Christmas Trees & Circumcision Eph. 5:6-11

1. Christmas Trees & Circumcision Eph. 5:6-11

2. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth). 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. Eph. 5:6-11

3. The Spread of Christianity

4. The Spread of Christianity • From 500 to 5,000 men

5. The Spread of Christianity • From 500 to 5,000 men • They went everywhere

6. The Spread of Christianity • From 500 to 5,000 men • They went everywhere • Usually faced fierce persecution

7. The Spread of Christianity • From 500 to 5,000 men • They went everywhere • Usually faced fierce persecution • Problem was being distinct from Judaism

8. The Spread of Christianity • From 500 to 5,000 men • They went everywhere • Usually faced fierce persecution • Problem was being distinct from Judaism • Fewer problems with paganism

9. The Spread of Christianity • From 500 to 5,000 men • They went everywhere • Usually faced fierce persecution • Problem was being distinct from Judaism • Fewer problems with paganism • Every person knew of the church

10. The Spread of Christianity • From 500 to 5,000 men • They went everywhere • Usually faced fierce persecution • Problem was being distinct from Judaism • Fewer problems with paganism • Every person knew of the church • Christianity conquered the pagan world

11. The Spread of Christianity • From 500 to 5,000 men • They went everywhere • Usually faced fierce persecution • Problem was being distinct from Judaism • Fewer problems with paganism • Every person knew of the church • Christianity conquered the pagan world • Danger of desire to be accepted by world

12. Church in Pagan Italy Saturnalia

13. Church in Pagan Italy • Saturnalia • Roman pagans first introduced the holiday of Saturnalia, a week long period of lawlessness celebrated between December 17-25.  During this period, Roman courts were closed, and Roman law dictated that no one could be punished for damaging property or injuring people during the weeklong celebration.  The festival began when Roman authorities chose “an enemy of the Roman people” to represent the “Lord of Misrule.”  Each Roman community selected a victim whom they forced to indulge in food and other physical pleasures throughout the week.  At the festival’s conclusion, December 25th, Roman authorities believed they were destroying the forces of darkness by brutally murdering this innocent man or woman.

14. Church in Pagan Italy • Saturnalia • In the 4th century AD, Christianity imported the Saturnalia festival hoping to take the pagan masses in with it.  Christian leaders succeeded in converting to Christianity large numbers of pagans by promising them that they could continue to celebrate the Saturnalia as Christians. • The problem was that there was nothing intrinsically Christian about Saturnalia. To remedy this, these Christian leaders named Saturnalia’s concluding day, December 25th, to be Jesus’ birthday.

15. Church in Pagan Italy • Saturnalia • Christians had little success, however, refining the practices of Saturnalia.  As Stephen Nissenbaum, professor history at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, writes, “In return for ensuring massive observance of the anniversary of the Savior’s birth by assigning it to this resonant date, the Church for its part tacitly agreed to allow the holiday to be celebrated more or less the way it had always been.”  The earliest Christmas holidays were celebrated by drinking, sexual indulgence, singing naked in the streets (a precursor of modern caroling), etc.

16. Church in Pagan N. Europe Dies Natalis Solis Invictus means "the birthday of the unconquered Sun." The use of the title Sol Invictus allowed several solar deities to be worshipped collectively, including Elah-Gabal, a Syrian sun god; Sol, the god of Emperor Aurelian; and Mithras, a soldiers' god of Persian origin. Emperor Elagabalus (218–222) introduced the festival, and it reached the height of its popularity under Aurelian, who promoted it as an empire-wide holiday.This day had held no significance in the Roman festive calendar until it was introduced in the third century.

17. Church in Pagan N. Europe A winter festival was the most popular festival of the year in many cultures. Reasons included the fact that less agricultural work needs to be done during the winter, as well as an expectation of better weather as spring approached. Modern Christmas customs include: gift-giving and merrymaking from Roman Saturnalia; greenery, lights, and charity from the Roman New Year; and Yule logs and various foods from Germanic feasts. Pagan Scandinavia celebrated a winter festival called Yule, held in the late December to early January period. As Northern Europe was the last part to Christianize, its pagan traditions had a major influence on Christmas. Scandinavians still call Christmas Jul. In English, the word Yule is synonymous with Christmas, a usage first recorded in 900.

18. Christmas Trees Today?

19. Christmas Trees Today? • Circumcision Today?

20. Christmas Trees Today? • Circumcision Today? • Both Have a “Religious” Background

21. Christmas Trees Today? • Circumcision Today? • Both Have a “Religious” Background • Paul and Titus/Timothy

22. Christmas Trees Today? • Circumcision Today? • Both Have a “Religious” Background • Paul and Titus/Timothy • Christians in Early Centuries/Today

23. His Plan of Salvation • Believe in Him John 3:16 • Turn (repent) from sin Acts 17:30 • Confess Christ Rom. 10:9 • Baptized into Christ Gal. 3:27 • Added to His Kingdom, His Church • Live faithfully until death Rev. 2:10