Church Update - Nov. 27th., 2023

Is Christmas to be celebrated?

Does the Bible give clear direction as to whether Christmas is a holiday to be celebrated by Christians? There are Christians who celebrate Christmas and there are Christians who don’t celebrate Christmas. One argument against Christmas is that the traditions surrounding the holiday have origins in paganism. Searching for reliable information on this topic is difficult because the origins of many of our traditions are so obscure that sources often contradict one another. Bells, candles, holly, decorations are mentioned in the history of pagan worship, but the use of such in one’s home certainly does not indicate a return to paganism. While there are definitely pagan roots to some traditions, there are many more traditions associated with the true meaning of Christmas—the birth of the Savior of the world in Bethlehem. Bells are played to ring out the joyous news, candles are lit to remind us that Christ is the Light of the world (John 1:4-9), a star is placed on the top of a Christmas tree to remember the Star of Bethlehem, and gifts are exchanged to remind us of the gifts of the Magi to Jesus, the greatest gift of God to mankind.

Christians who choose to ignore Christmas point to the fact that the Bible doesn’t give us the date of Christ’s birth, which is certainly true. December 25 may not be even close to the time Jesus was born, and arguments on both sides are legion, some relating to climate in Israel, the practices of shepherds in winter, and the dates of Roman census-taking. None of these points are without a certain amount of conjecture, which brings us back to the fact that the Bible doesn’t tell us when Jesus was born. Some see this as proof positive that God didn’t want us to celebrate the birth, while others see the Bible’s silence on the issue as tacit approval.

There is no legitimate scriptural reason not to celebrate Christmas. At the same time, there is no biblical mandate to celebrate it, either. In the end, of course, whether or not to celebrate Christmas is a personal decision. As in all things, we seek wisdom from Him who gives it liberally to all who ask (James 1:5) and accept one another in Christian love and grace, regardless of our views on Christmas.

Upcoming events

1. IRONMAN Meeting Wednesday night 5:30 PM

2. WOMEN OF GOD Prayer time- Rescheduled to December 13 at 3 p.m.

Contact Nancy Winningham 559-802-2247

Sunday December 3rd

Men’s Bible Study 7:30 AM

Women’s Bible Study 9:00 AM

Worship Service

Streaming: Live Streaming will be posted on the church website starting at 10:00 AM

Church Website: https://www.firstbaptist3rivers.com/

Pastor Alex Garcia

First Baptist Church of Three Rivers

If you have any questions, please call 561-4228 or 623-100