Please list ALL biblical aspects of Christmas, if you can.

[Strong in Him]

Well,
actually it does.... (since you said "honour the Word")

Why?
We try to honour Jesus every day; why is it wrong to have a day to specifically remember his birth and publicly declare who we believe him to be? Even if Christmas was solely for the benefit of unbelievers and Christians said they didn't need it, it would still not be wrong to have it.

Presumably you talk(ed) and relate(d) to your parents all year round - how would they feel, or have felt, if you ignored their wedding anniversary, birthdays and mothers'/fathers' day?

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

When it can be proved that the observance of Christmas, . . . were ever instituted by a divine statute, we will also attend to them, but not till then. It is as much our duty to reject the traditions of men as to observe the ordinances of the Lord."

Amein. Every day. All the time.

 

[Strong in Him]

The following extract is from the late C.H. Spurgeon's exposition of Psa 81 . . . "Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day." (v. 3)

"Obedience is to direct our worship, not whim and sentiment: God's appointments gives a solemnity to rites and times which no ceremonial pomp or hierarchical ordinance could confer.'

God has NOT commanded that we shall not celebrate Christmas, so therefore we are not disobeying him if we do so.

When it can be proved that the observance of Christmas, . . . were ever instituted by a divine statute, we will also attend to them, but not till then.

That's up to him; he doesn't speak for everyone.

It is as much our duty to reject the traditions of men as to observe the ordinances of the Lord."

Christmas is not a tradition of man. All the commercialism is, as is the food, wine and insistence that you have to have x gadgets/objects/decorations in order to make Christmas a success, be one up on your neighbours and make sure your kids are socially acceptable. All the trappings and traditions of the world - like only getting toys from Santa if you have been good; ie earned them - have zilch to do with the birth of our Saviour and the God who freely gives us his love, are to be rejected. We can celebrate Christmas very well without them.
But the birth of our Saviour, the Son of God, was God's plan and initiative. He gave Jesus before we were even born, and has been freely giving to his people ever since he created them.

Apart from which, you have said why it is wrong to have a day to honour Christ's birth; you've only said why Spurgeon didn't want to. You've also said that your only purpose here is to say why you can't do Christmas. Fine; that has been noted. But that doesn't mean that it is wrong TO do it.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

God has NOT commanded that we shall not celebrate Christmas, so therefore we are not disobeying him if we do so.

HE did command some of HIS people to NOT do what other nations or other peoples or other [anything] do,
to not ever study their ways or their [whatever]
including to NOT ADOPT THE POLITICS OF OTHER NATIONS
(which millions of so-called 'faithful' christians here disobey every day so far)...

 

[Stillicidia]

Jeremiah 10:3-4
For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

If you wanna get mystical, God doesn't hate Christmas trees. Heaven has Christmas trees. (>")>

 

[Strong in Him]

HE did command some of HIS people to NOT do what other nations or other peoples or other [anything] do,
to not ever study their ways or their [whatever]

That doesn't mean not to remember or keep the feast which commemorates the birth of His Son.
You haven't provided a reference but I am guessing that you're thinking of an OT quotation. If so, God was telling his people, the Jews, whom he had rescued from Egypt and had been set apart for him, not to imitate other nations - probably by worshipping other gods, marrying unbelievers and adopting their godless lifestyle. Christians are told not to conform to the pattern of the world; true. That doesn't mean we can't honour the birth of Christ, it just means we should not get caught up in the commercialism, and society's message that you get presents if you've been good enough, and if anyone gives to you, you have to give a gift back to them of the same monetary value, or greater.
That's not how Christians are to celebrate the greatest gift that God ever gave us - free of charge.

including to NOT ADOPT THE POLITICS OF OTHER NATIONS

Christmas isn't about politics.

(which millions of so-called 'faithful' christians here disobey every day so far)...

In what way?

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

If you wanna get mystical, God doesn't hate Christmas trees. Heaven has Christmas trees.

Mystical or not, no.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

That doesn't mean not to remember or keep the feast which commemorates the birth of His Son.

It does IF it violates a lot of other of YHWH's directions.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

You haven't provided a reference but I am guessing that you're thinking of an OT quotation.

Y'SHUA'S Revelation is even more important and convicting and convincing.
Totally NEW TESTAMENT/ ecclesia/ echad with Y'SHUA and YHWH. (JOHN 17 et al).

 

[Strong in Him]

It does IF it violates a lot of other of YHWH's directions.

It doesn't.

 

[Strong in Him]

Y'SHUA'S Revelation is even more important and convicting and convincing.
Totally NEW TESTAMENT/ ecclesia/ echad with Y'SHUA and YHWH. (JOHN 17 et al).

I don't know what you're saying here, nor what this has to do with Christmas.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

It doesn't.

There's a whole lot of differing voices on this,
and many supported by simple obedience to SCRIPTURE and Y'SHUA.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Y'SHUA'S Revelation is even more important and convicting and convincing.
Totally NEW TESTAMENT/ ecclesia/ echad with Y'SHUA and YHWH. (JOHN 17 et al).

I don't know what you're saying here, nor what this has to do with Christmas.

Yes, this is clear,
and simple too.
The persecuted, underground, "things that are not"(people YHWH has called and chosen to put to shame the "things that are" )
don't care about xmas or any other worldly holidays
except as much
as at the time they(we) may be able to use the time
to further the TRUTH and the GOSPEL of SALVATION IN Y'SHUA.

 

[PuerAzaelis]

Heaven has Christmas trees. (>")>

And dogs.

 

[Strong in Him]

Keeping on topic . . .

I thought you said that your only reason for posting this topic is to state why you can't do Christmas?
If it was then, as I said, you have stated that (again and again), and there should no longer be a topic. Clearly the main reason therefore is to bring us round to your way of thinking.

However ....

The Bible admonishes the use of trees as a symbol of worship.

One of the things that some of us have said, again and again, is that no one worships their Christmas trees. At least, I suppose their might be some pagans or druids who do, but I doubt anyone in this forum does. They are decoration only.

Book of Jeremiah 10:2
Thus says the LORD, "Do not learn the way of the nations . . .

How is displaying a Christmas tree - which may not even be a real one - learning the ways of other nations?
Christmas trees are not fashioned into idols - most of them are artificial and made of plastic. They are not fashioned into anything; they are just there - and then 10 days or so after Christmas they are burned/recycled/put away til next year.

The original Hebrew word for way is jrd.

according to searchgodsword.org:

'way' can mean:

1. road, way, path
2. journey
3. direction
4. manner, habit, way
5. of course of life (fig.)
6. of moral character (fig.)

My New American Catholic Bible translates jrd into customs:

And?

What is the Christian Bible equivalent for 'way'?

Matt 7:13 (Jesus said)
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it."

"Way", in this context, means path. Its exact meaning may differ according to the context.
Jesus is THE Way.

Even though Jer. 10:1-4 no doubt had an application to the customs practiced some 2600 years ago, we must keep in mind that the book of Jeremiah is primarily prophecy. Jeremiah is a prophet of doom. Why did he prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem?

Because the Israelites had been brought out of Egypt, rescued from slavery and death, by God, who had given them his word at Mt Sinai and made a covenant with them, so that they were his people - yet they constantly forgot this, broke God's commandments and worshipped other gods.
They were God's own people, called to be holy and given God's blessings; they KNEW what God wanted from them and had no excuse for disobeying him, yet they did.

Just as with other prophecies, this was written for our time, to our people, and referring to the common customs of the modern world.

This doesn't say anything about not having a Christmas tree.
Paul tells us not to conform to the pattern of the world, and John tells us not to love the world; this is quite true. If - for you - that means not having a Christmas tree; don't have one.

Remember, you have already said that this thread is about why you CAN'T do Christmas - and you think that we should, if we do so already.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Is anyone who is posting not here for this same reason ?

If it was then, as I said, you have stated that (again and again), and there should no longer be a topic. Clearly the main reason therefore is to bring us round to your way of thinking.

 

[W2L]

I use to believe there was a war on Christmas, until I learned that fighting over holidays was a waste of time. See my signature below...

 

[Strong in Him]

Is anyone who is posting not here for this same reason ?

Well in his case, no; not for me.
I want to understand. Sometimes what I want to understand is why a person quotes certain Scriptures - sometimes out of context - to make particular point.

On this topic, how people celebrate Christmas is up to them, and it's personal.
If a Christian is remembering, and celebrating, Christ's birth, and they can do that with decorations, a tree, Christmas games and other traditions - that's fine. Good for them, and no one should look down on them or tell them otherwise.
If a Christian is remembering, and celebrating, the birth of Christ and that means, for them, no tree, decorations, party or anything else - that's fine, and good for them too.

So no; I will dispute if Scriptures are quoted out of context, or if I feel someone is trying to negate my, or someone else's, faith because we do something that they don't feel we "should" do - but no one has to see things "my" way or follow what I do.

 

[Strong in Him]

To paraphrase David Arthur DeSilva’s “An Introduction to the New Testament”:

It is not the mere worshiping of the tree that people are doing; rather, the tree represents aspects of the human social enterprise – economic power, military power, political power, family and social networking, and the like. Secular (Pagan) society becomes its own object of worship.

That's his opinion.
I've never known anyone buy a Christmas tree because it represents military, economic or political power. Talk about seeing things that aren't there!

Which brings us back to the point that worship is . . . .

worship

1. reverent honor and homage paid to . . . . any object regarded as sacred.
4. the object of adoring reverence or regard.

How many people do you know who pay homage, honour and respect to their Christmas trees? How many pf those people are Christians?

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sanctified

1: to set apart to a sacred purpose or to religious use : consecrate
2: to free from sin : purify
3 a: to impart or impute sacredness, inviolability, or respect to b: to give moral or social sanction to

None of which applies to a Christmas tree.
It's not set apart for religious use,
Everyone knows it can't save us from sin or purify us, or impute sacredness.

A Christmas tree is a created object. If it is a natural tree, it was created by God; if it is an artificial tree, it was created by human beings.
God is the One who heals, saves and makes us holy - don't get God mixed up with his creation.

1 a: dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity <a tree sacred to the gods>
b: devoted exclusively to one service or use (as of a person or purpose) <a fund sacred to charity>
2 a: worthy of religious veneration : holy b: entitled to reverence and respect
3: of or relating to religion : not secular or profane <sacred music>

Again, nothing to do with a Christmas tree.
It is not worthy of religious veneration. It is an object, which may get knocked over by children or pets, may need to be trimmed and will be thrown on the fire or recycling heap in January, (if it is real.) No one will give it another thought for 10 months or so.

 

[ToBeLoved]

ROFL. This thread is going off the edge.

Did someone accuse Christians of tree worship? I can't stop laughing.

Next someone will tie tree's to worshipping another God. ROFL.

You guys are too much!

I wonder if the Hebrews of the OT had a problem with tree worship or is this just since Americans starting celebrating Christmas? Now I'm pondering the Old Testament. lol.