It’s ‘Christmas,’ and, once again, the internet is filled with debate over whether or not it is a ‘pagan’ holiday.  I used to think it was, until I studied the Scriptures more closely.  Now I believe I understand the issue much better than ever before, certainly better than most people offering their opinions on the subject.  For those who are interested, here is what I found in the Scriptures:

As many who follow me may already know, I have a great deal of respect for the late Dr. Michael Heiser.  However, I do not agree with him on several important aspects, and this is one of them.  Here is an audio of him addressing this issue.  I want to draw your attention to his comments starting at about the 1:40 mark.

Dr. Heiser openly admits that Christmas included or adopted Pagan worship practices.  If he had understood his Scriptures as well as he should have, he would have stopped right there and told his audience that this was enough reason for believers to avoid the Christmas celebrations.  Here is why I say this:

Yeshua (Jesus) was addressing the subject of the resurrection when He said the following to the Sadducees, but the principle applies to the subject of Christmas.

Matthew 22:29 NASB

²⁹ But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, since you do not understand the Scriptures nor the power of God.

At the time Yeshua said this, the only Scripture available was the TaNaKH (Old Testament).  The same applies to Paul’s comment here:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NASB

¹⁶ All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; ¹⁷ so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.

Once again, the only Scripture available at the time was the TaNaKH.  This means Yeshua and Paul were both telling Jews and Gentiles alike to check the TaNaKH Scriptures to find the answers to their theological questions. This principle has not changed since Yeshua and Paul gave it to us.  Therefore, we should search the TaNaKH for our answer to the Christmas question.  When we do, we will find this:

Deuteronomy 12:2-6 NASB

² You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you are going to dispossess serve their gods, on the high mountains, on the hills, and under every leafy tree. ³ And you shall tear down their altars and smash their memorial stones to pieces, and burn their Asherim in the fire, and cut to pieces the carved images of their gods; and you shall eliminate their name from that place. ⁴ You shall not act this way toward the Lord your God. ⁵ But you shall seek the Lord at the place which the Lord your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and you shall come there. ⁶ You shall bring there your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your vowed offerings, your voluntary offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock.

The Scriptures are quite clear on this matter: YHWH’s (the True God’s) people are not to worship Him in the same manner as pagans worship their false gods — period!

The mixing of pagan practices into YHWH worship is why YHWH wanted to destroy His peopole at the foot of Mt. Sinai.  It is what Aaron did when he made a golden calf and called it YHWH.  We have covered syncretism several times on the TRTC Show and in our blogging (you can find some of those posts here).

This commandment against syncretism has not changed, nor has it been set aside.  It stands today, and it should have been enough to end this debate over Christmas long ago.  Unfortunately, the debate remains, which leads us to these passages.

If you believe the ‘holy spirit’ has told you it is acceptable to keep Christmas, I would direct you to the following passages:

1 John 4:1 NASB

4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 NASB

¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit, ²⁰ do not utterly reject prophecies, ²¹ but examine everything; hold firmly to that which is good, ²² abstain from every form of evil.

Test what the ‘spirit’ is telling you, and remember, the HOLY SPIRIT will never tell you to do anything that goes against the Word of YHWH.  Therefore, be a good Berean and search the Scriptures for your answers, and remember, at the time Acts was written, that meant the TaNaKH (Old Testament).

Acts 17:11 NASB

¹¹ Now these people were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

If and when we do this, we will find that Christmas is not a pagan holiday, but it is syncretism, and YHWH forbids syncretism.  We are not to worship Him in the same manner as pagans worship their false gods — period!

So, others are free to do as they will.  But, as for me and my house, we will worship YHWH, and we will do so as best we can understand His instructions in His written Word.

YHWH Bless,

–B3A