“For that is exactly what you do when you are intimidated into scrupulously observing all the traditions, taboos, and superstitions associated with special days and seasons and years.” (Gal. 4:10, Msg)
In the previous teaching we extensively explained what Col. 2:17 entails when Paul states: “So let no one judge you … regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths …” The focus fell only on the Sabbath day, and specifically on the myth of the Sabbath as Sunday, “the day of the Lord”, and thus the day on which believers feel they need to go to church. But Paul’s reprimand in the Scripture above also brings us to the sixth myth which illustrates the manifestation of the spirit of perversity in the contemporary church: The myth that certain public holidays are holy, according to the Christian calendar.
At the time of writing this teaching there is a hectic polemic raging about public holidays in South Africa. A granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi has asked for a review of the South African public holidays in the light of the fact that almost all the Christian holidays are celebrated, but none of the holy days of other faith communities.
Obviously this matter elicited very emotional arguments from the Christian front.
In the teaching of Day 379 we learnt that the word ‘holiday’ derives from the word holyday. Webster’s explains it as: “A day set apart for commemorating some important event … devoted to religious solemnities …” We have grown up and formed our characters in a society that is under the control of Satan (1 John 5:29), and thus we have brought forth all that is not God (Deut. 32:17). Alas, our holydays often have a demonic, idolatrous origin. Our Christian holidays are almost all heathen festivals with a Christian veneer. Easter is a celebration of Isthar, the fertility goddess, and the central nature of the Egyptian ankh as a so-called representation of the cross; Christmas celebrates the birth of the idol Mithras. (See the teachings of Day 268-271 for more detail.)
Our religious holidays were adopted from Roman Catholicism, not from the Bible. John Henry Newman, a cardinal from the Roman church, writes in his book: An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine: “The rulers of the Church from early times were prepared, should the occasion arise, to adopt, to imitate, or to sanctify the existing rites and customs of the population, as well as the philosophy of the educated class. The use of temples and those dedicated to particular saints, and ornamented on occasion with branches of trees (wreaths), incense, lamps, candles, votive offerings on recovering from illness, holy water, holy days and seasons, use of calendars, processions, blessings on the field, sacerdotal vestments, the ring in marriage, chants, the Kyrie Eleison – are all of Pagan origin, and sanctified by adoption into the Church.”
Based on Hag. 2:12-14 and Matt. 23:19, amongst others, we know that something cannot be rendered “holy” in this way. In the New Covenant there are no holy days, only unholy holidays. It is thus a myth that certain public holidays are, according to the Christian calendar, holy days.
- Selah: Is the opening Scripture relevant to your life?
- Read: 7; Ps. 27; Ps. 31 – Ps. 34; Ps. 52
- Memorise: 27:1
- For a more in-depth understanding: Read Dorothy Sayers’ book Creed or Chaos?
