Question Corner by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 10, 1904

Question Corner

By Editor

Why do the Adventists teach part of Paul's teaching (Eph. 5:22-33), and discard part (1 Cor. 14:34, 35)?

But they do not. The teaching of 1 Cor. 14:34, 35 has been set forth many times in the past. Read that text in the light of such passages as 1 Cor. 11:4-6; Acts 21:8, 9.

1470.—Christmas—When and Why?

Will you please tell me when, and by whom, and under what circumstances, the 25th of December was made Christmas? J. W. B.

1. There is absolutely no command nor example for the Christmas festival in the Bible or the New Testament. The very word itself smacks of idolatry in its last syllable, "mas," from "mass," the Roman Catholic ceremonial, in which Christ is supposed to be literally offered in the wafer.

2. Christ was not born on that day, nor near that day. McClintock and Strong's Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Cyclopedia says, "The day of Christ's birth can not be ascertained from the New Testament, or, indeed, from any other source." There is much more Biblical ground for believing that it occurred about six months from the Passover, somewhere in September or October.

3. When first celebrated it was called the Nativity, was not an ordained feast, and was not celebrated on December 25. Some observed it on May 20, some January 6. It was not until about A.D. 380 that the Eastern Church adopted the Christmas festival on December 25.

4. The real origin of the custom was unquestionably an effort on the part of "devoted churchmen" to furnish a counterpoise to the Pagan Saturnalia or feasts of Saturn and Bacchus, held the latter part of December, sometimes in Rome, all through the month and extending even into January. These orgies were celebrated in honor of the return of the sun, the vivifying and fructifying of nature, and with all manner of drunken reveling, licentiousness, gift-giving, gift-receiving, and abominable idolatries. In Babylon, where it originated, this great festival was celebrated in honor of the birth of Tammuz, and the 25th of December was specially devoted to the birthday of the god.

5. The church, already in apostasy, compromised, as she did on the Sunday question, as she did on Easter, and adopted the heathen day with many of its excesses, and to furnish ground for "the faithful," declared that Christ was born December 25. The evergreen wreaths, the chaplets, the garlands, the fir tree, the yule log, the wassail bowl, and other accessories to its celebration and feasting, are all of Pagan origin. There is less reason to be urged for the observance of Christmas than Easter, tho Easter, Sunday, and Christmas, have all the same origin. The observance of such man-imposed festivals leads souls from the saving truth of God and brings worldliness and apostasy into the church of Christ. Much more might be said, for which we have not space.

1471.—Mortal or Immortal?

Was Adam immortal before he sinned? L. M. F. H.

He was not. There are no immortal sinners, and men immortal will not sin. Immortality is God's physical stamp of incorruptible character. When the judgment of God has found that the elect number of incorruptible characters is made up, then, at the second coming of Christ, immortality will be bestowed. 1 Cor. 15:51-54. If Adam had been immortal he would not only not have died; he would not have sinned. See article on "Man's Nature," in the SIGNS of Nov. 11, 1903, page 7.