History Of The First Christmas Celebration

The early Christians were persecuted throughout the first three centuries under the Roman Empire for refusing to worship the Roman gods and the Emperor.   The worst period of persecution was under Emperor Diocletian from 303 to 311 AD.  It ended when the next emperor Constantine signed the Edict of Milan in 313 AD.  He convened the first of seven ecumenical councils in Nicaea in 325 AD.

Christianity was made the state religion in 335 AD, and the first Christmas celebration was celebrated by the early Christians thereafter in 336 AD.  There was about a few hundred churches scattered across the whole Roman Empire then and there was no central authority. The fourth ecumenical council of Chalcedon was held at a later date in 381 AD implying that there was still no central papal authority then.  Our formal doctrines were derived from these ecumenical councils especially that of Nicaea and Chalcedon.

The bishop of Rome gained prominence over other bishops primarily because it was the capital of the Roman empire then before it moved to Byzantium which was renamed Constantinople.  The church of Rome was the first to celebrate the Christmas before the few hundred churches also celebrated over time.   How did the individual church bishops arrive at such a decision to celebrate the Lord’s birthday based on theological or liturgical reasons was still debatable because it was not determined at any of the seven ecumenical councils. Papal authority was only formalized in 440 AD under Pope Leo I which was more than 100 years after the first celebration.  

It is clear that neither the state nor the later papal authority started the first Christmas celebration but rather the early Christians in Rome.  

To me, the Christmas celebration is a matter of conscience just like whether we should eat food offered to idols.  Scripture did give us clear instruction on such matter of conscience.  The small budding church in Ephesus faced such dilemma on whether to eat food offered to idols which was sold in marketplaces or being invited to feast by pagan friends.  In my opinion, one will be making a wrong turn to contend against each other on such matter of conscience.  After the Reformation,  the Lutheran church continued to celebrate Christmas proving that the matter of conscience of Christmas celebration was not in conflict with the matter of truth detailed in the five solas.  

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