Unwrapping the Myths of Christmas

[AgileGreenSeal]

A Bleak Midwinter?

A mini-series of short videos have been launched by the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics.

Here’s number 1.

“Did you know that Christmas wasn't always celebrated on December 25th? In this video, we explore why early Christians chose this date and how it became a powerful statement of faith, displacing other cultural festivals….”
(from the description on YouTube)

A Bleak Midwinter? 1:33 minutes

That’s why jehovahs witnesses don’t celebrate it as they say it’s pagan and that Jesus was prob born in September I think

and the fact that their Christology is massively out of step with Biblical Christianity. They deny the Trinity, for example.

The trinity isn’t in the bible at all the original version never states there is a trinity that comes from the church way after the bible

The word “trinity” isn’t in the Bible.

However scripture is clear that the Father is God, that Jesus is God and that the Holy Spirit is God. And scripture is also clear that there is only one God.

God is one Divine Being, in three distinct Persons.

Here’s a video short with Mike Winger’s response to this argument of “the trinity isn’t in the Bible”. I recommend it.

https://youtube.com/shorts/ANlXpq0emO4?si=gEwWNe_1_Ntbe-Us

A full video of teaching on the subject of the Trinity is available if that would be helpful.

Where’s the Donkey?

number 2 in mini-series “Unwrapping the Myths of Christmas” from The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics.

“While Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem is detailed in the Bible, does it actually feature a donkey? Discover the true significance of their journey and how it fulfilled Old Testament prophecies about the coming of a saviour.”
(from the description on YouTube)

Where’s the Donkey? 1:33 minutes

God: the Father is in the Bible
God: the Son is in the Bible
God: the Holy Spirit is in the Bible
God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Three distinct persons in one Godhead is in the Bible.
Another word for three = Triune or Trinity

@AgileGreenSeal Thank you and may God bless you and turn His Face towards you for being faithful and upholding Biblical Truth to those who know no better.

It saddens me, but does not surprise me, that even on the so-called Christian Mumsnetters, we are not afforded the courtesy to just share our Christian journey, struggles, challenges, joys, and praise and worship of the Holy Trinity, in peace. <grumpy head on> There is loads of space elsewhere for detractors to do what they do, without us here, in this space, the disciples of the Lord Jesus having to cast pearls. < grumpy head off> . Sorry Lord. 🙏

@Thegreatestoftheseislove Thank you. I appreciate the encouragement and prayer xx God bless you too 🙏🏻

A Christmas Surprise?

number 3 in the mini-series “Unwrapping the Myths of Christmas” from The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics.

“Are you ready for Christmas? In this video, we explore how God had a plan for the birth of Jesus long before that first Christmas. With over 300 prophecies fulfilled, from His birthplace to His miraculous birth, we see that Jesus' coming was no surprise to God, but the ultimate gift of love and fulfilment of His promises to send a saviour.”
(from the description on YouTube)

A Christmas Surprise? 1:39 minutes

Sophie Styles is so accurate here in saying “…Joseph probably would not have had the financial means for a horse or even a cart or a camel…”

I remember being taught that when you glean information from other parts of the scripture you can get a better overview and understanding.

In Luke 2 we read that Joseph and Mary offered a “sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” (v 24)

When you look up that portion of the Law you find the required sacrifice for a woman who had just given birth was “a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering….
But if she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering.” Leviticus 12: 6-8

Because we know from Luke 2: 24 that it was the poor person’s version of the required sacrifice which Mary offered, we can be very confident that Joseph wouldn’t have been the owner of a horse, cart, or camel.

And possibly not even a donkey.

I just love how the Bible fits together!

Born of a Virgin?

number 4 in the mini-series “Unwrapping the Myths of Christmas” from The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics.

“Every day, children are born, and science can explain how it happens. But what about the birth of Jesus? Born in an entirely unconventional way, through a virgin, this raises big questions. Why does the virgin birth matter? Ben Thomas, a medical doctor, explores the significance of this miraculous event in history and why it matters today. ”
(from the description on YouTube)

Born of a Virgin? 1:30 minutes

I was pondering with a Christian sister, but If you know Christ Jesus, then you will know that He gives His disciples the spirit of discernment to not waste good things on those who will not appreciate them, and who will also repay with hostility. Your response is an excellent example of why He gave His direction in Matthew 7:6.

Is just me that thinks that “Christian Mumsnetters” is just merely another ‘philosophy’ debating page? I don’t see this happening on the other ‘religious’ pages. I would have hoped that at least some respect would be shown towards our Biblical beliefs and our Faith on this page, rather than the same old, same old that we see elsewhere. I guess it was too much to hope for.

Please refer to the posting guidelines at the top of this board for Christian Mumsnetters. It does point people in the direction of other boards if what you want is a theological debate.

Well said 👏🏻👏🏻

@AgileGreenSeal I just love how the Bible fits together!

Yes, and Amen!

The Ultimate Incarnation?

number 5 in the mini-series “Unwrapping the Myths of Christmas” from The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics.

“What makes Jesus' incarnation so unique? While many cultures embrace the idea of gods coming to earth for specific purposes, Christianity teaches that Jesus' birth was the ultimate act of God’s love, offering salvation and eternal life. Rahil explores why His incarnation is unparalleled.”
(from the description on YouTube)

The Ultimate Incarnation? 1:55 minutes

God bless you with more joy and more love!
It's a shame that even in the UK Christianity remains the one religion that can be treated in this way.

I wonder if @mumsnet admin supports this.

I would have hoped that at least some respect would be shown towards our Biblical beliefs and our Faith on this page, rather than the same old, same old that we see elsewhere.

Well, you know the enemy is against us, that is why so much hatred and anger flares up against Christians. He wants to destroy us, discredit us. Jesus warned us “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword". Matthew 10:34. Sadly only too true!

That is a-historical nonsense.

Obviously we don't know when Jesus was born, and it was the sense of a need to shape his existence so that the annunciation and the Crucifixion took place on the same day - (shortly after the vernal equinox, that is in the Bible, all four gospels) that meant that his birthday and John the Baptist's had to take place close to the Winter and Summer solstices respectively.

So that isn't in scripture. But it is a really early belief. The Egyptian churches that recorded and celebrated anniversaries had already worked out what they believed was Jesus' midwinter birth date by the 2nd century. They didn't all agree of course and dates from 21st December to 6th January were in the mix.

The thing that makes it look as though 25th December had been agreed on by Christians by the mid-late 3rd century was that when Rome, in a panic about eastern mystery religions after Elagabalus' scandalous term as Emperor, established two new Rome-friendly, soldier-friendly, structured and approved cults, Sol Invictus (not the same as the earlier cult celebrated in summer) and the cult of Mithras (very much not the same god as Mithra), they made 25th December a significant date in both. Clearly trying to counter something subversive.

Saturnalia, a genuinely old Roman celebration, started on December 17th, the evening that Sunset starts to get later again.

Anything that tells you that Christmas replaced or copied the dates of any of those Roman festivals is ignoring chronology.

I see that the 'Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics' has nothing to do with Oxford University, being an evangelical organisation which promotes a particular flavour of Christianity.

The President of the OCCA is John Lennox, an Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at Oxford University, an Emeritus Fellow of Green Templeton College, Oxford University and a Senior Fellow with the Trinity Forum.

I think by anyone’s standards he’s a formidable champion of apologetics.

www.theocca.org/author/john-lennox/

Thank you. I will definitely be looking at these videos

John Lennox is incredible! Love listening to his talks.

There are many strands of Christian thought. Evangelicalism is one of them.

You might enjoy Nick Page’s book about Christmas. He’s a very witty writer who writes a lot about Christian history and has a book about Christmas.

Or you might enjoy the historian Tim O'Neill's well researched on-line article historyforatheists.com/2024/12/pagan-christmas-again/