Title: The Glorious God and His Glorious Church
1Christmas Trees Circumcision
Eph. 56-11
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. 56-11
3The 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
12Church 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 festivals
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. - Â Â Â Â The problem was that there was nothing
intrinsically Christian about Saturnalia. To
remedy this, these Christian leaders named
Saturnalias 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 Saviors 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.
16Church 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 (218222) 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.
17Church 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.
18Christmas 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 316
- Turn (repent) from sin Acts 1730
- Confess Christ Rom. 109
- Baptized into Christ Gal. 327
- Added to His Kingdom, His Church
- Live faithfully until death Rev. 210