Monday, December 27, 2010

Dating holidays


One of the bogus objections to Christmas is that Jesus wasn’t born on December 25. But how is that germane?

Take the annual Passover. Is there any evidence that Jews celebrating Passover on the same day as the original Passover? Does the OT require Jews to celebrate the Passover on the same day as the very first Passover?

Indeed, there’s an obvious sense in which it is not even possible to commemorate an event on the same day as the event itself, for the simple reason that the past is unrepeatable. Historical events are unique. That day will never come again. So the timing of any dated commemoration is to some degree symbolic.

Likewise, if Christians celebrate communion on Sunday, are they celebrating communion on the same day as Jesus instituted the Last Supper? No.

Even though communion is a commemoration of the Last Supper, and ultimately a commemoration of his crucifixion, the day on which we celebrate communion doesn’t correlate with the date of the crucifixion or the Last Supper. 

6 comments:

  1. Traditions can be good, and can be bad of course. It all depends what's going on in the heart when we celebrate Christ's nativity.

    The portion of Luke that we read at Christmas is such a magnificent portion of God's truth. I love it all the time, but especially during Advent.

    "...seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."

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  2. Top Ten Reasons to Reject the “Van Tillian Package” by Drake

    https://sites.google.com/a/thekingsparlor.com/the-kings-parlor/epistemology-and-metaphysics/top-ten-reasons-to-reject-the-van-tillian-package-by-drake

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  3. What is it with you and lists? :-P

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  4. Top Ten Reasons to Suspect Drake "Savage" Shelton of Having the Spirit of Anti-Christ:

    1. He is a Clarkian [pheh!] and Clarkians [pheh!] are an evil contagion blighting the Lord's creation, as every true American, VanTillian Christian knows.

    2. He uses the NASB, whereas every true KJV Onlyist Christian knows that all true KJV Onlyist Christians use only the KJV - ONLY!!!

    3. He quotes from Aquinas, whereas no true anti-Romanist Christian would ever quote from Aquinas, as every true anti-Romanist Christian knows.

    4. He employs Clarkian [pheh!] anachronisms and foists them upon the hapless Puritans ideas foreign to them and their writings whereas all true heirs of the Puritans know they would never, ever, eeveeeeeerrr think like Gordon Clark [pheh!].

    5. He employs lists, lots of lists, and the spirit of anti-christ is well known to seize upon hierarchical forms of authoritarianism, such as Romanism, and the diabolical employment of lots and lots of lists!

    6. Have I mentioned that he's a Clarkian? [pheh!]

    7. He hates Christmas! Christmas!!! Every true blooded American Christian knows that anyone who hates Christmas has the spirit of anti-christ! Are you reading this R. Scott CLARK? We're on to you, buddy!

    8. He thinks his arguments [and lists!] are meaningful to others, when they, in fact, are trivial and belie the evil tactic of being tedious and overbearing. In this way he obviously hopes to ensnare unsuspecting souls who will finally agree with him for no other reason than he'll finally, hopefully just go away.

    9. Ad hominem ad nauseum. Don't agree? Then you're full of bull****, [you VanTillian dirt-bag you!] and an indignant Drake "Savage" is going to let you know about it! BIG TIME!

    10. No sense of humor. This is the true calling card of the spirit of anti-christ. Dead, cold, angry, bitter, shrivelled "I hate every false way, and all of your ways are false by the way" [except for yours brother Gordon *sigh* *flutter* *tee-hee* legalistic letterism.

    And there you have it!

    In Christ,
    CD

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  5. Actually, I'm struck by how his musical proclivities accommodate both hip hop and exclusive psalmnody!

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  6. That's easy!

    Hip Hop Psalmnody for Kids!

    Here's Drake's Amazon review:

    "Hip Hop Psalmnody" fits right in with what I am doing in my "Kid's Church".

    I have thrown out all of our highly idolatrous flannelgraph Jesi, abominable old-school picture books, and spiritual-adultery-inclined coloring pages. Anathema!

    We are now totally immersed in Clarkian presuppositional apologetics, with an emphasis on theonomy. Hip Hop Psalmody nicely complements our highly interactive and fast-paced immersion into the study of Capital Punishment and the Bible.

    The children are learning that even though the detailed civil and criminal code of Israel is no longer binding due to God's destruction of His earthly theocracy, this not to say that the details of her law could not be wisely adopted today.

    For example we might even wisely execute adulterers and disobedient children! Watch out Billy, you little Philistine, you! :O)

    Anywho, "Hip Hop Psalmody" was the final piece to the puzzle to make our study a high-energy experience for the kids!

    Thank you, Hip Hop Psalmody!!!!!!

    Love and big hugs, your BFF Drake ;) TTYL!

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