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THE CELEBRATION OF CHRISTMAS
Stephen C.
Atnip
The
world is abuzz this day with celebrations of Christmas. For some, this is the quintessential
Christian holy day. We receive
cards and letters featuring nativity scenes of the birth of our Lord. There are even those who stress that if
a man does not celebrate this “most holy” of seasons, then he is a derelict in
his Christian understanding and duties.
What is peculiarly missing from this discussion is a reflection on any
sort of Biblical commandment, or example of the early church in the keeping of
any birthday celebration for Christ.
We are encouraged to keep the “spirit of Christmas.” Pray tell, what is the “spirit of
Christmas”?
This unusual preoccupation with Christmas is actually a very new concept
for mankind, except among Catholics.
As a matter of fact, when I hear Protestant exhortation to keep “the
spirit of Christmas,“ I chuckle inside.
The great originators of Protestantism often spoke ardently against this
Catholic tradition. John Calvin
(the originator of Presbyterianism, primitive Baptist theology, and the
evangelical reformed movement) wrote, “I see more people than usual at sermon
today. And why? It’s Christmas day. And who told you? It seems so [to be a holy day] to poor
beasts. There’s the fitting label
for all who came to sermon today in honor of the feast…But if you think that
Jesus Christ was born today, you are beasts, indeed, rabid beasts.”
{http://www.takenforgranted.com/2005/12/17/john-calvin-joins-the-ranter-in-the-war-on-christmas-2/]. One can certainly see that John Calvin
was not an avid fan of Christmas.
John Knox, the great 16th century Scottish Presbyterian
Reformer joined with his brethren in creating The First Book of
Discipline. With regard to
Christmas and all other such “popish inventions,” this book stated, “Which
things, because in God’s scriptures they neither have commandment nor assurance,
we judge them utterly to be abolished from this Realm; affirming further, that
the obstinate maintainers and teachers of such abominations ought not to escape
the punishment of the Civil Magistrate.” [Knox’s History, Vol. 2, p. 281.
cf. John Knox, Works (David Laing, ed., Edinburgh: James Thin, 1895), Vol. ii, p.
190). The reader will perhaps find
this somewhat amusing when he finds out that the John Knox Press in 1991
published, Christmas Praise:
Worship Resources for the Seasons of Christmas. And in
The early Puritan Protestants were equally un-enamored with
Christmas: “the Puritans believed
that the first-century church modeled a Christianity that modern Christians
should copy. They attempted to base
their faith and practice solely on the New Testament, and their position on
Christmas reflected their commitment to practice a pure, scriptural form of
Christianity. Puritans argued that
God reserved to himself the determination of all proper forms of worship, and
that he disapproved of any human innovations – even innovations that celebrated
the great events of salvation. The
name Christmas also alienated many Puritans. Christmas meant ‘the mass of
Christ.’ The mass was despised as a
Roman Catholic institution that undermined the Protestant concept of Christ, who
offered himself once for all.”
[http://www.wcg.org/lit/church/holidays/xmassin.htm]. “The Puritans banned Christmas
altogether and during the Cromwellian period in
Charles Spurgeon,
As a matter of fact, the American celebration of Christmas is
historically very recent, “In America, Christmas was generally outlawed until
the end of the last century [19th century]. In
Enjoy the national holiday, but please realize its source as arising from the hearts and imaginations of men, and not from the commandments of God. And do not propagate the errors in teaching with regard to the birth of Jesus.
