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Doctrinal Discussions:
Some Questionable Doctrines
These studies examine the traditional doctrines held by the Church of Christ to see if they are actually taught in the scriptures. This is not an "anti-Church of Christ" site. I was reared in the Church of Christ and have been preaching since 1968 in the Church of Christ. My desire is that we walk righteously before God, not according to traditions of men. Bernie Parsons
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Holidays
by Bernie Parsons October 19, 2002
Several traditional doctrines in the churches of Christ have perturbed me over the years. I could not find these doctrines taught in the Bible, although there is sometimes given "book, chapter, and verse". I wish to address some of them here in an effort to stimulate my brothers and sisters to think a little more deeply and and little more clearly regarding them. Jesus said that we would know the truth, and the truth would set us free.
As I researched these in the Bible, I was struck by how our interpretation seems so far afield of what the scriptures are actually saying about these matters. Searching the history of the church, back through the various movements and schisms that have developed, these doctrines are found to be attributable to man, not to God.
One such divisive issue is that of "celebrating" holidays. There are churches of Christ whose members "celebrate" holidays, and there are those who forbid it, saying that those who "celebrate" are going to hell.
Let me first discuss the concept of holidays in general, then address several specific ones by name.
I used the word "celebrate" in quotation marks because people use the term sarcastically and derisively. "Celebrate" literally comes from a root word that means "much frequented, or famous". We take that word the wrong way, as if to "celebrate" is a sin.
The word "holiday" is derived from two words, "holy" and "day". Holiday means holy day. For some, this is enough to forever banish all holidays from the Christian's life. I have heard my brothers and sisters in Christ say that we should have no holy days, neither should we celebrate. The Bible contradicts them on this point.
Colossians 2:16-17 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ."
Some misinterpret the above scripture as saying that we must not respect a holiday. Quite the opposite is true--Paul told the Colossians not to judge each other when it comes to food, drink, holidays, the new moon, or the Sabbath days. In the freedom that comes in serving Christ, it does not matter how we approach these particular things--our treatment of them will neither save us nor destroy us.
Colossians 2:18-23 "Let no man beguile you of your
reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things
which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head,
from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit
together, increaseth with the increase of God.
Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living
in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not;
handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines
of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and
neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh."
What Apostle Paul is telling the Colossians is that these things don't matter. We don't live by the commandments and doctrines of men: "touch not, taste not, handle not". To engage in such activity is to advertise and boast of one's own willpower, the ability to abstain from these things. It appears to be a form of godliness, or righteousness, but is the opposite. Paul warns of these kind of people in:
2 Timothy 3:5-7 "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."
To deny the flesh appears at first to be a form of godliness, but it is not. It rivets our attention on the flesh of our bodies, and on this world below. Note Paul's next words from:
Colossians 3:1-3 "If ye then be risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your
affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is
hid with Christ in God."
Instead of vilifying and persecuting our Christian brothers and sisters, we need to
instead stay focused on Christ, our head, who sits at the right hand of God. In other
words, we are to be spiritually minded, not carnally minded.
Romans 8:5-9 "For they that are after the flesh do
mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually
minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh
cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the
Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of
his."
Those who forbid holiday celebrations are focused on the flesh, not on things above.
"Touch not, taste not, handle not," they say. In fact, God commanded certain
feasts under the Law of Moses--He did not seem to have a problem with the people getting
together to feast, and celebrate.
Exodus 23:15-16 "Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field."
Lest some try to declare that all feasts were solemn, subdued affairs, let me quote the following:
Deuteronomy 14:26 "And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,"
Deuteronomy 16:13-14 "Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine: And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates."
Apostle Paul tells us that it matters not to God whether we esteem one day above another, or consider all days the same--as long as we give Him the glory.
Romans 14:4-8 "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's."
Apostle Paul tells the church at Rome that it is okay for a Christian to hold one day in special regard over another, as long as we thank God for it, giving Him the honor and glory for it. By the same token, he says, if a Christian regards each day to be just as every other day, that is acceptable to God as well, as long as he recognizes through the giving of thanks that it is a gift from God.
Jesus was known to attend celebrations. Let us take a look at this fact. The first recorded miracle that Jesus performed was transforming water to wine at a wedding celebration and feast.
John 2:1-11 "And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him."
Jesus had a reputation, which led to false accusations, of attending feasts rather than avoiding them, as did John the Baptist. While at these feasts, Jesus ate and drank along with the other guests, earning Him the false descriptions of glutton and over-indulger in wine.
Matthew 11:16-19 "But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children."
The following passages from Luke show that the Lord authorized feasting, or celebrations.
Luke 14:13-14 "But when thou makest a feast, call
the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot
recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just."
Apostle Paul recognized that people attend feasts, which are lavish celebrations.
1 Corinthians 10:27-31 "If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake. But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof: Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience? For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks? Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."
It would do us good to rejoice, and celebrate the blessings of our Lord, and our God. We need to wipe the frowns from our faces, and retrieve our lower jaws from the pavement, and raise up holy hands of thanksgiving to God Almighty, in the name of Jesus, the Christ, and our Lord.
Paul went so far as to say that those Christians in attendance could even eat the food offered to false idols as long as the host made no mention of this fact. So much for our intolerant brothers and sisters who claim that any attendance at, or connection to, such an event earmarks the attendee for eternal damnation! We have great freedom in Christ. Paul warns that we not abuse this freedom, but that does not diminish our freedom. Let us not replace the words of righteousness with the doctrines and commandments of men: "Touch not, taste not, handle not"!
Things I have not done, will not do, and will not condone:
Lies and deceit about holiday events and characters like Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Cupid, etc.
Singing songs like, "O, Christmas Tree", that honor an inanimate object.
Making false declarations like "December 25th is Christ's birthday", "Santa Claus knows if you have been good or bad", and "Look what Santa Claus (or the Easter Bunny) brought!"
Most of the condemnation of holidays appears to come from Protestant and Jehovah's Witness doctrines. Most of the modern religious holidays are adaptations of pagan holidays that were converted to "Christian" holidays by the Roman Catholics. I understand this to be an effort by the Catholics to follow Romans 14 in giving God thanks and glory for special days. I don't see us going to hell for having special observances and giving God the credit. Remember that to generate doctrines and commandments regarding special observances is man-made doctrine: "Touch not, taste not, handle not". (I know one Christian sister who went to such lengths to avoid any respect of Christmas, that she not only declared that Christmas lights were ugly, but also refused to eat any sort of candy or confection that could only be found in stores around the Christmas season.)
I also know people who will not mouth the word Christmas, as it had Catholic origins, derived from Christ Mass, and consider it blasphemous to utter the word. I also know those who condemn gift exchange because, they say, that the gift is given to a fellow human, and not to God. (They are willingly ignorant of the fact that God owns everything, that He gives us what we enjoy, that we offer our entire life back to Him as a living sacrifice, and that we are to show kindness and mercy to our fellow man.)
1 Corinthians 10:26 "For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof."
1 Timothy 6:17 "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;"
Romans 12:1 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."
2 Peter 1:7 "And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity."
Matthew 25:40 "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
These same people never read and discuss Luke chapter 2, which deals with the birth of Christ, because they say, "We are to remember the death of Jesus, not His birth." Excuse me, but it seems that the miraculous birth is worthy of discussion. It shows how that the very angels in heaven rejoiced at His birth, and invited mankind to join in the celebration!
As for those who claim that Jeremiah chapter 10 describes a Christmas tree, they are wrong. Even if it did, the Israelites were told not to be afraid of those trees, because they were not alive and contained no power to perform either good or evil.
Jeremiah 10:5 "They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good."
We fear too much the things of this world and the things of the flesh. We need to stop concentrating on "Touch not, taste not, handle not", and place our affection on things above. We need to be spiritual, not carnal, and we need to give God the glory in all things. We need to remember that we have liberty--freedom--in Jesus. We should use that freedom to serve one another.
Colossians 3:17 "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."
2 Corinthians 3:17 "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."
Galatians 5:13 "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another."
Finally, let us not condemn our brothers and sisters for doing innocent things that violate no commandment of God. Let's quit disputing about "Touch not, taste not, handle not". Who are we to judge another man's servant? Although we may not be able to see it, God is able to make him stand.
Romans 14:1-8 "Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it.
He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's."
Love, in Christ,
Bernie
