Which one was Jeremiah referring to, the picture on the left or the picture on the right?
Some “Christians” say that this verse forbids a Christian from putting up the tree and celebrating Christmas:
Jeremiah 10:3-4
3 for the customs of the peoples are worthless. Someone cuts down a tree from the forest; it is worked by the hands of a craftsman with a chisel. 4 He decorates it with silver and gold. It is fastened with hammer and nails, so it won’t totter.
The key phrases are underlined and emboldened. This is what they use to tell other believers not to celebrate Christmas.
Reading a passage in its full context is basics 101 when it comes to biblical interpretation.
Jehovah’s Witnesses, as well as Atheists and other demonic groups, use this same tactic with one goal in mind, stopping people from talking about and reflecting upon Jesus’ incarnation/birth to die for our sins.
These pseudo-Christians think that they are doing God’s will by telling other believers that Christmas is pagan but in fact, they are doing the opposite. The world would love to have Jesus erased from Christmas along with the word Christmas. This Holiday is a perfect time, not only to think about what Jesus did for you and me but, telling someone the good news of Jesus Christ. If you are trying to stop people from celebrating Christmas then you are trying like the world, to make people forget what Jesus did for us.
Let’s tackle the passages in Jeremiah 10 that these pseudo-Christians like to use.
If you notice in verse 3, it says that after cutting the tree, it is worked by the hands of a craftsman with a chisel. They don’t plant the tree but cut part of it off, starting to work with it by chiseling it out into an image. The image or statue is revealed in verse 14 which says, Everyone is stupid and ignorant. Every goldsmith is put to shame by his carved image, for his cast images are a lie; there is no breath in them.
The goldsmith decorates it with silver and gold. It is not saying that he cuts the tree down to decorate it like we do today with a Christmas tree but, that he makes an idol with the tree he cut down.
No Christian today, who celebrates Christmas, bows down to it and makes the tree his god. We take this opportunity to worship the Living God, Jesus Christ and remember His sacrifice for us. Christians give glory to Jesus Christ, not the tree.
Spiritual Minefield 