Introduction
Right now, many churches in the United States are worshipping God wrongly. Do you agree or disagree with that statement? Many in the USA would probably strongly disagree with that statement, and that is very troubling. Many intelligent pastors would also disagree. Who is right, and what is the standard by which this is to be judged? Scripture Alone is the only standard by which anything is to be judged. Today, many pastors and churches have cast Scripture aside and have taken on the traditions of cultures and families in their worship of God, just as the Israelites did in making many additions to God’s worship that He did not command (Amos 6:4-6). In this paper I am going to examine whether Christians should publicly worship or gather as the church on the Christian Sabbath or Lord’s Day, or if it is okay for Christians to observe the Church Calendar. This will be drawn out by looking at the Pagan origins of holy days, the Fourth Commandment to keep the Sabbath, and that Scripture Alone is the supreme Rule and Judge concerning the doctrine and practice of the church and nations (Deuteronomy 12:32). These will be examined through three groups: Roman Catholics, Modern Evangelicals, and the Biblical position of the Classically Reformed. In this paper I will be arguing against following the Church Calendar that Roman Catholics and Modern Evangelicals follow. While on the other hand the Classically Reformed do not follow the Church Calendar, only the Lord’s Day, and this I will argue for the affirmative.
Purpose for Celebrating Festival Days
Roman Catholicism
When it comes to holidays i.e. festival days, it must be asked, what is the definition of a festival day? Pastor David Calderwood defines it from two other ministers as this:
Piscator describeth a Festivall day in this manner, Festum proprii loquendo est publica & solennis ceremonia mandata à Deo, ut certo anni tempore cum singulari loetitia obeatur ad gratias agendum Deo pro certo aliquo beneficio in populum suum collato. A feast in proper speech is a publick and solemne ceremonie commanded by God to be celebrated a certaine time of the yeare, with singular gladnesse to give thanks to God for some certaine benifit bestowed on his people. Hooker intreating this argument intituleth the subiect festivall days. He maketh festivall solemnity to be nothing else, but the due mixture, as it were, of these three elements; Praises set forth with chearefull alacritie of mind: delite expressed by charitable largeness more then common bounty: and sequestration from ordinary labors.
From this definition there are three areas that make up a holiday/ festival day, and they are: 1. An annual day or season set apart; 2. To give thanks to God; 3. Not to labor in a person’s daily vocation. For Roman Catholics, they have many of these so-called Festival Days, which total out to at least 15. It is expected that Roman Catholics attend the mass during these Festival Days. Some of the days that the Romanist celebrate are for the assumed days that there was a redemptive act by Christ, such as Advent, The Immaculate Conception, Christmas, and the Ascension. The other days of observation are days that celebrate saints, such as All Saints Day, the various days for Mary, and other saints as they see fit. The question must be asked, why celebrate so many days outside of the Lord’s Day? Priest John Sullivan in his book The Externals of the Catholic Church answers it this way:
SAINTS days and other festivals have not been imposed upon us by any law of God. In the Jewish religion certain days were set apart for the commemoration of great events, such as the Passover, or for devotional and penitential observances, such as the Feast of Expiation. These were directly commanded by God Himself, in the laws which He gave to His chosen people through Moses. But in the Christian Church festival days are not of divine institution. They were all established by the Church her self, being begun at different times and in different parts of the world. Some few of them go back to Apostolic times, while others are of very recent origin. (Sullivan 125)
Roman Catholics say themselves that there is no Command of God to celebrate any of the Festival Days, which they have mass on. They were imposed by the Popes and other church counsels, and not from God. No festival day goes back to the Apostolic times because the earliest day of any celebrated day other than the Lord's Day, was around 200AD. The reason why the Papists have festival days is because they want to honor the Lord, remember the great historic events within the church, honor the saints, and teach the parishioners the “truths of religion”, as Priest Sullivan says in another book (Sullivan 177).
Modern Evangelicalism
Modern Evangelicals, I define an Evangelical as one who holds that the Bible is God’s Word, that Christ is the only Savior, that salvation is by faith alone, and seek to proclaim the gospel worldwide. So, this covers Pastors such as John Piper, David Platt, Tim Keller, and organizations like The Gospel Coalition, Together For the Gospel, and Liberty University. The Church Calendar for Modern Evangelicals usually consist of Christmas and Easter, at the least, but many Evangelicals celebrate Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Lent, Holy Week, and Advent, just as the Roman Catholics do. Many Evangelicals celebrate the Festival Days for the same reasons Roman Catholics do, because they mark special events in church history. This is seen in this quote by Dr. John Piper:
Christmas now means that we mark, in Christian ways, the birth of Jesus Christ. I think the birth, death and resurrection of Christ are the most important events in human history. Not to mark them in some way, by way of special celebration, would be folly it seems to me.
Further down he states this also:
It's really worth the risk, even if the date of December 25 was chosen because of its proximity to some kind of pagan festival. Let's just take it, sanctify it, and make the most of it, because Christ is worthy of being celebrated in his birth (Piper)
It is clear that Dr. Piper takes the same rout as Roman Catholics do when it comes to Festival Days, and this is how Modern Evangelicals generally go about the celebration of such days. They see these very important historical events in redemption history, then set to “sanctify” those days, and these are in addition to the Lord’s Day.
Classically Reformed
The Classically Reformed, or Historically Reformed, are those who hold to the original unrevised doctrines and Confessions of the Reformation and the Scottish Second Reformation. These include the 1647 Westminster Standards and 1689 London Baptist Confession, amongst others. The Reformed have historically been against the addition of Festival Days or Church Calendar, because these were additions to the worship of God that He has not given Command for in His Word. This is what it means to be a Protestant, to worship and glorify God in the way that He has Commanded, unlike the Papists and Modern Evangelicals, who merged with Pagans and made up ways to worship God (Schaff). The Reformed hold to that only the Lord’s Day is to be observed because God has given it as a perpetual Command in the Fourth Commandment because they acknowledge God’s Word alone is the Rule and Judge (Deuteronomy 12:28-32). The Westminster Confession of Faith declares this so in chapter 22:1:
22:1. The light of nature showeth that there is a God, who hath lordship and sovereignty over all; is good, and doeth good unto all; and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the might. But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by himself, and so limited to his own revealed will, that he may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representations or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture.
The Creator of Holy Days
Roman Catholicism
For Roman Catholics, the establishment of Feast Days was by the church herself, either being by the example of the church fathers, the declaration of a pope, or from the Pagan feast days. In every circumstance, the church creates a feast day or season, such as Advent Season, to redeem a Pagan feast day. This is what is called syncretism, or the joining opposing ideas or religions. This is seen clearly by this statement from Mr. Francis Weiser in his book Handbook of Christian Feast and Customs:
There remains then this explanation, which is the most probable one, and held by most scholars in our time: the choice of December 25 was influenced by the fact that the Romans, from the time of Emperor Aurelian (275 AD), had celebrated the feast of the sun god (Sol Invictus: the Unconquered Sun) on that day. December 25 was called the "Birthday of the Sun," and great pagan religious celebrations of the Mithras cult were held all through the empire. What was more natural than that the Christians celebrate the birth of Him Who was the "Light of the World" and the true "Sun of Justice" on this very day? The popes seem to have chosen December 25 precisely for the purpose of inspiring the people to turn from the worship of a material sun to the adoration of Christ the Lord. This thought is indicated in various writings of contemporary authors. (Weiser 61)
Modern Evangelicalism
For Modern Evangelicals, it is the same as in Roman Catholicism on who creates or makes a day holy, man himself. This was first seen in the quote by Pastor John Piper above. He in essence said that it is obligatory to mark off Christmas and Easter, since they are the most important events in history, and to not do so is absurd. Mr. Chuck Colson in this Gospel Coalition article explains why Evangelicals celebrate Lent, along with the other Feast Days:
Recognizing this, the church’s liturgical calendar seeks to order time around the major events of our redemption in Christ. During these seasons, we encourage certain theological emphases, spiritual practices, and corresponding emotions to instruct and train the church in godliness. Of course, the calendar does not limit the celebration of a truth or the experience of a particular emotion to one season or day. For instance, observing Easter Sunday as a joyous and festive holy day does not deny that every Lord’s Day celebrates Jesus’ resurrection. Rather, a joyous Easter Sunday anchors and gives shape to all other Sundays throughout the year. So it is with the liturgical calendar.
From this it is gleaned that the church is the one who picks and chooses holy days, and these days are to promote godliness, as he says. He also says that celebrating the church calendar does not take away from the Lord’s Day, but makes those days more meaningful.
Classically Reformed
The Classically Reformed, being Reformed Presbyterians and Particular Baptist, hold to that God alone is the one who can make a day holy, and who in the times of Old Testament Israel made Feast Days. This comes from the foundation that God is the King of all things, especially regarding acts of worship towards Him by His people. Secondly, by the knowledge that God created man for the purpose of glorifying Him and worshipping Him, and by this God gives man the prescription on how man is to do so. Thirdly, after the fall, God in His covenants with His redeemed people, gave them covenant Commands and vows (Deuteronomy 12:32). Pastor G. I. Williamson gives a clear declaration of this:
What Jesus desires of us is not the observance of things He did not command, but the things He did command. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19, 20). This is what the Apostles did. They taught the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27). It did not include Christmas, Good Friday, or Easter, because they were not part of the things commanded by Christ. So, the one who understands “the true meaning of Christmas” (or Good Friday, or Easter) is precisely the one who realizes that they are human inventions. And in order to honor Christ as the only king and head of the church, such a person will not observe these man-made additions to what our Lord commanded. A person such as this may be out of step with a very popular custom. The important thing is that he will be in step with Christ and the apostles.
From this, it is shown that God is the One whom declares a day as holy, as He has the Sabbath. He also gives the church and pastors in particular to teach what He has Commanded, not man-made practices or doctrines. Christmas, Easter, Reformation Day, and all the other holidays are man-made days, thus are a false worship because the Lord has not given for them.
The Ultimate Authority: Scripture or Man Himself
Roman Catholicism
For Roman Catholics, they hold that Scripture, the Pope, and Church Tradition have authority regarding the doctrines and practices of the church. With having at the least three authorities, it is to no surprise that Roman Catholics observe feast days, since there is no absolute authority. For the Roman Catholic, man himself is the authority when it comes to what is taught and practiced, and Roman Catholics do not deny this by any means. They say, it is both God’s Word and church tradition that have the ultimate authority, as can be seen in Vatican II:
Chapter 2:9. Hence there exists a close connection and communication between sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture. For both of them, flowing from the same divine wellspring, in a certain way merge into a unity and tend toward the same end. For Sacred Scripture is the word of God inasmuch as it is consigned to writing under the inspiration of the divine Spirit, while sacred tradition takes the word of God entrusted by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, and hands it on to their successors in its full purity, so that led by the light of the Spirit of truth, they may in proclaiming it preserve this word of God faithfully, explain it, and make it more widely known. Consequently it is not from Sacred Scripture alone that the Church draws her certainty about everything which has been revealed. Therefore both sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture are to be accepted and venerated with the same sense of loyalty and reverence.
Since Roman Catholics affirm that church tradition has as much authority as God’s Word, they will most certainly will syncretize with Pagan cultures, for they do not merely want them changed but for them to add the Lord to their rituals. Therein comes the bringing in of these false Feast Days, and many other false doctrines and practices.
Modern Evangelicalism
Most Evangelical pastors and congregants would say that they hold to the absolute authority of Scripture in all matters of life, as Evangelicals are historically and Theologically Protestant. However, today and for a couple centuries, Evangelicals have let go of their tight grasp upon the Word of God, and have yet again took upon themselves the exact traditions and teachings of Roman Catholicism. That has been clearly shown in the quotes by Dr. Piper and Mr. Colson. Many Evangelicals will say too, that celebrating these days does not go against Scripture, but actually say it is part of the Christian’s liberty, then they quote Romans 14 (Compelling Truth). Romans 14 has a special context, and it is taken out of context by many Evangelicals today or not even given any context when one uses it. Its context is this, as Pastor Robert McCurley states:
Romans 14, you see him taking up this matter again. It’s a unique period of time. He’s not speaking to them about remembering days in which Baal is celebrated and other things. But, he’s saying that in this time when the ceremonial system is being laid aside there had to be charity and love when they bore with one another in this time of transition. And so, the ceremonial days are laid aside. And, the Sabbath of course continues. It’s moral. It’s the fourth commandment. It’s a creation ordinance in Genesis two. And so, that continues on into the New Testament. And what we find is that there is no other day appointed in the New Testament. We have 52 Holy Days a year, first day of the week, the Christian Sabbath.
From this context, of the Mosaic Covenant ending and the New Covenant transitioning in, which ultimately happened at Christ’s resurrection, but completely in 70AD when the Temple was destroyed by the Romans. The Lord allowed the Jewish Christians to still partake in the old ceremonial rites, but He calls them the “weak” ones who do not see yet that in the New Covenant there are no Feast Days, only the Lord’s Day.
Classically Reformed
The Reformed have always rejected feast days because they are not commanded by God under the New Covenant. The Lutherans and Anglicans began celebrating them, and they tried to force them on the Reformed churches through several acts, one example is the Articles of Perth (Liturgy Press). The Reformed have consistently rejected any day but the Lord’s Day, for all of the Old Covenant feast days have been abolished by God because they were part of the Ceremonial Law (Galatians 4:8-10; Colossians 2:16-17). When a new covenant is made there are changes, unless it is stated in the previous covenant that some parts will remain, thus the Ceremonial Laws of the Mosaic Covenant were abolished because Christ set up the New Testament church with different Ceremonial Laws (Ephesians 4:8-12).The Reformed hold strongly that God’s Word alone is the only Standard and Judge for all three jurisdictions of life: family, church, and civil government (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It is for this reason that on the authority of God through His Word that the Reformed reject holidays and only partake in the Lord’s Day (Gillespie 192). Pastor John Brown of Haddington in his A Compendious View of Natural and Revealed Religion shows from Scripture this is the case:
Men cannot, without sin, appoint any holy days. (1.) God has marked the weekly sabbath with peculiar honour, in his command and word. But, if men appoint holy days, they detract from its honour; and wherever holy days of men’s appointment are much observed, God’s weekly sabbath is much profaned, Ex. 20:8; Ezek. 43:8. (2.) God never could have abolished his own ceremonial holy days, in order that men might appoint others of their own invention, in their room, Col. 2:16-23; Gal. 4:10,11. (3.) God alone can bless holy days, and render them effectual to promote holy purposes; and we have no hint in his word, that he will bless any appointed by men, Ex. 20:11. (4.) By permitting, if not requiring us, to labour six days of the week in our worldly employments, this commandment excludes all holy days of men’s appointment; Ex. 20:8,9. If it permit six days for our worldly labour, we ought to stand fast in that liberty with which Christ hath made us free, Gal. 5:1; 1 Cor. 7:23; Matt. 15:9. If it require them, we ought to obey God rather than men, Acts 4:19; 5:29.—Days of occasional fasting and thanksgiving are generally marked out by the providence of God: and the observation of them does not suppose any holiness in the day itself, Joel 1:14; 2:15; Acts 13:2; 14:23; Matt. 9:15. (Brown 535).
Conclusion
Now in conclusion, I have showed the Roman Catholic, Modern Evangelical, and Classically Reformed positions on holidays or feast days. I have showed that Roman Catholics and Modern Evangelicals celebrate these days without God's command, thus sinning against the Lord, since they establish them on their own and not as a command from God. The Reformed on the contrary, only take part in the Lord’s Day, but reject all other man-made holy days. The duty of Christians now, as it has always been is to worship God as He has commanded, and to stop celebrating these man-made and Pagan feast days. It is the duties of pastors to study and teach as God commands about the Lord’s Day and the feast days. These so called holy days are toleration of false teaching, the ungodly practices of Pagans, and partaking in idolatry (Revelation 2:14).
King Jesus does not tolerate false teaching, as being anything contrary to, or anything that is in addition or removed from His Word, and this includes any wrong interpretation of God's Word. Anything done in these three ways is idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:1-26). Christians are not to be as the world, but to be transformed into greater Christ like character, which is God's logical and only accepted desire and plan for His church collectively and each Christian individually (Romans 12:1-2). This idolatry of holidays is adultery by Christ's bride, His Church, because the church is to love Him faithfully, submit to Him in everything as her Head, and honor Him as He sanctifies and cleanses her through His Word, and this so that she will be pure, holy, and glorious (Ephesians 5:22-27). The church must seek to worship God on the Lord’s Day as He has given command, for the weekly Christian Sabbath is obligatory as it is the Fourth Commandment in God’s Moral Law, and the Lord commands that the church not neglect it (Hebrews 10:23-26).
Sermon preached by Pastor Robert McCurley
Bibliography and Works Cited
Roman Catholic
Pope Paul VI. “Dei Verbum.” Vatican.Va, 1965, www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html.
Sullivan, Rev. John. “The Externals of the Catholic Church : Her Government, Ceremonies, Festivals, Sacramentals, and Devotions.” Archive.Org, P.J. Kenedy & Sons, 24 Aug. 1917, archive.org/stream/externalsofchurc00sulluoft?ref=ol.
Sullivan, Rev. John. “The Externals of the Catholic Church : Her Government, Ceremonies, Festivals, Sacramentals, and Devotions.” Archive.Org, P.J. Kenedy & Sons, 24 Aug. 1922, archive.org/stream/externalsofchurc00sulluoft?ref=ol.
Weiser, Francis, and Francis Wieser. Handbook of Christian Feasts & Customs. First Edition, New York, Harcourt, 1958. Archive.org, archive.org/details/WeiserChristianFeastsandCustoms/mode/2up.
Modern Evangelicalism
Colson, Chuck. “Why Bother with Lent?” The Gospel Coalition, 2 Apr. 2019, www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/why-bother-with-lent.
Piper, John. “Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?” Desiring God, 23 Oct. 2020, www.desiringgod.org/interviews/should-christians-celebrate-christmas.
Sunshine, Glenn. “Christmas and the Regulative Principle.” BreakPoint, 27 Dec. 2019, breakpoint.org/christmas-and-the-regulative-principle/.
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Classically Reformed
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Calderwood, David. “Perth Assembly Containing 1 the Proceedings Thereof. 2 The Proofe of the Nullitie Thereof. 2 [Sic] Reasons Presented Thereto Against the Receiving the Fiue New Articles Imposed. 4 the Oppositenesse of It to the Proceedings and Oath of the Whole State of the Land. An. 1581. 5 Proofes of the Unlawfulnesse of the Said Fiue Articles, Viz. 1. Kneeling in the Act of Receiving the Lords Supper. 2. Holy Daies. 3. Bishopping. 4. Private Baptisme. 5. Private Communion.” Early English Books Online, William Brewster, 1619, quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A17583.0001.001/1:8.2?rgn=div2;view=fulltext.
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Gillespie, George, et al. A Dispute against the English Popish Ceremonies Obtruded on the Church of Scotland: Wherein, Not Only Our Own Arguments against the Same Are Strongly Confirmed, but Likewise the Answers and Defences of Our Opposites, Such as Hooker, Morton, Burges, Sprint, Paybody, Andrews, Saravia, Tilen, Spotswood, Lindsey, Forbes, Etc., Particularly Confuted. Naphtali Press, 1993.
McCurley, Robert. “A Holy God and Holy Days.” Reformed Books Online, 27 Dec. 2014, reformedbooksonline.com/american/free-church-of-scotland-continuing/mccurley-robert/rob-mccurley-holy-god-holy-days.
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Schaff, P. The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Second Series Vol. VI. Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, 1997
Shwertley , Brian. Sola Scriptura and the Regulative Principle of Worship, 2000, www.reformedonline.com/uploads/1/5/0/3/15030584/sola_scriptura_and_the_regulative_principle_of_worship.pdf.
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Williamson, G. I., and Chris Coldwell. “The Religious Observance of Christmas and ‘Holy Days’ in American Presbyterianism | Naphtali Press.” Naphtali.Com, 2007, www.naphtali.com/articles/chris-coldwell/the-religious-observance-of-christmas-and-holy-days-in-american-presbyterianism.
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