Relztrah said: Thank you, Pilgrim, for your wise and mature words. I was merely curious about the historical background of the Christmas celebration and the date in particular. I certainly didn't want to cause a dispute among brothers. I think we all agree that independently of when and how the church began celebrating Christmas, it's a glorious privilege for God's people today to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior.
One of the problems with the date of dec 25 is (Luk 2:8) And in the same country there were shepherds living in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
It is cold and rainy in December. Sheperds left the field in Sept to early Oct.
John Gill wrote: "the Rabbins teach, that these are they of the wilderness, or fields, and these are they of the house; they of the field are they that go out on the passover, and feed in the pastures, and come in at the first rain; and these are they of the house, all that go out and feed without the border, and come and lie within the border (fixed for a sabbath day's journey): Rabbi says, those, and those are of the house; but these are they that are of the field, all they that go out and feed in the pastures, and do not come in to remain, neither in the days of the sun, nor in the days of the rains.
Last edited by Johnnie_Burgess; Wed Dec 14, 20059:53 AM.
