[This is from Facebook I think I posted similar information from an Orthodox source,
this counting up of dates adding to Dec. 25 as Jesus' birthdate goes back of course to the
days before the Roman Catholic Church existed, and the pope was the ORthodox
Patriarch of Rome.]
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Catholics traditionally celebrate Christmas every December 25 as the birth of our lord Jesus Christ. However, there are some cultic type religious groups like INC, SDA, JW, MCGI, and many cults who opposed and do not celebrate Christmas as they believe that December 25 is not really Jesus’ birthdate. Instead, they said that this month and date is invented, unbiblical tradition made by the pagan Catholic Church. How to respond to this accusation?
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These anti-Catholic cults keep on asking to look in the bible for the literal word-for-word of the specific month & date of Jesus' birth. They failed to realize that the Bible is not a "Calendar" that contains all the dates. Ironically, these cult members who don't celebrate Christmas, are enjoying Christmas Holidays and even accepting Christmas bonuses. .
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THE CHRONOLOGICAL EVENTS
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The fact that the date itself was found right there in the bible by computing the chronological events.
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It had started with Zachariah, a Jewish priest who went inside into the temple to offer incense, as we can read in (Luke 1:9) it says ⏬
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"When it fell to him by lot, as the priestly custom was, to enter the Lord's sanctuary and burn incense there." (Luke 1:9)
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According to Jewish tradition, this burning incense inside the temple's inner sanctuary is traditionally done once a year, in the Jewish Month of "Tishrei 15" (which is equivalent to September 25 in Gregorian Calendar).
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As Zachariah incensing the temple's inner sanctuary, an angel came to appear to his presence, and brought a message that he will have a son to his wife Elizabeth, which name “John”, and that the same date & same month of Tishrei (September 25), Zechariah’s wife, Elizabeth becomes pregnant, as we can read in (Luke 1:11,13) ⏬
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"Then there appeared to him the angel of the Lord, standing on the right of the altar of incense.".. But the angel said to him, 'Zechariah, do not be afraid, for your prayer has been heard. YOUR WIFE ELIZABETH IS TO BEAR YOU A SON and you shall name him John." (Luke 1:11,13)
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Thus, after having pregnant on (September 25) , we should count another 6 months ahead for another event - the annunciation of Mary.
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Just because if we continue the reading until (Luke 1:24-27, and 30-31) we can see that when 6 months of Elizabeth's conception is another angel has been sent once again to a Virgin girl, Mary, bringing her a message that she will be having a baby: ⏬
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"Some time later HIS WIFE ELIZABETH CONCEIVED and for five months she kept to herself, saying,... 'The Lord has done this for me, now that it has pleased him to take away the humiliation I suffered in public.' IN THE SIXTH MONTH the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and THE VIRGIN'S NAME WAS MARY. but the angel said to her, 'Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God's favour. Look! YOU ARE TO CONCEIVE IN YOUR WOMB AND BEAR A SON, and you must name him Jesus." (Luke 1:24-27, 30-31)
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Thus, if we compute the chronological event of dates, a (December 25) Birthdate of Jesus will be derived: ⏬
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TISHREI 15 (SEPTEMBER 25)
(Annunciation of Elizabeth, started to conceive baby John)
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6 MONTHS (of Elizabeth's pregnancy )
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= MARCH 25
(Annunciation of Mary & starting point of Mary's conception to baby Jesus)
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MARCH 25 + (9 Months of Pregnancy) = DECEMBER 25
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THEREFORE, (December 25) is the birthdate of Jesus, based on the scriptural events computed. Thus, the early church fathers never erred (mistaken) with their idea / theory / thoughts on Jesus birth, the fact that it supports scriptural analysis as a proof, and not invented as some anti-Catholic's allegations.
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THE CELEBRATION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE DATE
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December 25 is not Catholic Church doctrine, nor written in the catechism of the Catholic Church. It is just a belief that came from tradition and computed chronological events in the bible.
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Just because, the church do not ignore the fact that the actual date of Jesus may fall between 25, which is either 23, 24 or 26, 27. Thus, Catholic Church do not officially proclaim it as church doctrine, but a mere traditional belief that came from ancient Christians.
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Hence, this belief comes out from scriptural theory, by computing chronological events in the bible which made more closer view to (December 25) as Jesus' birth. What's most important to Catholics is the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour, and not the date itself.
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Date is nothing more important than the celebration itself. You may be born on a leap year (Feb 29), yet you still want to celebrate your birthday on the following year either on Feb 28 or March 1, that does not fall on the actual date of Feb 29. Because what matters most is the celebration that you have added 1 more year of your age. Likewise, Dec 25 might not be accurate date of Christ's birth, but it will not matter for Christians since we only want to commemorate the birth of saviour Jesus Christ.
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DECEMBER 25 IS THE BIRTH OF PAGAN GOD CALLED "SOL INVICTUS"?
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Most of the anti-Catholic cults favorite allegation is that December 25 is of pagan roots and not really Jesus birth. They based it from some limited references quoted from unreliable history books.
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As a matter of fact, long before the paganic declaration for the feast of the unconquered Sun (Sol Invictus) the (December 25) is already belief of the early Christians.
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First thing we should know "WHEN" does paganic feast declared? Here let us have some references...
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“ Sol Invictus ("Unconquered Sun") was the official sun god of the later Roman Empire and a patron of soldiers. In 274 AD the Roman emperor Aurelian made it an official cult alongside the traditional Roman cults.” (Source: Wikipedia – Sol Invictus)
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See? It is clear, (274 AD) is the year that pagan feast for the sun god was declared, called Sol Invictus.
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On the other hand, the belief of Jesus birth in (December 25) is much earlier than paganic feast Sol Invictus, Here are the references about early church fathers identifies (December 25) as Jesus nativity.
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St. Theophilus (circa 171-183 A.D) was the first to identify December 25 as the birth date of Christ, saying ...
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“We ought to celebrate the birth day of our Lord on what day soever the 25th of December shall happen." (Magdeburgenses, Cent. 2. c. 6. Hospinian, de origin Festorum Christianorum)
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St. Iranaeus (circa A.D 202) ⏬
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“ In his work Adversus Haereses, Irenaeus (c. 130–202) identified the conception of Jesus as March 25 and linked it to the crucifixion at the time of the equinox, with the birth of Jesus nine months after on December 25 at the time of the solstice." (Link: Source: Wikipedia – Christmas – Choice of December 25)
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St. Hippolytus (circa. 170-236 A.D)
due Speculation as to the time of Jesus’ birth dates back to the 3rd century, Hyppolytus believed that Jesus was born on December 25. He explains in his Commentary on the book of Daniel (c. A.D. 204) that the Lord’s birth was believed to have occurred on that day, he said... ⏬
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" For the first advent of our Lord in the flesh, when he was born in Bethlehem, was December 25th, Wednesday, while Augustus was in his forty-second year, but from Adam, five thousand and five hundred years. He suffered in the thirty-third year, March 25th, Friday, the eighteenth year of Tiberius Caesar, while Rufus and Roubellion were Consuls."
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Apostolic Constitutions (circa A.D. 70-250)
The Apostolic Constitutions are a compilation, whose material is derived from early sources differing in age AND different early writers during apostolic age. he said..⏬
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" Brethren, observe the festival days; and first of all the birthday which you are to celebrate on the twenty-fifth of the ninth month; after which let the Epiphany be to you the most honoured, in which the Lord made to you a display of His own Godhead,." (Apostolic Constitutions , Book V, Section 3, Chapter XIII)
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Take Note: This ninth month counting from Nisan (April) is Casleu in the Jewish calendar. Transferred to our Roman calendar, this ninth month answers to December.
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Now, let us compare and see the contradicting year interval between the two (Nativity of Jesus VS. Sol Invictus), in which didn't even meet nor coincided: ⏬
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- Dec.25 "Jesus nativity" was first used (70–250 A.D) by early Christians
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VERSUS
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- Dec.25 "Sol Invictus" later declared (275 A.D) by pagan emperor
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Here, we can see from the two, that early church fathers from (1st-2nd century A.D) is the earliest groups who believes & identifies (December.25) as Jesus nativity, While contrary to paganic feast of Sol Invictus which later declared in late 2nd century (275 A.D).
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THEREFORE, long before the emperor's declaration of December 25 as the pagan feast of 'Sol Invictus' in (274 A.D), the (December 25th) was first identified by the early Christians as the Jesus’ birth
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Take Note: early Christians, is the people who were closest from apostles time, thus, they much know something about Jesus and apostles life.
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THEREFORE, THE "DECEMBER 25" CHRISTMAS IS DEFINITELY NOT ROOTED OF PAGANISM, BUT ROOTED FROM EARLY CHRISTIAN THOUGHTS BY OUR EARLY CHURCH FATHERS, IN WHICH ALSO SUPPORTED WITH CHRONOLOGICAL COMPUTATION FROM THE BIBLE.
