Protestants and Christmas?

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ac_claire

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This is a question for anyone, although it’s specifically addressed to the sola scriptura protestants out there…Why do you celebrate Christmas when there is no such celebration mentioned in the Bible?

Thanks! 🙂
 
There is a front page article in yesterday’s ( 20 Dec 08 ) Sacramento Bee headlined, “Early Christmas Services Are A Nod to Convenience.”

It relates how many evangelical and other protestant churches are having ‘early’ Christmas services and then closing on Christmas Day.

There you go. Denominations and ‘independents’ showing how personal convenience and preference (for the pastors) trump traditional Christian worship.

Mercy me.

Robert
 
ac_claire said:
This is a question for anyone, although it’s specifically addressed to the sola scriptura protestants out there…Why do you celebrate Christmas when there is no such celebration mentioned in the Bible?

Thanks! 🙂
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If we believed in Nuda Scriptura you would have a point. *

Sola Scriptura* doesn’t require this. The birth of the Savior is worthy of celebration and Sola Scriptura does not mean that we may not celebrate it.

Sola Scriptura has to do with doctrinal truth. We believe that in order for a doctrine to be binding on Christian consciences it must be shown from Scripture to be true.

It has nothing to do with Christmas or Easter or any of the other festivals of the Christian year, and indeed, since the theological content of these celebrations is imminently biblical it is perfectly of a piece with and in keeping with the doctrine of Sola Scriptura.
 
Rbt_Southwell said:
There is a front page article in yesterday’s ( 20 Dec 08 ) Sacramento Bee headlined, “Early Christmas Services Are A Nod to Convenience.”

It relates how many evangelical and other protestant churches are having ‘early’ Christmas services and then closing on Christmas Day.

There you go. Denominations and ‘independents’ showing how personal convenience and preference (for the pastors) trump traditional Christian worship.

Mercy me.

Robert
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Glad my church isn’t like that. I am non-denom and we are having a midnight Christmas Eve service that I wish I would be able to attend… 👍 I think there are up to 10 services… I don’t think that is giving up to convenience.
 
Steadfast said:
If we believed in Nuda Scriptura you would have a point. *

Sola Scriptura* doesn’t require this. The birth of the Savior is worthy of celebration and Sola Scriptura does not mean that we may not celebrate it.

Sola Scriptura has to do with doctrinal truth. We believe that in order for a doctrine to be binding on Christian consciences it must be shown from Scripture to be true.

It has nothing to do with Christmas or Easter or any of the other festivals of the Christian year, and indeed, since the theological content of these celebrations is imminently biblical it is perfectly of a piece with and in keeping with the doctrine of Sola Scriptura.
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Well said. I’m constantly amazed how mad Catholics get when Protestants accuse them of worshipping Mary, saying we misunderstand this piece of their religion, and then turn around and completely misunderstand ours as well.
Rbt_Southwell said:
There is a front page article in yesterday’s ( 20 Dec 08 ) Sacramento Bee headlined, “Early Christmas Services Are A Nod to Convenience.”

It relates how many evangelical and other protestant churches are having ‘early’ Christmas services and then closing on Christmas Day.

There you go. Denominations and ‘independents’ showing how personal convenience and preference (for the pastors) trump traditional Christian worship.

Mercy me.

Robert
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There you go…Lumping us all together again. Most litergical Chruchs actually hold service on the 24th and 25th. In fact I haven’t seen an ad or schedule for any church in my area holding early service, regardless of denomination.
 
My wife’s side, who are extreme fundamentalists, don’t celebrate Christmas. In fact we are told every year that Christ is grown up and to stop with the tree of “idola-tree”. Oh and Santa leads to hell.

I for one love the fact that there are still Protestants out there that celebrate Christmas instead of going the other way. So please Protestants, continue celebrating the birth of our Lord and God bless you for it.

God bless
 
Steadfast said:
If we believed in Nuda Scriptura you would have a point. *

Sola Scriptura* doesn’t require this. The birth of the Savior is worthy of celebration and Sola Scriptura does not mean that we may not celebrate it.

Sola Scriptura has to do with doctrinal truth. We believe that in order for a doctrine to be binding on Christian consciences it must be shown from Scripture to be true.

It has nothing to do with Christmas or Easter or any of the other festivals of the Christian year, and indeed, since the theological content of these celebrations is imminently biblical it is perfectly of a piece with and in keeping with the doctrine of Sola Scriptura.
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So, you’re saying it’s traditional?
 
JonNC said:
More than traditional, Christ’s birthday is documented in scripture.

Sola Scriptura does not prohibit traditions or Tradition, unless they are in conflict with scripture.

Jon
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I just asked if it was traditional. To infer that something may be in conflict, does not specifically address anything, but appears to be more of a “bash” tactic for some reason.

Please feel free to start a thread to discuss anything specific you feel the need too and we’ll respond.
 
The reason I brought this topic up was not to bash anything, but because there are some protestant sects who reject the celebration of Christmas because it is not in Scripture. So I wondered how other protestants reconciled that, or if it’s even an issue.
 
JonNC said:
Sola Scriptura does not prohibit traditions or Tradition, unless they are in conflict with scripture.

Jon
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Jon is this a universally held definition of Sola Scripture or just one that you yourself hold to?

I ask because in dealing with my wife’s family (and even readying some posts on this forum) this is not what I see is meant when Sola Scriptura is referred to. The definition that I see is more like, “to not be in the Bible is to be unbiblical” I am led to this belief by statements like, “show me in the Bible or I can’t believe it” and if you are honest you will admit that you have seen this comment on this forum on several occasions.

Do you have a link where I can go that explains how you see Sola Scriptura is applied in the life of a believer?

Because honestly what you just said there I wouldn’t have a problem affirming, Nothing should go counter to scripture, and just because it is not found in scripture does not make it counter to Scripture. But I would never consider myself a Sola Scripturist Christian obviously? So maybe you can see my confusion?

Since this is off topic feel free to PM me.

God bless you
 
ac_claire said:
The reason I brought this topic up was not to bash anything, but because there are some protestant sects who reject the celebration of Christmas because it is not in Scripture. So I wondered how other protestants reconciled that, or if it’s even an issue.
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Although I am not going to say that your experience isn’t valid, it has been my experience that the Protestants who don’t celebrate Christmas do so because they see it as a Pagan infiltration of Christianity and not so much because it is not found in the Bible.

Anyways that has been my experience, that the Church used Christmas and aligned it with a Pagan celebration to appease the Pagans who were entering the Church… Or some illogical thinking along those lines. I can’t be sure of the exact argument because it changes every year. :rolleyes:

God bless
 
Prodigal_Son1 said:
I just asked if it was traditional. To infer that something may be in conflict, does not specifically address anything, but appears to be more of a “bash” tactic for some reason.

Please feel free to start a thread to discuss anything specific you feel the need too and we’ll respond.
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Goodness sakes. No bashing intended at all. If that’s what you thought, I apologize.
The OP’s premise is that since the Christmas celebration is not in scripture, why would one who holds to SS celebrate it. I was just responding to your question about it being traditional, upon which I simply elaborated that SS does not preclude tradition.

Apologies to anyone who thought I was uncharitable.
Jon
 
ac_claire said:
This is a question for anyone, although it’s specifically addressed to the sola scriptura protestants out there…Why do you celebrate Christmas when there is no such celebration mentioned in the Bible?

Thanks! 🙂
Click to expand...
That is not the defintion I think of when I read about Sola Scriptura. :confused: The Bible is the only infallible guide. Not that everything has to be in it. It just cannot conflict with it is the key point. Now this is based upon my classes with people at Liberty and discussion boards and growing up Baptist.
As a United Methodist, the criteria is different. 🙂

Now from another perspective, Christmas is commercial for most of America. More Santa Claus than Jesus. I assume, big assumption, that most people are nominal in their practices so they do not get too worked up about it. 🤷
 
BrianH said:
That is not the defintion I think of when I read about Sola Scriptura. :confused: The Bible is the only infallible guide. Not that everything has to be in it. It just cannot conflict with it is the key point. Now this is based upon my classes with people at Liberty and discussion boards and growing up Baptist.
As a United Methodist, the criteria is different. 🙂

Now from another perspective, Christmas is commercial for most of America. More Santa Claus than Jesus. I assume, big assumption, that most people are nominal in their practices so they do not get too worked up about it. 🤷
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No, you’re right, Brian. That’s not Sola Scriptura.

The Lutheran view is that if it is clear in Scripture we must believe it, if it is not, we have some freedom. On other things, if it does not militate against some clear teaching of Scripture, we are completely free to participate or not.

Christmas, and the celebration of it, falls under the latter.

This view is common to most Protestants, more or less. I know about the Methodist and Anglican differences…as well as the Calvinist view when it comes to matters of worship.

Some Calvinists do not celebrate Christmas…the early Puritans were opposed to the public celebration though they seem to have held some place for the private commemoration.
 
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