聖誕節是異教徒節日嗎？IsChristmas a Pagan Holiday?
作者: R.C. Sproul 譯者:
Maria Marta
每年的聖誕節都會出現這個問題。首先，聖經沒有直接的誡命，要在十二月二十五日慶祝耶穌的誕生。聖經甚至沒有表明，耶穌誕生在十二月二十五日。事實上，新約聖經有很多敘述表明，耶穌的誕生並沒有發生在一年中的那個時刻。不過，在十二月二十五，在羅馬帝國剛好有一個異教徒的節日，它與一個神秘宗教有關聯；異教徒在十二月二十五日慶祝他們的節日。基督徒不想參與其中，故此他們說，「當其他人都在慶祝這個異教徒節日時，我們也要有自己的慶祝。我們要慶祝我們生命中最重要的事情：上帝的道成肉身, 耶穌基督的降生。所以這將是一個歡樂慶典的節日，慶祝和敬拜我們的上帝和君王。」
我想不起有任何事情, 要比教會每年慶祝基督的生日, 更加討基督的喜悅。請記住，每一年的節日与慶祝這一總原則，深植于古老的猶太傳統。例如，在舊約，有时候上帝嚴厲命令祂的百姓, 要以每年的慶祝活動來記住某些事件。新約並不没有要求我們，每一年都要慶祝聖誕節，但教會進入歡樂的時光，慶祝道成肉身，这个人類历史的轉折點，我當然認爲這是無可厚非的。更何况最初慶祝的目的，并非爲了尊榮密特拉（Mithras）或任何其他神秘宗教的神明，而是爲了尊榮我們的君王的降生。
順便一提，復活節可以追溯到遠古世界的伊師塔（Ishtar）。我認為, 基督教教會聚集慶祝耶穌復活的慶祝活動，絲毫不會觸怒上帝。我希望, 每年我們有更多的節日。例如，羅馬天主教每年都懷著極大的喜樂，慶祝耶穌升天節（Ascension Day）。一些新教肢體也慶祝這一節日，但大多數的新教肢體並不慶祝。我希望我們能慶祝基督生命中的重大事件：祂升到天上, 加冕爲萬主之主、萬王之王。我們慶祝基督的誕生；我們慶祝基督的死亡。我也希望我們能慶祝祂的加冕。
在我們的問題回答部分，可找到〈慶祝聖誕節是異教徒的儀式嗎？〉和其他更多問題。
Is Christmas a Pagan Holiday?
FROM
R.C. Sproul
That
question comes up every year at Christmastime. In the first place, there’s no
direct biblical commandment to celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25.
There’s nothing in the Bible that would even indicate that Jesus was born on
December 25. In fact, there’s much in the New Testament narratives that would
indicate that it didn’t occur during that time of year. It just so happens that
on the twenty-fifth of December in the Roman Empire there was a pagan holiday
that was linked to mystery religions; the pagans celebrated their festival on
December 25. The Christians didn’t want to participate in that, and so they
said, “While everybody else is celebrating this pagan thing, we’re going to
have our own celebration. We’re going to celebrate the thing that’s most
important in our lives, the incarnation of God, the birth of Jesus Christ. So
this is going to be a time of joyous festivities, of celebration and worship of
our God and King.”
I
can’t think of anything more pleasing to Christ than the church celebrating His
birthday every year. Keep in mind that the whole principle of annual festival
and celebration is deeply rooted in ancient Jewish tradition. In the Old
Testament, for example, there were times when God emphatically commanded the
people to remember certain events with annual celebrations. While the New
Testament doesn’t require that we celebrate Christmas every year, I certainly
see nothing wrong with the church’s entering into this joyous time of
celebrating the Incarnation, which is the dividing point of all human history.
Originally, it was intended to honor, not Mithras or any of the other mystery
religion cults, but the birth of our King.
Incidentally,
Easter can be traced to Ishtar in the ancient world. But the Christian church
coming together to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus is hardly something I
think would provoke the wrath of God. I wish we had more annual festivals. The
Roman Catholic Church, for example, celebrates with great joy the Feast of the
Ascension every year. Some Protestant bodies do, but most do not. I wish we
would celebrate that great event in the life of Christ when He was raised up
into heaven to be crowned King of kings and Lord of lords. We celebrate His
birth; we celebrate His death. I wish we would also celebrate His coronation.
“Is
the celebration of Christmas a pagan ritual?” and other questions can be found
in our Questions Answered section.