Christmas Celebration as a Religious Holiday?
Christmas is an object of debate and controversy by many because its celebration did not originate in the Bible, and because many of its customs contain a mixture of non-Christian ideas which evolved from various secular and pagan cultures over a period of centuries. Christmas is never mentioned in the New Testament, and we have no evidence that it was ever celebrated by the earliest believers.
Constantine, Emperor of Rome (306-337) converted to a form of Christianity and legalized it in the Empire. In an effort to promote acceptance of Christianity, Constantine combined numerous pagan customs with his version of state Christianity. This action introduced many of the traditions observed by pagan worship of that era into state Christianity. Such mergers became common practice for Constantine. After legalizing Christianity, these mergers of religions became the foundation of Christmas as a religious holiday today. 
December 25 was the day when people in Roman empire celebrated the winter solstice and the birthday of the pagan sun god Sol Invictus: the day was called ‘dies natalis Invicti’. Sol Invictus (the ‘unconquered sun’ or ‘unconquerable sun’) was depicted as driving a racing-chariot (quadriga) drawn by four horses. The Romans interpreted the sun as Sol racing his chariot or ‘quadriga’ across the sky from sunrise to sunset. The Circus Maximus in Rome included a temple of Sol (dedicated to Sol Invictus) and featured a statue of Sol driving his chariot and four horses. Roman circuses around the Roman empire featured statues of Sol in their central barriers. December 25th was the day when the Roman Empire celebrated this pagan god with the festival of Sol Invictus.
This date coincided with the winter solstice. To understand the origins of Christmas on December 25, one must understand the festival of the winter solstice. Solstice means “standing-still-sun.” Winter solstice is the day of the year when sunshine is the shortest and the sun is at its lowest point (arc) in the sky. The sun appears to be “standing still.” The ancients knew of this yearly event (usually December 21st-22nd by the modern calendar) and made the days and weeks surrounding the solstice a time of renewal, sacrifice, and celebration. Celestial bodies were worshipped to supposedly prevent disaster and calamity from destroying the world. They feared that the daylight might not resume if the proper reverence was not shown.
The Roman emperor Aurelian created the cult of Sol Invictus during his reign in AD 270-275 (in the 3rd century) and, on his coins, Sol was described as ‘Dominus Imperii Romani’, the official deity of the Roman empire. The cult of Sol Invictus was centered in Rome but it was followed across the Roman empire. Sol Invictus, the pagan god of the sun, was one of their most important gods and symbolized victory, as he defeated darkness and rose every morning. Sol Invictus was also the patron of Roman soldiers.
In AD 274 the Roman Emperor Aurelian made December 25th the focal point of the Roman Saturnalia. The date was chosen in honor of the sun god, and echoed the ancient belief that worship of the sun insured its return to rescue the earth from eternal winter. The customs of Saturnalia were very similar to those of modern Christmas: work was suspended, students were released from study, gifts were exchanged, and homes were decorated with candles and greenery.
The Romans had an entire pantheon of pagan gods. Saturnalia was an ancient Roman festival and holiday in honour of the god Saturn, held on 17 December of the Julian calendar and later expanded with festivities through to 23 December. The holiday was celebrated with a sacrifice at the Temple of Saturn, in the Roman Forum, and a public banquet, followed by private gift-giving and partying.
When Constantine was the emperor in 306 to 337 he sparked a huge change in the religious culture of the Roman empire by ending all persecution of Christianity and forced the empire to be tolerant of it. Christianity began to spread all over the empire and later in the century it became the official state religion. However, as a state religion, it bore scant resemblance to authentic Christianity of the first century.
While the Roman Empire worshipped many man-made Gods, true Christianity was intolerant of it on any level whatsoever. To make things easier for everyone, the Son of God, (Jesus), which represented light took the place of the sun God, (Sol Invictus) and inherited his birthday. The pagan god Saturn was also worshipped during this period of the year. It was a match that was easy to make and everyone was tolerant of it. Emperor Constantine’s policy of tolerance led to the melding together of Christianity and the pagan worship of Saturn and Sol Invictus and thus formed the foundation of the Christmas religious holiday observed today.
This adoption of new religious holidays was nothing new. The Judaizers of the first century, eager to see their traditions observed in Christianity, tried to get the sabbath day and their festivals and religious holy days accepted into Christianity.
In Galatians 4:8-11, Paul wrote, “But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. 9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain’” (NKJV).
The days, months, times and years mentioned by Paul here are a reference to traditions and elements under the law of Moses. Paul was very clear in this letter to the Galatians that to observe the old Jewish traditions carried the consequence of falling from grace (Galatians 5:4). In Colossians 2:20-23, Paul wrote, “Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations — 21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22 which all concern things which perish with the using — according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.” (NKJV).
Matthew 15:8-9, “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'” (NKJV) See also a parallel in Mark 7:7.
Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (NKJV) we are commanded to do everything in the name of Jesus. This means if it does not have His endorsement, we cannot do it. Anything that is not supported in His Word does not have His endorsement and cannot be done in His name. Jesus is the Word of God, (John 1) and as such, His Word is His endorsement. Anything not found in His Word, does not have the necessary credentials.
Romans 10:1-3, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.” (NKJV) Paul is contrasting the Law of Moses with the Law of Faith here. But the fact remains, we cannot approach God with our ideas of righteousness. We do not tell God how we are going to serve Him. Paul echoes this in Philippians 3:9-11.
There is not one verse of scripture that commands, suggests, implies, or asks anyone to turn the birth of Christ into a religious observation. And yet here we are with one that has been going on for centuries. It’s the exact same thing with Easter. These are manmade religious activities that quite simply are condemned in God’s Word. We do not have the authority or permission to decide how God is to be worshipped. Romans 14:5-6 provides us with the authority to observe secular days in accordance with custom or tradition. But if we go beyond that and elevate Jesus’ birth to something beyond that, we have crossed a line for which there is no authority. A great many people choose to abandon any observation of Christmas whatsoever, choosing to separate themselves from it as far as possible. To them, the very association of it with its pagan roots is reason enough to utterly shun all activities of it completely.
Jesus’ birth, while heralded by God and the angels, is not the event in His life that is the most significant to us. His sacrifice for our sins through His death is an event Christians remember every week through the observation of the Lord’s supper. We are not commanded to commemorate His birth. We do however remember and celebrate the sacrifice that reconciles us to fellowship with God every first day of the week as done by the first century Christians (Acts 20:7). We do not know what Jesus’ actual birthday is. We can be certain that if God wanted His birth celebrated, that information would be provided in His inspired Word. The fact that His birth is celebrated on the same day as the supposed birthday of the pagan god, Sol Invictus, seems an incredible coincidence.
Timothy and Titus were both circumcised to facilitate the spreading of the Gospel because without it, they could not get a proverbial foot in the door to evangelize Jews that were so hung up on the law of Moses and circumcision, they wouldn’t even consider it. The Christmas season is a time when people’s hearts may be open to the reception of Jesus.
We all love Christmas. It is a time of family, goodwill, and fellowship. But it is not Christ’s birthday, nor is the celebration of His birthday as a religious ordinance sanctioned within His Word. Romans 14:5-6 gives us the authority to gather and remember the life of Jesus as a matter of tradition and custom, but if we try and make it into a religious event, we have crossed a line that is condemned in God’s Word. We must operate within parameters given to us by God. These parameters are designed with our best interests, and those of the Kingdom of God in mind. We would do well to make sure we stay within our limits and to avail ourselves of every opportunity to spread the gospel.