# Festival and Holy days?



## Croghanite (Oct 21, 2006)

I am trying to figure out what specifically did the writers define as Festival days or Holy-days. 
Was it limmited to the days that the Roman Catholic church and heads of state deemed to be holy outside of scripture?
How does this apply to such days as Christmas and Easter?
Isn't Christmas and Easter considered a Holy day?
These are days set apart and revered by Christians. Does that make them Holy?
I seek to please our wonderful Father and this has been hard to work through. 
On one hand I dont want to dishonour God by recognizing these days if it is sin and on the other hand it makes sense to recognize them in a Godly way. Help a brother out.

*Westminster Directory of Public Worship
Touching Days and Places for Publick Worship.*



> THERE is no day commanded in scripture to be kept holy under the gospel but the Lord's day, which is the Christian Sabbath.
> 
> Festival days, vulgarly called Holy-days, having no warrant in the word of God, are not to be continued.
> 
> Nevertheless, it is lawful and necessary, upon special emergent occasions, to separate a day or days for publick fasting or thanksgiving, as the several eminent and extraordinary dispensations of God's providence shall administer cause and opportunity to his people.


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## Arch2k (Oct 21, 2006)

Here we go again!


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## PresReformed (Oct 21, 2006)

The Westminster Divines considered the Christ-Mass and Easter Roman Holy-days. Both are Roman Catholic inventions that perform pagan rituals in the name of Christianity. Roman Holy-days were out lawed by New England Puritans for a time. I believe that Saints days are also included. Halloween being one of them.


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## Croghanite (Oct 21, 2006)

How does this apply to us today? Specifically recognizing Christmas and Easter in a biblical way. Does scripture prevent us from setting apart a day in the year for the celebration of the birth and resurrection of our Saviour?


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## Croghanite (Oct 21, 2006)

Greg.
I just noticed you are in the PRC. This threads subject was brought on by my investigation of the PRC's beliefs. I will be visiting PRC of Charlotte thanksgiving week. I am also attempting to relocate to Charlotte and I agree with most of the PRC's positions. I need clarity on this issue.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Oct 21, 2006)

Joe,

There are a few materials worth reading below:

Why Do Presbyterians Observe Holy Days? by Andrew Webb

The Regulative Principle and Christmas by Brian Schwertley

Christmas: An Historical Survey Regarding Its Origins and Opposition to It by Kevin Reed

Martin Luther on Holy Days

X-Mass by A.W. Pink

Christmas : Why would you want to celebrate a Roman Catholic Holy-day? by A. W. Pink

What Fellowship Hath Christ and Belial? An examination of the religious celebration of Christmas in light of the Scriptural duty of separation and the Regulative Principle of worship. by Douglas W. Comin

William Bradford on Christmas

Against Profane Christ-Mass-Keeping by Increase Mather

Charles Spurgeon on Christmas

And Fisher's Catechism on the Fourth Commandment:



> Q. 57&58.1. To what about the worship of God has this command a reference?
> 
> A. It refers to the special time of God's worship.
> 
> ...


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## jaybird0827 (Oct 22, 2006)

LAYMAN JOE said:


> How does this apply to us today? Specifically recognizing Christmas and Easter in a biblical way. Does scripture prevent us from setting apart a day in the year for the celebration of the birth and resurrection of our Saviour?


 
Scripture *does not command us* to set apart a day in the year to celebrate these events in the earthly life and ministry of Christ.

As far as December 25th, in our home we enjoy a day off from employment, courtesy of Caesar, and otherwise maintain a policy of *studied disregard *of what Rome considers a "gospel feast". 

The resurrection of Christ is the historic occasion of the transition from the Jewish Sabbath to the Christian Sabbath, or the Lord's Day. So *every Lord's Day* we remember the resurrection. There is no Scriptural reason to make any particular distinction of one Lord's Day over another, as Rome does.


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## NaphtaliPress (Oct 22, 2006)

As far as the history behind "how" Presbyterians came to observe xmas in one fashion or another, see The Religious Observance of Christmas and ‘Holy Days’ in American Presbyterianism, something I wrote some years back.

Other articles are here.
Observing the day as if doing so were more pleasing to God is will worship; cultural trappings such as gathering for a family meal, which in and of themselves may be indifferent, should be a matter of liberty, subject to the Scriptural rules governing Christian liberty.


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## Croghanite (Oct 22, 2006)

Thanks for the resources. Very good.
OK, I understand the Puritans view on why we should not recognize "Holy days" that are not warranted in Scripture. Agreed.
*
What makes a particular day "Holy"?*
If we annually recognize a day such as "Reformation Day", doesn't that make it Holy? The same line of questioning can be applied to any day that people annually set apart to commemorate something or someone. Birthdays, marriage anniversaries, deaths or whatever. Still confused.


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## PresReformed (Oct 22, 2006)

Joe,
Biblical Holy-days were those days that were instituted by God as days of worship, rest or remembrance. The only Holy-day left now is the Sabbath. What Rome did by institutuing their holy-days was to invent new "holy" days. Roman holy-days were days that were accompanied by worship, rest or remembrance. Rome required the people to keep these days. When we observe a date such as Reformation Day, Thanksgiving, or the 4th of July, we are not keeping these days as "holy". In other words, we don't come together and worship corporately in remembrance of the day as if it were "holy".


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## Croghanite (Oct 22, 2006)

PresReformed said:


> Roman holy-days were days that were accompanied by worship, rest or remembrance.



Greg,

I need just a little more clarification if you would. My church observes Reformation Day. They come together and the congregation is exhorted, they pray, and sing songs to God. This Reformation day is recognized every year. They of course dont believe it to be a Holy Day, but doesn't their actions make it Holy? That is where I am getting confused.
Are they not comming together as a congregation, in remembrance of people and what they did, and worshipping God?


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## PresReformed (Oct 22, 2006)

It is not a day that was instituted by God as a "holy-day" so it is not holy. Getting together on Reformation Day is a remembering of that day. Even if a congregation does get together it is not formal, corporate worship (I would hope not anyway). Is there a call to worship followed by all the elements of worship?


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## jaybird0827 (Oct 22, 2006)

Greg makes a good point here.

Another thing I thought of. If you were a communicant member and also had other plans for that time-slot do you think that your Session would expect you to inform them that you would not be attending?

Also what Greg describes is pretty much what will happen here in the Charlotte area. We will gather for food and the usual enjoyment of one another's company. It's one of those rarer occasions where we're free to talk about things that might not be as appropriate to the Lord's Day.

One of the men will offer thanks for the food (last year's was awesome, and I'm sure this year's will be a repeat). Pastor Worrell will likely give a brief address on some aspect of the Reformation. We might even sing a Psalm or two because we tend to do that when we get together. But it won't be a service.


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## NaphtaliPress (Oct 22, 2006)

Gillespie in his English Popish Ceremonies covers this topic somewhat; extracts here.... Didoclavius observes,_ one is to appoint, another to dedicate, yet another to sancitfy._36 Designation or deputation is when a man appoints a thing for such an use, still reserving power and right to put it to another use if he please; so the church appoints times and hours for preaching upon the week-days, yet reserving power to employ those times otherwise, when she shall think fit. Dedication is when a man so devotes a thing to some pious or civil use, that he denudes himself to all right and title which thereafter he might claim unto it, as when a man dedicates a sum of money for the building of an exchange, a judgment-hall, etc., or a parcel of ground for a church, a churchyard, a glebe,37 a school, an hospital, he can no longer claim right to the dedicated thing. Sanctification is the setting apart of a thing for a holy and religious use, in such sort that hereafter it may be put to no other use (Prov. 20:25). Now whereas times set apart for ordinary and weekly preaching, are only designed by the church for this end and purpose, so that they are not holy, but only for the present they are applied to an holy use; neither is the worship appointed as convenient or beseeming for those times, but the times are appointed as convenient for the worship.  Festival days are holy both by dedication and consecration of them....
*----------------------
36.* [Calderwood,]_ Alt. Damasc.,_ cap. 10, p. 878._ aliud est deputare, aliud dedicare, aliud sanctificare. _*37.* A portion of land assigned to a clergyman as part of his benefice (OED).​


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## Croghanite (Oct 22, 2006)

Ok. I got it. Thanks for the help. 
By the way Jay, I just recieved an offer on my house. The realators are nagotiating the deal. Please pray.


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## Kevin (Oct 23, 2006)

Those of you who ignore the christian holidays, a question. Do you observe secular holidays such as 4th of July, labour day, thanksgiving, etc.
I have always wondered about this.


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## NaphtaliPress (Oct 23, 2006)

Why?


Kevin said:


> Those of you who ignore the christian holidays, a question. Do you observe secular holidays such as 4th of July, labour day, thanksgiving, etc.
> I have always wondered about this.


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## Kevin (Oct 23, 2006)

NaphtaliPress said:


> Why?



Curiosity?


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## Croghanite (Oct 23, 2006)

PresReformed said:


> Joe,
> Biblical Holy-days were those days that were instituted by God as days of worship, rest or remembrance. The only Holy-day left now is the Sabbath. What Rome did by institutuing their holy-days was to invent new "holy" days. Roman holy-days were days that were accompanied by worship, rest or remembrance. Rome required the people to keep these days. When we observe a date such as Reformation Day, Thanksgiving, or the 4th of July, we are not keeping these days as "holy". In other words, we don't come together and worship corporately in remembrance of the day as if it were "holy".



Kevin,
I do not observe secular Holidays as Holy days. I recognize the one and only mandated Holy day in Scripture, the Sabbath.


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## Kevin (Oct 23, 2006)

LAYMAN JOE said:


> Kevin,
> I do not observe secular Holidays as Holy days. I recognize the one and only mandated Holy day in Scripture, the Sabbath.



First, doesn't holiday=holy day?
Second, why can't christmas be a secular "holiday"?


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## Croghanite (Oct 23, 2006)

Kevin,
I started this thread to find out exactly what a Holy day is.
If you read the thread in its entirety, you will find the very questions you are asking have be adressed. VirginiaHuguenot and NaphtaliPress gave links that will thorougly answer your questions. 

I had the same questions you posted. The links to the writings explaining this issue were very helpful to me. It became a lot clearer for me after reading them.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jan 23, 2007)

Here is another article worth reading by David Silversides (note particularly its treatment of Christmass-observance in the home and society as well as in the church in the Biblical context of Romans 14.5):

Why No Christmas Or Easter?


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## Croghanite (Jan 23, 2007)

I am on part 7 of the series "History of Holy Days" by Steven Dilday
All 7 parts can be found here.
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?currSection=sermonsspeaker&sermonID=121806115551
Very good stuff! The most beneficial teaching I have yet to hear on the subject.


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