The Origins of the New Testament, Part XXIV: Introducing Luke

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on 27 May 2010 1 Comments
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Question

Lilly, via the Internet, writes:

I have a friend who belongs to the Jehovah's Witness Church. In a conversation about Jesus, I told her that nobody knows exactly the day and the year he was born. Then she asked why is our calendar based on his birth if we don't now exactly the year? I have to admit I did not know when and how the decision was made to count the years the way we do. Could you explain? Thank you.

Answer

Dear Lilly,

What makes your friend think that our calendar is based on Jesus' birth? It is based on twelve lunar cycles with other days added to give us enough time to measure the earth's journey around the sun, which means that our rotating planet tilts to the northern hemisphere in our summer and to the southern hemisphere in their winter.

In the fourth century of the Christian era, when Christianity became established in the Roman Empire, there was an effort to change the way history was counted from the founding of the city of Rome to the birth of Jesus. They did not have the knowledge or the ability to count the years exactly, but they came remarkably close. The best guess today as to when Jesus was born is 4 BCE, but even that is based on the accuracy of the detail in the biblical narratives of Jesus' birth that his birth came during but near the end of King Herod's life and reign. We know from secular records that Herod died in 4 BCE.

The identification of the birth of Jesus with the 25th of December is not based on history, but rather on the fact that Christians chose the festival called Saturnalia on which to celebrate his birthday. Even that was not universal, as the Eastern part of the Christian Church celebrated January 6 as the birthday of Jesus. Trying to reach agreement, the western church made January 6 the Feast of the Epiphany and then by counting the days between December 25 and January 6 they came up with the "Twelve Days of Christmas," which allowed my true love to give me gifts for twelve days. All of that is tradition, none of it is history.

So you and your friend in Jehovah's Witness have lots to discuss.

– John Shelby Spong
 

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