Increasing Learning
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Books
  • Speaking
  • Free Resources
  • Contact Us

The Biblical Date of Christmas

12/24/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
One of the popular trends among Christians recently has been a rejection of December 25th as the date of Christ's birth.  Now, I can't claim to know for certain whether Christ was born on any particular day, but after studying the history of the Christmas celebration, I've come to the conclusion that the December 25th date has some significant biblical support and was not likely to have been chosen because of it's significance in the pagan calendar as many Christians now claim.  I recently taught a Sunday School lesson on this question, and I'd like to share my outline with you to aid in your own study.

The Date of Christmas – Luke 2:1-11
 
  1. There are many claims about why Dec 25th was chosen
    1. Most popular claim – to coincide with pagan celebrations
      1. There are several pagan celebrations that have been celebrated in late Dec
        1. Saturnalia
        2. Winter’s Solstice
        3. Etc.
      2. Beginning in the fourth century, the Catholics adopted some of the pagan celebrations as Christian holidays
        1. Samhein became Halloween
    2. Refuting the claim
      1. It is practically impossible to pick a day in any month that is not associated with at least one pagan celebration
        1. Many Christians place Christ’s birth in the spring, but there are numerous pagan celebrations around the spring equinox
      2. The date of December 25th for Christmas was chosen during the third century when Christians were heavily persecuted and sought to distance themselves from paganism
        1. The adoption of pagan rituals was a practice of the Catholic church which did not form until Constantine made it the official church of his empire during fourth century
        2. Just prior to Constantine, the Christians suffered massive persecution under Diocletian
        3. The earliest reference to December 25th date for Christmas comes from the Donatists, a sect that formed during the persecution of Diocletian
        4. The Donatists were known for their adherence to the early teachings of Christianity and their refusal to accept any pagan influence
    3. An alternative claim – that Jesus was born in the spring
      1. Based primarily on the shepherds in Luke 2:8
        1. Claims that shepherds would only be in the field during the spring lambing season
    4. Refuting the claim
      1. There are other reasons for shepherds to watch over their flocks at night
        1. Predators
        2. Robbers
  2. Why I think December 25th is the correct date
    1. Consider the source
      1. The date was first suggested by the Donatists and not the Catholics
    2. Consider the Scripture
      1. Zacharias served during the course of Abia
        1. One of the 24 courses of priests – I Chron 24:10
        2. Each course served for one week – II Chron 23:8
        3. Abia was the eighth course and Zacharias would have served during the eighth week of the year – I Chron 24:10
        4. Each course also served a second week later in the year
        5. Zacharias would have also served on the 32nd week of the year
      2. Elizabeth conceived after Zacharias’ course – Luke 1:24
      3. Mary conceived six months later – Luke 1:26
        1. Referring to the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy not to the sixth month of the year – see vs. 24
      4. Jesus would have been born nine months later – Luke 2:6
      5. Converting the Jewish calendar to the Gregorian calendar
        1. Zacharias’ second course was the last week of Heshvan
        2. Mary’s conception was the first week of Iyar
        3. Christ’s birth was about the first week of Shevat
        4. In 3 BC, the first day of Shevat corresponds with Dec 28 on the Gregorian calendar
        5. In 4 BC, the first day of Shevat corresponds with January 8th on the Gregorian calendar
        6. From the fourth century even up to today, Christians have primarily debated 2 different dates for the birth of Christ
          1. Western Christianity has traditionally celebrated Christmas on December 25th
          2. Eastern Christianity has traditionally celebrated Christmas on January 6th
          3. The difference between these two is the source of the traditional 12 days of Christmas
        7. Both dates correspond perfectly to the calculation of Christ’s birth from Zacharias’ second week of service in the course of Abia
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Bill Fortenberry is a Christian philosopher and historian in Birmingham, AL.  Bill's work has been cited in several legal journals, and he has appeared as a guest on shows including The Dr. Gina Show, The Michael Hart Show, and Real Science Radio.

    Contact Us if you would like to schedule Bill to speak to your church, group, or club.

    "Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning." (Proverbs 9:9)

    Search


    Topics

    All
    Abortion
    American History
    Apologetics
    Archaeology
    Atonement
    Benjamin Franklin
    Bible
    Bible Contradiction
    Buddhism
    Calvinism
    Children
    Christmas
    Citizenship
    Coaching
    Context
    Covid
    Creation
    Debate
    Doctrine
    Evolution
    Geography
    Government
    Homosexuality
    Immigration
    Islam
    James Wilson
    John Adams
    Marriage
    Masks
    Meditation
    Morality
    Mormonism
    Open Theism
    Parenting
    Politics
    Sacrifice
    Sam Harris
    Science
    Self Defense
    Self-Defense
    Slavery
    Solon
    Soteriology
    Strategy
    Tactical Faith
    Textual Criticism
    The KJV
    Theology
    Vaccines
    Video

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    June 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    April 2023
    February 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

    RSS Feed

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Books
  • Speaking
  • Free Resources
  • Contact Us