Chrstmas Misconceptions

[ramesh]

1 How many wise men came to see Jesus in Bethlehem?
2. How many servants did the King give money to invest according to Jesus?
3. Was Mary Magdalene a prostitute?

[CyberCat]

1. The Bible does not say how many.


4. Was Jesus born on Dec. 25 or any time in December?
5. Do we have to observe christmas?

[recursion]

4. Was Jesus born on Dec. 25 or any time in December?

Who said he was? Most people just choose this time to reflect and celebrate his birth.

5. Do we have to observe christmas?

Nope!

[ramesh]

1. Perhaps the Bible doesn't specifically state the number of Wise Men, but Christian tradition has that they were three. Very likely, these are due to the three gifts given - Gold, Frankincense and Myrhh - so it is assumed that each one gave a specific gift.

A sixth century greek manuscript gives the names of the three as Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. They were called Magi in the Bible, but scholars decided they were Kings, as in their opinion prophecy stated that Kings would give gifts to the Messiah.

Now another question:

6. How old was Jesus when the Magi came to see him?

[leoandru]

believe it or not Christmas is a pagan tradition and jesus wasn't the only "God" to be born on December 25th.

[Manu]

Teach them Leonandru....

The original celebration has nothing to with christ but simply a merger or christian and pagan beliefs, one of many, to gain the support of the majority to keep Rome in charge of its people.... then it went more papal than pagan when christians seemed to outnumber the pagans... and they were far easier to control.

[Sophis]

1. Perhaps the Bible doesn't specifically state the number of Wise Men, but Christian tradition has that they were three. Very likely, these are due to the three gifts given - Gold, Frankincense and Myrhh - so it is assumed that each one gave a specific gift.

A sixth century greek manuscript gives the names of the three as Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. They were called Magi in the Bible, but scholars decided they were Kings, as in their opinion prophecy stated that Kings would give gifts to the Messiah.

Now another question:

6. How old was Jesus when the Magi came to see him?

The account of Jesus' birth by Matthew and Luke implies that is was shortly after his birth that the Magi came to see him. There is no explicit Knowledge on how many days old he was, one only denotes from the a story told in the Gospels that it could be the same night or the following day.

[ramesh]

The account of Jesus' birth by Matthew and Luke implies that is was shortly after his birth that the Magi came to see him. There is no explicit Knowledge on how many days old he was, one only denotes from the a story told in the Gospels that it could be the same night or the following day.

Not necessarily; Take a look at Matthew 2:9-13 (New King James Version)

9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

When they (the Magi) departed that's when Joseph received the dream. It is doubtful that Herod would wait two years for the wise men to return - very likely it was less than two months before he realised the Magi were not returning. It would be strange for Joseph and Mary to get a two year head start on Herod, not only that, but also more unlikely would be the Magis' seeing the star and traveling to Herod then Bethlehem in just a day or two.

No one attempted 2 & 3:

2. There were 10 servants, according to Luke 19

11 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. 12 Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas,[b] and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’
15 “And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16 Then came the first, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’ 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’ 19 Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’
20 “Then another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. 21 For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’
24 “And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.’ 25 (But they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas.’) 26 ‘For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 27 But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’”

but Matthew has a different account. According to him it was three servants Matthew 25 (New King James Version):

14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

[ramesh]

3 Most people now realise that Mary Magdalene was NOT a prostitute. The woman who was to be stoned became synonymous with Mary Magdalene:

John 8 (New King James Version)

1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 Now early[a] in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught[b] in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded[c] us that such should be stoned.[d] But what do You say?”[e] 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.[f]
7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up[g] and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience,[h] went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her,[i] “Woman, where are those accusers of yours?[j] Has no one condemned you?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and[k] sin no more.”
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

[ramesh]

Continuing....

7. Was Jesus born in a stable? Or a barn? Or a cave?
8. Did Mary arrive in Bethlehem the night she gave birth?
9. Did Mary ride a donkey to Bethlehem?