 221 AD and calculated that the world was created on March 25th. He believed that Jesus’ conception marked the start of the new creation and that it was fitting that it would be on exactly the same date. If the conception of Jesus was indeed on March 25th, accordingly his birth would be nine months later on December 25th. While we may question Julius’ rationale and calculations, it is clear that his reason for choosing Dec 25th was not based on any association with a pagan festival. 1 A Christian historian of the late 2nd and early 3rd century AD who influenced Eusebius and other Christian historians. 2 The 5-book work is no longer extant, but copious extracts from it are found in the Chronicon of Eusebius. 1) PAGAN ORIGIN Hippolytus in his own Chronicon makes similar claims to Julius Africanus: “… Hippolytus indicates that Jesus was in fact born on December 25 because he claims that Jesus was born nine months from the anniversary of the creation of the world. Because the Chronicon indicates that the world was created on March 25, the vernal equinox, nine months from this date is of course December 25. From this we can safely say that, sometime between 202 and 211 AD, Hippolytus marked December 25th as the birthday of Jesus. This clearly had nothing to do with Pagan festivals, but was derived from the idea that Jesus was conceived on the Passover.” 1 1 http://chronicon.net/blog/chronology/hippolytus-and-the-original-date-of- christmas/ 1) PAGAN ORIGIN Another reason why some early Christians chose Dec 25th as Jesus birth date is as follows.

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