Christian's Birthdays and Other Holidays

[Pegg]

Everyone will either justify their way to life or death....their choice. No one is their judge but Jesus. We all must choose our actions wisely based on what the scriptures themselves actually say.

here here.

And on that note, i'd much rather lean on the conservative side and restrict activities which are questionable rather then indulge in them and wait to see what happens.

If we are being overly strict, then that will be corrected and God will tell us that b'days are ok and no harm done. But if we are overly lax, then we might be putting ourselves on the wrong side of Gods judgement and that would be more disastrous then not celebrating a few birthdays.

 

[savagewind]

here here.

And on that note, i'd much rather lean on the conservative side and restrict activities which are questionable rather then indulge in them and wait to see what happens.

If we are being overly strict, then that will be corrected and God will tell us that b'days are ok and no harm done. But if we are overly lax, then we might be putting ourselves on the wrong side of Gods judgement and that would be more disastrous then not celebrating a few birthdays.

I think you do not see that you put a heavy weight on the consciences of others. Can you imagine if your words have caused guilt in someone reading and then later you found out " God will tell us that b'days are ok and no harm done". No harm done? No harm to yourself. But to those with a weak conscious you might have caused much harm.

 

[savagewind]

One says she is a messenger with the message from God that birthdays are against the love of God and another of the same faith says God might later let us know we were being too strict about birthdays that they really are OK.

So what is the messenger saying and where is the message coming from?

 

[savagewind]

Someone who hears "God hates birthday celebrations", and does not have the experience to doubt it, so believes it, then does not have a conscience strong enough to resist "birthdays", is led to believe she is offending The Father, but if it is NOT true that some birthday celebrations offend God, then those saying they do have led her to believe a lie.

1 Thess 4:11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you,

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

here here.

And on that note, i'd much rather lean on the conservative side and restrict activities which are questionable rather then indulge in them and wait to see what happens.

If we are being overly strict, then that will be corrected and God will tell us that b'days are ok and no harm done. But if we are overly lax, then we might be putting ourselves on the wrong side of Gods judgement and that would be more disastrous then not celebrating a few birthdays.

Do you really believe God is as petty as that.

 

[JayJayDee]

Do you really believe God is as petty as that.

No, God is not petty but he abhors disobedience. If his inspired word commands us to "separate" from any activity that fuses false worship with true worship and we disobey that command, does the fact that we justified the practice to ourselves, mean that we have justified it to God?

This 'separation' is the difference between being accepted or rejected as God's "sons and daughters". (2 Cor 6:14-18) Does this sound like God being petty or simply asking us to refrain from practices introduced by his enemy? ....you be the judge.

Remember the man who broke the Sabbath law by picking up a few bits of firewood. God put him to death. Was he put to death for picking up a few bits of wood? NO! He was put to death for breaking God's law. Was God being "petty" or was he sending a message about the seriousness of strictly keeping God's commands?

As Pegg has said, better to err on the side of caution than to offend the God we claim to worship. What we believe Christianity to be, may be just the opposite. (Matt 7:21-23) This applies to all our religious beliefs and practices.

Show me the command to celebrate Christmas, Easter or Lent in the Bible.....?

If these did not come from God, they came from somewhere else.

 

[JayJayDee]

Someone who hears "God hates birthday celebrations", and does not have the experience to doubt it, so believes it, then does not have a conscience strong enough to resist "birthdays", is led to believe she is offending The Father, but if it is NOT true that some birthday celebrations offend God, then those saying they do have led her to believe a lie.

1 Thess 4:11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you,

The messengers have delivered the message. Do with it as your conscience dictates. The sin is in ignoring your conscience. (James 4:17) A conscience that is untrained is rather useless as a guide.

 

[Shiranui117]

Show me the command to celebrate Christmas, Easter or Lent in the Bible.....?

If these did not come from God, they came from somewhere else.

Who says that the Bible contains every command of God? Who says that the Bible contains every teaching of the Apostles? The Bible itself doesn't say that. So where does this idea come from?

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

No, God is not petty but he abhors disobedience. If his inspired word commands us to "separate" from any activity that fuses false worship with true worship and we disobey that command, does the fact that we justified the practice to ourselves, mean that we have justified it to God?

This 'separation' is the difference between being accepted or rejected as God's "sons and daughters". (2 Cor 6:14-18) Does this sound like God being petty or simply asking us to refrain from practices introduced by his enemy? ....you be the judge.

Remember the man who broke the Sabbath law by picking up a few bits of firewood. God put him to death. Was he put to death for picking up a few bits of wood? NO! He was put to death for breaking God's law. Was God being "petty" or was he sending a message about the seriousness of strictly keeping God's commands?

As Pegg has said, better to err on the side of caution than to offend the God we claim to worship. What we believe Christianity to be, may be just the opposite. (Matt 7:21-23) This applies to all our religious beliefs and practices.

Show me the command to celebrate Christmas, Easter or Lent in the Bible.....?

If these did not come from God, they came from somewhere else.

God is not some petty tyrant watching to trip us up over any every last fault. waiting to punish us because we fail to notice some hidden instruction.

If God were to command us as you suggest, we would be unable to disobey.

The fault lays in those who use the Bible for what it is not, and dredge its pages for more and more hidden messages and rules to justify them selves. and entrap their fellows in unending fear of retribution
God is Love . that love should not be repaid with fear.

Not every thing we do is listed in the Bible, nor is every thing not in it sinful.

 

[savagewind]

The messengers have delivered the message. Do with it as your conscience dictates. The sin is in ignoring your conscience. (James 4:17) A conscience that is untrained is rather useless as a guide.

I heard Pegg say she does not know whether the rule for abstaining from birthdays is from God or not. How is that a trained conscience?

 

[JayJayDee]

First, I would like to say thank you everyone for all the posts on this thread. i have learned a ton of good info.

I think it is important to remember some of the great philosophies of the New and Old Testaments that address good conduct of humankind.

Indeed. And the good conduct always meant adhering closely to God's commands and using Bible principles and Jesus' own example to make all our decisions. (1 Pet 2:21)

This is what I love about God. Simple rules for simple folks. Children and animals can understand such a straight forward reality of love.

Exactly. The simplicity has been horribly complicated by all manner of introduced doctrines and practices. Sorting through it has become a nightmare. The truth has been lost in the adoption of many false beliefs, which people have come to believe is acceptable Christianity. It might be acceptable to man, but is it acceptable to God? Why did Jesus constantly castigate the Pharisees?

On the subject of understanding God's will, I have to say by reading your posts, I've rekindled a more thorough evaluation of what I call my lackadaisical approach to Biblical philosophy. I and ScubaPete used to be members of the ICC (International Church of Christ). A very fundamentalist church that knocked on doors. So I understand the JW's and the Mormons to a greater degree.

A fundamental church that knocks on doors in local areas in some countries is not what Jesus commanded his disciples to do. It had to be an single international, global body of Christians who are known all over the world for their preaching. They have to have one united message that is preached in all nations. Christendom has no such message. When pressed to identify what God's kingdom is and what it will do for mankind, most of Christendom's churches fall silent or have conflicting ideas. We must all speak in agreement. (1 Cor 1:10)

It's important to hold on to the lessons of the past in-order to not repeat the same mistakes. Sins were made against God by the Semitic people and they got quite a few shellackings. If we fail to try to comprehend God's resolve then we are truly the enemies of ourselves and others.

:yes: Failing to discern God's will, and instead, concentrating on our own, is a trap that our 'treacherous' heart can lead us into. (Jer 17:9, 10)

But with this reward comes a meticulous understanding of God's will. We need God and ourselves to finish the good race.

If God is not recognising our worship, then it is for nothing that we claim allegiance to him. (Matt 15:9) When Jesus comes to judge mankind, only those "doing the will of the Father" will make the cut, so to speak. So a meticulous understanding of God's will is vital.

be joyful in the knowledge that God loves us all and in time we will all be in His presence. So act accordingly.

:sorry1: Jeremy, but this is simply not true. Grace applies only to those who 'do the will of the Father'. It is very obvious that many take a 'slack' approach to their Christianity by misunderstanding what "grace" actually means and who it is applied to.

As sinners, we are all deserving of death. God's justice could demand the death of all of us, but "grace" (defined as "undeserved kindness" on God's part) is extended on the basis of our obedience to God's commands.

If we can get people out of that "just believe and everything will be 'hunky dory'"mentality and get them to examine their worship in the light of "all" that the Bible teaches, then the messengers will have accomplished their task. The kingdom will "come", ready or not, and we will all account to the judge for our conduct and choices. The kingdom will bring God's rulership back to the earth. Adam lost it and Jesus' sacrifice brings it back for us.....his unselfish act was the ultimate act of grace. But we still have an obligation to be obedient in everything. It is all God has ever asked of the human family from the beginning. It is the basis for our final judgment. We are the ones who demonstrate ourselves to be "sheep" or "goats".
Jesus said the "few" are actually on the road to life. "Many" who believe that they are Christians on good standing are fooling themselves. (Matt 7:13, 14, 21-23) :sad:

Again, thanks to everyone who has spent time in this thread and look forward to all your posts. Even the ones I may not understand.

 

[Jeremy Mason]

I came across this little tid-bit.

JOB 1:1-4 (NIV)

In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.

4 His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.[.

So Job , this upright man allowed his sons to celebrate their sisters birthdays? I'm guessing the drink may have be alcoholic as well.

The Jewish community celebrate bar mitzvahs for boys on their 13th birthday and bat mitzvahs for the girls 12th birthday. I'm not saying all Jewish people celebrate their birthday, but by looking at the first 4 scriptures of Job, it appears that some did and without offending the consciousness of a esteemed Jewish man.

Jesus had magi give him gifts of his birthday and Mary and Joseph made no bones about it.

Herod held a banquet for his birthday and yet no one was screaming at him for being pagan. Sure the guy wasn't the protagonist in the story, but jewish birthdays were something that the priests were apparently not against.

 

[dawny0826]

IIf you hold to a specific date to celebrate an event

This is one topic that you seem to have a concern with - an annual celebration of sorts.

Respectfully, there is no direct scripture which instructs us to refrain from an annual celebration. Many Jews celebrate birthdays without issue. Many Jewish holiday celebrations (from my understanding) are as rooted in tradition and culture as they are religion.

and include all the trappings of that original event in the celebration on that date, then it matters little how we feel about them. God was there when the original event was celebrated and he knows what people are celebrating on those days. If 2 Cor 6:14-18 doesn't get the message across, then nothing will. All I am hearing is justification and minimization.

These verses in 2nd Corinthians reference idolatry.

Idolatry is reverence, worship and attention that competes with God.

Why did God disapprove of the pagan practices? Because, the pagans were worshipping other Gods and their activities, practices and behavior reflected this.

That's OK..it is your choice....but you can never claim that you weren't informed.

I suppose you don't see how anyone could construe this type of verbiage as a judgement of sorts?

I don't believe that "frivolous" is a word used in the Bible, nor do I see any command to refrain from purchasing things that are 'unnecessary' but enjoyable in themselves.

Frivolity is often used in conjunction with words that are used in the Bible such as greed and gluttony. But, I don't believe frivolity was the best word for me to use.

This seems balanced to me. It is not asking us to give out of our want, but out of our surplus and out of our hearts. Sacrifice is not sacrifice unless it costs us something. What we don't need can be shared with those who have a need that we can fill.

My point was that you're justifying unnecessary purchases FOR YOURSELF and FAMILY, whilst criticizing those who do the same. You discount the judgement and capacity of those who aren't Jehovah Witnesses to discern right from wrong and make good judgements about their own giving choices and participation in events.

JW's have a World Wide fund that is designed to do just that. We have no paid clergy so congregation funds go only to the running expenses of our local Kingdom Halls. Whatever funds are donated to the World Wide Work go to the ones who are in need, whether that is for the building of Kingdom Halls in poorer nations or for disaster relief for our brothers when they have experienced the loss of their homes and possessions. It provides food and water and free labor for the rebuilding...all materials are supplied so that there is no cost to our brothers. We know that aid organizations are not creaming money off the top for administration costs.

This is wonderful. We are supposed to be doing good works.

What stinks to God doesn't always stink to man unfortunately. In a world ruled by the devil, that is not surprising.

Do you realize, that in context you just insinuated that many Christians are ruled by the devil? I assume that this isn't what you meant to project.

No, I am not much different to anyone really but I just have a conscience that that is perhaps more sensitive because of my study of the scriptures. It is this knowledge that allows us to discern God's will. His will has to override our own.

I too have a conscience as do the other Christians in my life. Do you think that I'm incapable of feeling guilt and incapable of seeking forgiveness? Do you think me incapable of communing with God and requesting direction?

Should I feel any more guilty than you to do something for my child that is within my means and makes her happy. On her birthday, we may have dinner, eat some cake and we thank God for our health for bringing our daughter into our lives. Our daughter is certainly not revered above God Almighty.

At heart, I'm not doing much differently than you do. You can't justify an annual celebration. That's fine. But, becaue I do, I'm not necessarily doing anything that is any more or less sinful than when you choose to partake in something that's not essential to your faith walk.

Dawny can you tell me what pagan roots these things have? A betrothal was an engagement in Bible times. Joseph and Mary were betrothed when Mary was informed that she was pregnant.

Wedding rings, music, dancing, flowers and even certain foods.

Even the wedding dress has its roots in customs that don't necessarily reflect Godliness.

Do wedding showers have false religious connections? These things are for individual consciences. They are not tied to a date with an event that is annually celebrated.

According to your own logic, wouldn't anything reflective of worldliness be wrongful, regardless as to whether or not it has roots in a "false" religion?

Wedding showers have roots in snobbery. Did Christ not tell us that He would provide for us. He didn't instruct those getting married to hold gift giving parties for each other, did He?

Like you, I agree that this boils down to a matter of conscience. Everything should boil down to this.

It is not the occasions per se, but their adoption, origins and customs that are under discussion here.

I agree with this.

Sorry, but for the sake of the discussion, this is an important point.

Read Matt ch 2 in your Bible and tell me how many "wise men" there were? Some Bible translations call them "magi" from which we get the word "magic". They were from the east, which is another way of saying Babylon. The magical practises of Babylon were closely connected to spiritism.

Where was Jesus found by these "wise men"? At the stable? Or in a house? The star that led them to Herod, conveniently came to a stop right above the place where Jesus was. So why did it lead them first to Herod?

Please open your eyes along with your Bible....sticking your head in the sand is not where the truth is to be found.

Read it here from the NLT....see the footnotes as well.
Matt 2:1-25 NLT - Visitors from the East - Jesus was born - Bible Gateway

Or here from the NKJV
Matt 2:1-25 NKJV - Wise Men from the East - Now after - Bible Gateway

No matter what Bible you use, if it is a faithful translation, you will see the same story. And it isn't the one you see depicted on Christmas cards or in nativity scenes at the mall.

It doesn't matter to me how many wise men there were or when they visited Jesus or what their roots may have been.

They travelled from afar to visit Jesus because they accepted Him as King. Is there any mention in scripture of the magic men if that's what you prefer to call them, being turned away or displeasing God in some way?

One of the purposes that the early Christmas celebrations served were to provide the pagans who had converted into Chrsitianity the ability to sustain their cultural practices while integrating a new religious belief system. Traditions to this day vary from one household to the next, but, the constant is reverence for Christ and the positives that we need to be reminded of going into a New Year to show Christ's love.

 

[Pegg]

I came across this little tid-bit.

JOB 1:1-4 (NIV)


So Job , this upright man allowed his sons to celebrate their sisters birthdays? I'm guessing the drink may have be alcoholic as well.

im afraid the text does not say 'birthdays' There is a hebrew word for “birthday” and it is a compound of the two words, yohm (day) and hul·le′dheth (birth).
Job literally reads "each of his sons would hold a banquet on his own set day (yohm)..."

If you look at Genesis 40:20, both expressions appear: “Now on the third day [yohm] it turned out to be Pharaoh’s birthday [literally, “the day (yohm) of the birth (hul·le′dheth) of Pharaoh”].”

 

[dawny0826]

The celebrating of the birth of a child is not what is under discussion. What the issue is, is the recording of the date and the celebration of a perpetual anniversary of that birth. The Jews did not participate in such activities because this was a pagan custom, steeped in spiritistic customs and one that God forbade them to participate in. (Deut 18:9-12) That means that Jesus never sanctioned such things.

Where did Christ tell us to refrain from doing so?

You keep coming back to intent, as if this excuses everything.

What, specifically are we talking about, JayDeeDee? Giving gifts, sharing cookies with family? Decorating a tree, singing religious songs?

Intention does matter, my friend. And only God Almighty Himself knows our hearts, our minds and the purity of our spirit.

We should be lifting each other up and rejoicing in commonalities, not poking at each other for our differences, really. And that's a good lesson for myself to take to heart, I think.

then he would not have put to death the golden calf worshippers. It was "a festival to the Lord"...the very God who had delivered them from slavery in Egypt that they were celebrating, but with the pagan practices of the Egyptians as the basis for it. God was furious and so was Moses. He threw down the stones with the 10 commandments, written by God, and smashed them to pieces.

It wasn't the festival that was the problem! it was the fact that these people were worshipping other Gods.

Do you never ask why a celebration that is intended to honor Christ, is allowed to create such dishonour in its celebration? Who is emphasised to children? Jesus or Santa Claus?

Not everyone embraces such customs and in a matter that translates to excess or diversion from God.

'Turning the other cheek' is for times of provocation. Being "no part of the world" is more important that just doing your own sanitized version of a pagan celebration, just because you want to keep it.

We aren't part of this world, spritually.

Jesus' disciples were told to preach to people about God's kingdom. There are certain things that preclude one from entering that arrangement. Is it self righteous to want to warn someone that what they have been led to believe as truth their whole life, is a lie? Is it a kindness to allow them to go on believing the lie?

Jesus' disciples were told to spread the good news about Christ and salvation found through Christ.

At 1 Cor 6:9-1, Paul warns....
"Or do you not know that unrighteous people will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Do not be misled. Those who are sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, men who submit to homosexual acts, men who practice homosexuality, 10 thieves, greedy people, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners will not inherit God’s Kingdom. 11 And yet that is what some of you were. But you have been washed clean; you have been sanctified; you have been declared righteous in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of our God."

Paul's words state that "unrighteous" people will not inherit the kingdom....then he warns, "do not be misled". Is it self righteous to issue the same warning? If you think so, then there is little more I can say to one whose mind is set.

And Christ Jesus Himself said that those who believe in HIm wil not parish but have everlasting life. My faith is in Christ Jesus. I love BEFORE I chastise as without LOVE, I am nothing.

Absolutely true, but if the holy spirit speaks to you from a source that you disbelieve, then are you going to listen? God used Noah to tell the people of his day about his message...but no one listened. (Matt 24:36-39)

The Holy Spirit speaks to my spirit and I'm listening to Christ Himself in my spirit walk.

I want a lot of things. I want world peace, security, and prosperity for all, but I know it can never come from the efforts of men...not even from my own brothers. Wanting is not the problem....wanting something inappropriately will set the heart on a course of self destruction if it is not checked. (James1:13-15)

I've never argued with you that excess and greed aren't sinful. What I disagree with is your application that anything that falls on a holiday fits these categories.

Unfortunately, the Israelites thought like that when dancing around the golden calf. :bow:

Which they erected and worshipped as their God.

Actually, it is my own personal experience. People are slaves to traditions that have become an expensive burden to them

Agreed, though it's wrongful to blanket label as not ALL are slaves to excess and greed.

, but all they do is continue to get into debt rather than to step out of that slavery. The annual fleecing of the masses (with one event after another competing for your money) is rather sad when you step back and see it for what it is. What else would you call it other than slavery? The whole commercial system is laughing all the way to the bank!

Don't disagree with you.

What I disagree with is the projected notion that a Christian can't make the appropriate discernment as to what they should and should not do.

The messenger has no right to judge anyone...but is under obligation to deliver the message. If my concern is out of love and kindness, but is taken as a criticism, then I have no control over that.

I don't believe you to be an unkind person, JayDeeDee. I don't suspect that you would share any of this if you didn't care about others.

We can't control how others perceive our messaging. Truthfully, regardless as to our relgious differences, I would much prefer to share that which we have in common.

All my best to you and yours.

 

[Pegg]

Do you really believe God is as petty as that.

when Isreal were delivered out of Egypt, some of them chose to celebrate the occasion by making a golden calf and calling it Jehovah.

Was Gods reaction one of pleasure or displeasure?

Did God condone it and conclude that they were merely acting in ignorance? No. The action he took against them was decisive.

 

[Pegg]

Who says that the Bible contains every command of God? Who says that the Bible contains every teaching of the Apostles? The Bible itself doesn't say that. So where does this idea come from?

it kind of does say that...

Romans 15:4 For all the things that were written aforetime were written for our instruction, that through our endurance and through the comfort from the Scriptures we might have hope

2Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.

 

[Jeremy Mason]

im afraid the text does not say 'birthdays' There is a hebrew word for “birthday” and it is a compound of the two words, yohm (day) and hul·le′dheth (birth).
Job literally reads "each of his sons would hold a banquet on his own set day (yohm)..."

If you look at Genesis 40:20, both expressions appear: “Now on the third day [yohm] it turned out to be Pharaoh’s birthday [literally, “the day (yohm) of the birth (hul·le′dheth) of Pharaoh”].”

So "there day" was just some arbitrary day?

From BibleStudyTools.com
Job 1 Commentary - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

4. every one his day--namely, the birthday ( Job 3:1 ). Implying the love and harmony of the members of the family, as contrasted with the ruin which soon broke up such a scene of happiness. The sisters are specified, as these feasts were not for revelry, which would be inconsistent with the presence of sisters. These latter were invited by the brothers, though they gave no invitations in return.

From StudyLight.org
Job 1:1 - David Guzik's Commentary on the Bible - Commentaries - StudyLight.org

e. His sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day: The idea of this description seems to be that Job’s family had a happy and close relationship. This reinforces the idea that Job and his family were greatly blessed, and does not seem to indicate that they were unduly given over to festivity and pleasure-seeking. They happily celebrated special days (each on his appointed day), probably their birthdays.

From GodVine .com
Job 1:4 - And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day;...

Every one his day - In his proper turn, or when his day came round. Perhaps it refers only to their birthdays; see Job 3:1, where the word "day" is used to denote a birthday. In early times the birthday was observed with great solemnity and rejoicing.

I can't find any commentaries that say it's some other day than their birthday.

 

[JayJayDee]

They travelled from afar to visit Jesus because they accepted Him as King. Is there any mention in scripture of the magic men if that's what you prefer to call them, being turned away or displeasing God in some way?

The magi were astrologers from the east whose custom was to give gifts to royal children. They did not accept Jesus as 'their' king, but only as "the one born king of the Jews" (Matt 2:2) There was no evil intent on the part of the magi but they were used as unwitting dupes by the devil in a plot to kill the child Jesus before he could fulfill his mission. The star was part of his ruse. It was not sent by God. But neither were the magi in on the plot, hence God's warning to return home by a different route.

The "Christians" of the early centuries were not strong in the faith. Apostasy had taken hold and they were not vigilant with regard to adopting questionable practices. By the time of Constantine, they were ripe for the take over of Roman Catholicism, which grafted Christian labels over unchristian festivals that the pagans would not relinquish. You cannot Christianize paganism....but you can paganise Christianity. Unless there is a clear 'separation' from all false worship, there can be no real reverence for Jesus or his Father. This seems to be completely overlooked in these discussions.

One of the purposes that the early Christmas celebrations served were to provide the pagans who had converted into Chrsitianity the ability to sustain their cultural practices while integrating a new religious belief system. Traditions to this day vary from one household to the next, but, the constant is reverence for Christ and the positives that we need to be reminded of going into a New Year to show Christ's love.

Even New Years' celebrations are steeped in pagan customs. The first month of the year is named after Janus, a false god of 'beginnings and endings' and of 'doors and gates, of openings and closings.' No matter what you do, it is no co-incidence that every celebration held in Christendom is linked to false worship in some form or other. The only single memorial event sanctioned by God in the Bible, is lost in the larger festival of Easter. Like the Passover, the memorial of Christ's death was the only event we were commanded to hold annually. Easter is not mentioned at all in the Bible.

There are so many things that have been introduced into church teachings over the centuries but people have grown up with these things and have been led to believe that they are part of Christianity. They are not.

If it didn't matter, then Paul would not have mentioned them in 2 Cor 6:14-18. :sad:

 

[Pegg]

So "there day" was just some arbitrary day?

From BibleStudyTools.com
Job 1 Commentary - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

From StudyLight.org
Job 1:1 - David Guzik's Commentary on the Bible - Commentaries - StudyLight.org


From GodVine .com
Job 1:4 - And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day;...



I can't find any commentaries that say it's some other day than their birthday.

you have to look at the hebrew text. it doesnt say it was a 'yohm hul·le′dheth' in the original language.

I just calls it their 'day'


Perhaps the brothers had each chosen to have a special dinner for all the family on a set day of the month. For example, one brother may have chose the 1st day of the monthy, another might have chosen the 14th day of the month.

So when it was a particular brothers set 'day', everyone would converge on his home for dinner.

Here is what the Watchtower publication "Insight on the Scriptures" states:

The day or anniversary of one’s birth; in Hebrew, yohm hul·le′dheth (Ge 40:20) and in Greek, ge·ne′si·a (Mt 14:6; Mr 6:21).
...
According to the Scriptures, the day the baby was born was usually one of rejoicing and thanksgiving on the part of the parents, and rightly so, for “look! Sons are an inheritance from Jehovah; the fruitage of the belly is a reward.” (Ps 127:3; Jer 20:15; Lu 1:57,*58) However, there is no indication in the Scriptures that faithful worshipers of Jehovah ever indulged in the pagan practice of annually celebrating birthdays.
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When Job’s sons “held a banquet at the house of each one on his own day” it should not be supposed that they were celebrating their birthdays. (Job 1:4) “Day” in this verse translates the Hebrew word yohm and refers to a period of time from sunrise to sunset. On the other hand, “birthday” is a compound of the two Hebrew words yohm (day) and hul·le′dheth. The distinction between “day” and one’s birthday may be noted in Genesis 40:20, where both expressions appear: “Now on the third day [yohm] it turned out to be Pharaoh’s birthday [literally, “the day (yohm) of the birth (hul·le′dheth) of Pharaoh”].” So it is certain that Job 1:4 does not refer to a birthday, as is unquestionably the case at Genesis 40:20. It would seem that Job’s seven sons held a family gathering (possibly a spring or harvest festival) and as the feasting made the week-long circuit, each son hosted the banquet in his own house “on his own day.”

With the introduction of Christianity the viewpoint toward birthday celebrations did not change. Jesus inaugurated a binding Memorial, not of his birth, but of his death, saying: “Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” (Lu 22:19) If early Christians did not celebrate or memorialize the birthday of their Savior, much less would they celebrate their own day of birth. Historian Augustus Neander writes: “The notion of a birthday festival was far from the ideas of the Christians of this period.” (The History of the Christian Religion and Church, During the Three First Centuries, translated by H.*J. Rose, 1848, p. 190) “Origen [a writer of the third century*C.E.] .*.*. insists that ‘of all the holy people in the Scriptures, no one is recorded to have kept a feast or held a great banquet on his birthday. It is only sinners (like Pharaoh and Herod) who make great rejoicings over the day on which they were born into this world below.’”—The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913, Vol. X, p. 709.
Clearly, then, the festive celebration of birthdays does not find its origin in either the Hebrew or the Greek Scriptures. Additionally, M’Clintock and Strong’s Cyclopaedia (1882, Vol. I, p. 817) says the Jews “regarded birthday celebrations as parts of idolatrous worship .*.*.*, and this probably on account of the idolatrous rites with which they were observed in honor of those who were regarded as the patron gods of the day on which the party was born.”