Does the Nieto Family celebrate Christmas?

 

This past several days, lagi akong natatanong, do we celebrate Christmas? Since believers have free will and the right to think for himself, I will answer for my family. So whatever I wrote here is true for my family, and does not necessarily true for the church I am serving, PCBC. 

Short answer: we don't. 

Longer and nuanced answer: I am agnostic about it. 

We came from a church that doesn't celebrate Christmas since it is considered either a pagan holiday or a holdover from Catholicism. 

Now there are many Christian scholars who wrote disputing the pagan origin of Christmas. Believers may or may not be convinced. As for the Catholic holdover, even if it is true, and it isn't, there is no reason to reject a practice just because it is identified with a religious organization. 

As a Bible Christian, our authority is the Bible. The Bible itself didn't mention Christmas or even the date of Christ's birth. Yes there are many prophecies of His coming in the OT and in the NT, the focus is on His death. So the Bible itself does not encourage observation of Christmas. 

On the other hand, the Bible didn't forbid or discourage it either. It seems to me to fall on gray areas where wisdom rather than direct revelation is the issue. 

The reason why we don't celebrate is tradition. We're used for decades for not celebrating and even if later on I no longer believe on the reasons why not, the practice sticks. We don't celebrate, not because we believe it is unbiblical, but because we're just not used to celebrating. 

Christ came for different reasons - fulfill prophecies, to be out Savior, to be King of Israel, etc. In my opinion, any of these is worth celebrating. 

It doesn't matter to me personally when Jesus is born. The important thing for me is He came to fulfill prophecies, die for our sins, be the King of Israel, etc. 

It doesn't matter to me if it is December 25 or May 3, the importance thing is to He came. He came. That only matters. 

It doesn't matter to me if Christmas is tainted with pagan practices. After all nobody complains with chemistry even if it is associated with pagan alchemy. Nobody objects on Woden's Day or Thor's Day. 

So even though our family didn't personally celebrate Christmas, I have no doctrinal or theological opposition to it. 

So what do we do on the 25th? We discussed the Incarnation, and other Christological and soteriological doctrines. We eat a simple meal. We actually spend more on New Year's eve. 

We didn't have a Christmas tree. Maybe we will put up one. Anything that make the family work together is worth doing. 

Manatiling nakapokus sa biyaya. Huwag ninyong hayaang nakawin ng mga huwad na guro ang inyong karapatang mag-isip ng doktrina. 

(Kung gusto ninyo ng karagdagang impormasyon, bisitahin ninyo kami. May pagtitipon kami sa Dahat, kada Linggo, kada 1:00-3:00 pm. Sana manampalataya kayo at kita-kita tayo.

Isang mahalagang paalala: ang mga blogs na ito ay personal kong opinyon at eksposisyon; hindi ito opisyal na pananaw ng Partido Christian Bible Church. Kung nais ninyong malaman ang kanilang opisyal na posisyun, magtanong kayo sa mga matanda ng simbahan. Ang Nieto Bible Page ay isang hiwalay na ministri mula sa PCBC at independiyente rito. Nakikipagtipon ako sa PCBC, pero may personal akong kumbiksiyon sa mga bagay. Bagama't miyembro (muli) ako ng teaching and ruling leadership ng PCBC, anumang mabasa ninyo rito ay hiwalay sa kanila. Anumang nasusulat ay aking pananagutan. 

Kung nakatulong sa inyo ang mga blogs na ito, mangyaring pasubscribe at pashare sa iba. Ibahagi natin at ikalat ang mga Salita ni Cristo at ang libreng biyaya ng Diyos sa lahat ng dakong Filipino ay lenggwahe. Salamat po.)