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What are Ash Wednesday and Lent? Does the Bible tell us to celebrate these days?

 by United Church of God 4 comments Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

After Mardi Gras comes Ash Wednesday and 40 days of Lent. Did the early New Testament Church observe these days?

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The Bible does teach the importance of fasting and self-examination, but it does not teach a 40-day period called Lent or an Ash Wednesday of putting ashes on the forehead.

The Bible does not mention Ash Wednesday or Lent, and the early New Testament Church did not observe these days. Here is how the BBC Religion page describes Ash Wednesday and Lent:
“Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent for Western Christian churches. It’s a day of penitence to clean the soul before the Lent fast.
“Roman Catholic, Anglican, and some other churches hold special services at which worshippers are marked with ashes as a symbol of death and sorrow for sin…
“The Christian churches that observe Lent in the 21st century (and not all do significantly) use it as a time for prayer and penance. Only a small number of people today fast for the whole of Lent, although some maintain the practice on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. It is more common these days for believers to surrender a particular vice such as favourite foods or smoking” (BBC ).
Lent is counted differently by those of the Western Catholic tradition and those of the Eastern Orthodox tradition. “ The western church excludes Sundays (which is celebrated as the day of Christ’s resurrection) whereas the eastern church includes them. The churches also start Lent on different days. Western churches start Lent on the 7th Wednesday before Easter Day (called Ash Wednesday). Eastern churches start Lent on the Monday of the 7th week before Easter and end it on the Friday 9 days before Easter. Eastern churches call this period the ‘Great Lent ‘” (BBC ).
Various biblical events and customs are referred to by those who celebrate these days. The Bible mentions people mourning in sackcloth and ashes. The Bible also talks about repentance and fasting, and the number 40 is prominent in various biblical events.
“The justification for the Lenten 40-day preparation for Easter is traditionally based on Jesus’ 40-day wilderness fast before His temptation by Satan ( Harper’s Bible Dictionary, ‘Lent’; Matthew 4:1-2; Mark 1:13). The problem with this explanation is that this incident is not connected in any way with Jesus’ supposed observance of Easter. The 40-day pre-Easter practice of fasting and penance did not originate in the Bible” (The Good Friday—Easter Sunday Question ).
Some have suggested that Lent may be connected to earlier, pagan holidays. In Ezekiel 8:14, the prophet in vision saw women weeping for the pagan god Tammuz. “It has been suggested by some scholars that the practice of ‘weeping for Tammuz’ was the actual origin of Lent, the Roman Catholic 40-day period of abstinence prior to Easter (starting after Mardi Gras, ‘Fat Tuesday,’ on Ash Wednesday). Consider that the name Easter itself is derived from Ishtar, the ancient Babylonian fertility goddess and Tammuz’s mother”. (See the Bible commentary on Ezekiel 8 for details. )
The Bible does teach the importance of fasting and self-examination, but it does not teach a 40-day period called Lent or an Ash Wednesday of putting ashes on the forehead. These customs appear to have pagan origins, and are not practiced by the United Church of God. We seek to follow the customs and practices of the early New Testament Church as described in the Bible. For more on the biblical religious festivals, such as the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the spring, see God’s Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind .

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Super Bowl Ads

Reflections of Our Culture

 by Don Hooser Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Today's moral issue trend seems to be shifting toward the "do as you feel" point of view regarding personal conduct. For those whose sense of morality is still rooted in biblical principles, these are disturbing times.

Football's Super Bowl game is the world's most-watched annual sports event. But the Super Bowl is much more than a football game.
It's also the crème de la crème of TV commercials. This year they sold for $3 million for a 30-second spot! Two ads—one rejected, the other accepted by this year's hosting network (NBC)—are examples of the controversial social perspectives that exist in our society and the turmoil that arises from those differing perceptions of morality.
The website www.catholicvote.org features a 30-second ad that openly gives the pro-life religious-social viewpoint. To promote that viewpoint its supporters were able to raise sufficient funds to air the same ad during the Super Bowl. But NBC turned it down on the grounds that their network refuses to run ads involving “political advocacy or issues .”
Now consider the second example—the ad the network was willing to accept.
AshleyMadison.com is a matchmaking service for married men and women who want to have an extramarital affair. The website openly advertises: “Life is short. Have an affair.”
When Ashley-Madison sought to buy an ad spot on stations throughout the U.S. and Canada to air during the Super Bowl, NBC first agreed but finally backed away from trying to blanket all markets with the ad because of the outrage that arose over its blatant promotion of what is still commonly regarded as immorality.
The initial publicity started in Canada when CTV, which broadcasts the Super Bowl game in Canada, notified NBC of its refusal to run the ad. As it turned out, only one NBC affiliate station in the U.S. chose to air the ad.
As an ABC radio newscast put it on the Monday after the Super Bowl, it was the only station that “dared” to run the ad. Public objections to it had grown to that extent.
That today's society is deeply divided over moral issues is common knowledge. And the trend seems to be shifting toward the “do as you feel” point of view regarding personal conduct.
For those whose sense of morality is still rooted in biblical principles, these are disturbing times. They raise the question: Are we approaching the time described as the “last days” in the Scriptures?
The apostle Paul describes much of humanity in the “last days” as “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:1, 4). The prophet Isaiah gave this warning to those who disregard the teaching of God: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20).
In the Scriptures there is no compromise between good and evil behaviors. If you profess a loyalty to the God of the Bible, you need a clear roadmap to what is or is not moral behavior. That roadmap is based on the godly principles of conduct and thought that are encapsulated in the Ten Commandments .
Understanding those principles and grasping the underlying reasons why all human relationships benefit when they are consistently applied is one of the greatest needs in our world today. So don't assume what you may have heard about morality is all you need to know! Take the time to learn the foundational keys that produce the happiness all humans desire.
For a full and meaningful explanation of those godly values and principles that distinguish good from evil and protect our relationships, simply request or download our free booklet: The Ten Commandments  .

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  Don Hooser

  United Church of God Pastor

  Don Hooser is a minister and writer for the publications of United Church of God. He and his wife Elsie live in McKinney TX, a suburb of Dallas. He was born in Dallas and grew up mostly in east Texas. Elsie is from Detroit, Michigan. They have three grown children, Amy, Randy, and Danny. Mr. Hooser graduated in 1963 from Southern Methodist University with a degree in mechanical engineering, and graduated in 1966 from Ambassador College, Big Sandy. Don and Elsie married two days after Don's graduation.

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What is Mardi Gras? Should Christians celebrate Mardi Gras (Shrove Tuesday)?

by United Church of God 4 comments Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Mardi Gras literally means "Fat Tuesday" in French (called Pancake Tuesday in England) and is associated with the Roman Catholic custom of Lent. But is it taught in the Bible? Would God want Christians to celebrate it?

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In places like New Orleans, the period of merrymaking with fancy balls and parades goes on for weeks leading up to Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday).

The idea behind Mardi Gras or carnival celebrations is that people overindulge before giving up something for Lent, which begins the following day with Ash Wednesday. (Lent is the 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday to Easter observed by the Roman Catholic, Eastern and some Protestant churches as a period of penitence and fasting.)

The idea of partying before repenting seems to be to get as much revelry and additional sin out of the way before you decide to do anything about it. But that attitude doesn’t show a belief that God’s way is really right and that sin is really wrong.

Note the following encyclopedia article excerpt:
“Some scholars have noted similarities between modern Mardi Gras celebrations and Lupercalia, a fertility festival held each February in ancient Rome. However, modern Carnival traditions developed in Europe during the Middle Ages (5th century to the 15th century) as part of the ritual calendar of the Roman Catholic Church.
“Today pre-Lenten Carnivals are celebrated predominantly in Roman Catholic communities in Europe and the Americas. Cities famous for their celebrations include Nice, France; Cologne, Germany; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. New Orleans, Louisiana, holds the most famous Mardi Gras celebration in the United States. Residents of New Orleans have been celebrating Mardi Gras since the 18th century” (“Mardi Gras,” Encarta).
Mardi Gras “ is a lively, colorful [not to mention bawdy and debased] celebration held on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent begins ,” says the World Book Encyclopedia. It “ goes back to an ancient Roman custom of merrymaking before a period of fast. ” In places like New Orleans, the period of merrymaking with fancy balls and parades goes on for weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday itself.
It has been suggested by some scholars that the pagan practice of “weeping for Tammuz” that Ezekiel decried (Ezekiel 8:14) was the actual origin of Lent. Tammuz was a pagan god associated with death and rebirth in nature and the husband of the goddess Ishtar (See the Bible commentary on Ezekiel 8 for details. )
The idea of partying before repenting seems to be to get as much revelry and additional sin out of the way before you decide to do anything about it. But that attitude doesn’t show a belief that God’s way is really right and that sin is really wrong, harmful and something to be avoided because it wars against us (1 Peter 2:11) and is contrary to God’s instruction (Romans 13:13-14). It doesn’t show the 100 percent commitment that God wants (Romans 12:1-2).
God says we should always live holy lives and obey His laws because they are good for us (Deuteronomy 10:12-13). Satan is the one who wants us to think that doing wrong things is fun, and his deception has been quite successful (Revelation 12:9; 1 John 2:16).
Neither Mardi Gras nor Lent are commanded in the Bible but come from pre-Christian, pagan customs. What does God think about such pagan customs?
“When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess…do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods… Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it” (Deuteronomy 12:29-32).
The New Testament continues this theme. The apostle Paul addressed the issue of whether outside religious customs and practices had any place among Christians:
“What fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’
“Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.’ Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 6:14–18; 2 Corinthians 7:1).
Instead of renaming some of the pagan customs as Christian or allowing the new converts to retain some of their former practices, Paul commanded them to leave behind all of these forms of worship.
Mardi Gras celebrations have nothing to do with God’s commanded Holy Days. On the contrary, they are part of the system from which God’s people should separate themselves.
For more information, please read our booklet “Holidays or Holy Days: Does It Matter Which Days We Observe? “

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What's wrong with Ash Wednesday?

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Ashes, sacrificing for Lent, what could be wrong with that?

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[Darris McNeely] If you happen to see anyone today with an ashen cross on their forehead, don't think that it's just a smudge of dirt. It's Ash Wednesday. And for people who keep this day, that's part of the custom, the ritual of putting a cross on their head in commemoration of Christ, His life, His birth, and the beginning of Lent and the 40 days of fasting.
[Steve Myers] Is that something we need to be a part of? Is that something you should be doing, putting an outward symbol on your forehead? Or for the next 40 days giving up some things like a pack of gum? Or I read on a Catholic website, give up a half an hour of TV because somehow that connects with the sacrifice of Christ? Is that what we should really be doing or is there a whole lot more to it?
[Darris McNeely] These practice that take place during this 40 day period are very interesting. They tend toward a works based approach toward religion, and it's the very opposite of what the Bible says regarding our relationship with God and what we should learn from the very important events of Christ life, and His death, and His resurrection. And it gets down to a more spiritual application than something external and physical.
[Steve Myers] Right. Rather than just being sorry about something or being penitent, you have to repent, you have to change, and that's an inward thing not an outward thing. And there's a connection here in Matthew:6:16Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.. Christ was talking about fasting, but the same applies to putting ashes on your head or giving up a pack of gum for 40 days. Here's what He says, He says, "When you fast, don't make it obvious." That's the New Living translation. He says, "As the hypocrites do for they try to look miserable or disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting." That's not the approach. Christ points to the inside. He says, "When you fast, comb your hair, wash your face, then no one will notice what you're doing," what you're fasting about. He says, "Except your Father who knows what you do in private, and your Father who sees everything will reward you" (Matthew:6:16-18 [16] Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
[17] But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
[18] That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.). So what's God most concerned about? The inside, what's happening inside. Not some outward show. But He wants a relationship with you.  He wants true repentance, not just something to feel sorry about. So it's more important about what's going on inside.
[Darris McNeely] It's the inward man, that change that takes place that really defines our relationship with God. That's what God is most interested in, not in placing ashes on our forehead in some type of symbol.
[Steve Myers] So let's make it our goal to draw closer to God, not on the outside, but on the inside where it really counts.
[Darris McNeely] That's BT Daily . Join us next time. 

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3 Bible Tips on Avoiding Pornography and Lust

1. Looking with lust is mental adultery.
"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell" (Matthew 5:27-29).
Jesus used hyperbole here to make a strong point: if the only way to avoid lust were to pluck out an eye, that would be better than eternal death. Thankfully that's not the only way!
2. Like all sins, the best way to avoid pornography is to avoid the source. Block such sites on your computer, etc.
"Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body" (1 Corinthians 6:18).
3. God's Spirit can give us help to avoid giving in to lust.
"I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16).
For more on avoiding pornography, see Pornography: Definitely Not for Adults.

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Does the Bible forbid women from wearing pants?

What does the biblical statute about a woman not wearing anything that pertains to a man mean today?

Answer: Deuteronomy:22:5The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God. says: "A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman's garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the Lord your God." Like many of the statutes, this law had to do with pagan customs of the time, and as we will see, does not refer to women wearing pants. The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary explains:
"Disguises were assumed at certain times in pagan temples. Maimonides...mentions that a man attired in a coloured female dress, in honour of Venus, Ashtaroth, or Astarte, and a woman equipped in armour, worshipped at the shrine of the statue of Mars...
"Asiatics, when they engaged in the worship of Ashtaroth, were accustomed, according to Philocorus, quoted by Townley (in his edition of Maimonides, note 33), to exchange the male and female dresses. In fact, all idolators confounded the sexes of their deities—representing them sometimes as male, at other times as female; and hence, their worshippers, male and female, fell gradually into the custom, which became extensively prevalent, of changing their attire in adaptation to the sex of a particular divinity."
God's command to Israel forbade the people from incorporating pagan religious rites into true worship. In spite of this instruction, today's Christianity commonly mixes paganism in with the worship of Christ.
Does Deuteronomy:22:5The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God. forbid women from wearing pants? No, it doesn't. In fact, even men in the Middle East through the history of the Old and New Testaments did not wear pants; they wore a robelike garment. However, there is an underlying principle that applies today. Men should dress in an appropriately masculine manner and women should dress in an appropriately feminine manner. Clothing manufacturers make pants designed for men and pants designed for women.
For more insight, please read our article The Modesty Question: How Far is Too Far?

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The Gay Agenda: Coming to a School Near You

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article by Tom Robinson

Fox News radio commentator Todd Starnes observes in his new book God Less America that those in "the militant gay rights community . . . not only expect you to accept their lifestyle, but they also want you to affirm it. They want your children exposed to it in their public school classrooms. They want private business owners to endorse their court-sanctioned 'marriages.' And woe be to any person who dares object" (2014, p. 64).

In 2007 a Massachusetts federal judge ruled that the gay agenda must be taught in public school, "ordering that it is reasonable, indeed there is an obligation, for public schools to teach young children to accept and endorse homosexuality" (Bob Unruh, "Judge Orders 'Gay' Agenda Taught to Christian Children," WND.com, Feb. 24, 2007).
And it's happening: "An elementary school in Oakland, California, topped off its school year with a 'Pride Day' celebrating all types of families, including those in which the parents consider themselves to be lesbian, 'gay' bisexual, transgender or queer," complete with indoctrinating lectures, videos and a sing-along (Leo Hohmann, "5-Year Olds Taught to Celebrate 'Queer Pride," WND, June 16, 2014).
Again, it's not only in America. LifeSiteNews reports on Scotland: "While Scottish government draft guidelines currently allow teachers with moral objections to opt-out of certain aspects of the country's new sex-ed curriculum [such as teaching about gay marriage], several National Health Service boards have objected to the opt-out clause. They are also objecting to provisions allowing parents to opt their children out of the classes . . .
"Another NHS board warned against allowing parents too much influence over children, saying that the decision about whether to attend the classes should be left up to the students, even if their parents object" (Hilary White, "Teachers Cannot Opt Out of Teaching Gay 'Marriage' in School Sex-Ed Classes: Scottish NHS," May 15, 2014, emphasis added throughout).
It's truly disturbing to read a recent report from the pro-family organization MassResistance titled "'GLBT' Teachers Conference in Boston Reveals Latest Plans to Push Homosexuality Even Further Into Schools. Well Organized, Fueled With Taxpayer Dollars" (May 13, 2014).
The report states: "GLSEN (Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network) is the nation's largest homosexual and transgender activist organization working inside schools in all 50 states. It has set up 'gay straight alliance' student clubs (GSAs) inside thousands of high schools (and even some middle schools) across the country.
"GLSEN pushes a wide range of psychologically penetrating homosexual and transgender programs and activities into the schools . . . It also directly organizes and trains teachers to integrate their techniques throughout the curriculum . . .
"In 2000, the Boston-area GLSEN Conference gained national outrage when MassResistance (then known as Parents' Rights Coalition) exposed the sickening . . . workshop which involved adults teaching young kids explicit sex acts."
In this workshop students as young as 12 were given graphic instruction in homosexual sex acts by state employees. The Massachusetts Legislature, along with several U.S. corporations, continues to support the organization.
Some of the 2014 conference workshops for training teachers, administrators and activist students included how to start a "gay-straight alliance" in middle schools (for students aged 10-14!) and "Queering the Classroom" to provide "a safe environment for GLBTQ youth" and "a more comfortable, creative environment for all students."
For those concerned about their children, it's highly disturbing to see a picture of a sign behind conference speakers that proudly proclaims, "GLSEN: Making a Difference in K-12 Schools."
No doubt this has had an effect—along with all the other forces pushing young people to accept and embrace homosexuality. "As evidence of a major cultural shift . . . [one family advocate] pointed to a recent poll by the Pew Research Center indicating a full 70 percent of Millennials (born in 1981 or later) support same-sex marriage.
"By contrast, 49 percent of those in Generation X [born between the early 1960s and 1980], 38 percent of Baby Boomers [born between 1946 and the early 1960s] and just 21 percent from the Silent Generation [born between late 1920s and 1945] support homosexual marriage" (Chelsea Schilling, "Claim: Christians Sin By Putting Kids in Public School," WND, May 17, 2014).
In the Fort Worth, Texas, area, when discussion in a ninth-grade German class shifted to religion and homosexuality, as it often did, 14-year-old Dakota Ary turned to a friend and said "that he was a Christian and that 'being a homosexual is wrong' . . . [whereupon] Dakota was sentenced to one day of in-school suspension and two days of full suspension" (Starnes, p. 122).
This was in a classroom where the teacher's "world wall" had a picture of two men kissing that offended some students. "He told the students this is happening all over the world and you need to accept the fact that homosexuality is just part of our culture now," said Liberty Counsel attorney Matt Krause (Starnes, p. 123).
The superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools sought to evict a Baptist church renting space in one of their buildings because the congregation opposed homosexuality, stating that renting to those who hold such views "appears to be contrary to school board policy as well as the basic principles of humanity" and calling the eviction a "rejection of prejudice and intolerance" (quoted by Starnes, p. 81).
Students across Massachusetts were warned by a Department of Education directive to affirm transgender classmates. "And if little girls took issue with sharing a bathroom with a transgender boy [a boy claiming to be a girl], the state said those little girls could be punished" (p. 119).

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Where did Valentine's Day come from? Is it wrong for a Christian to celebrate it?

Like many of the world's major holidays, St. Valentine's Day is an annual observance with its roots entrenched firmly in pagan beliefs and customs. What would God think about Valentine's Day?

Answer:

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The ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, an annual three-day ritual believed to ward off evil spirits and increase fertility, was held on February 13 to 15.
Lupercalia (also known as Februatio, which is where we get the name for our month of February) was popular among many of the new converts to the quick-rising Catholic Church, and as Celebrations: The Complete Book of American Holidays notes, "Everywhere that [mainstream] Christians came into power they immediately adapted the holidays and customs of the people to their own creed” (Robert J. Myers and the editors of Hallmark Cards, 1972, pp. 50-51).
Such was their course of action with this festival of Lupercalia. While Pope Gelasius officially condemned the pagan Roman festival and banned its observance at the end of the fifth century, many of its accompanying practices quickly appeared in a newly established holiday added by him to the official church list of feast days in A.D. 496—St. Valentine's Day.
Soon, people were no longer looking to obtain fertility by being beaten with strips of animal skin called februa. Instead, they turned their focus to St. Valentine, the patron saint of "engaged couples and anyone wishing to marry" (Celebrations, pp. 48-49), whose actual identity is even murkier than what connection he bore to romance.
What amounted to a renamed, refurbished Lupercalia then picked up steam, gradually adapting itself into the Valentine's Day we know today, which included the added elements of Valentine cards and Cupid, the Roman god of erotic love.
Friendship and sending cards are wonderful things, and God is not opposed to romance at the right time in the right way. But does the pagan religious history of Valentine's Day taint the modern practices? What does God have to say about observing pagan traditions, renamed or not?
"When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess…do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.' You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods... Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it" (Deuteronomy:12:29-32 [29] When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land;
[30] Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.
[31] Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
[32] What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.).
Though the practices of Lupercalia have been repackaged and dressed up in the form of Valentine's Day, these verses indicate they remain just as detestable as they have always been in our Creator's eyes. Instead of pagan days and practices, our focus should be on the Holy Days God has given us in the Bible, which point us toward His amazing and incomparable plan for all of humanity.
For more information, please read the free Bible study guide  "Holidays or Holy Days: Does It Matter Which Days We Observe? "



 

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Valentine's Day

In this Teen Bible Study Guide, we’ll discuss the origins of Valentine’s Day and examine what God says about it.

Introduction

Hearts and flowers, cupids and candy—today's symbols of Valentine's Day are well removed from the circumstances which instituted this yearly display of affection.
In this installment of Teen Bible Study Guide, we’ll discuss the origins of Valentine’s Day and examine what God says about it.

History

Established as a religious holiday, the Feast of St. Valentine honored the Roman priest who lost his life during the reign of Roman Emperor Claudius II. According to various historical accounts, Valentine, a priest in Rome, was persecuted for his beliefs and executed on Feb. 14. Approximately 270 A.D. Valentine became a symbol of love and compassion. Several hundreds of years later when the Roman Catholic Church gained a stronger foothold in Europe and set about substituting pagan rituals with more "Christian" sounding names, Valentine was officially recognized.

"Lupercalia"

In ancient Rome this pagan feast day was known as Lupercalia, the "feast of Lupercus." Mid February was traditionally the time of the festival, an ode to the God of fertility and a celebration of sensual pleasure, a time to meet and court a prospective mate.
Lupercus was the Roman god that protected them from wolves, which were a great danger in that area. So, each year in the middle of February the Romans honored the god Lupercus, giving him thanks for protecting them. The people feasted, danced and played games. When the young men wanted partners for the dancing and games, they drew names of girls from a bowl. Sometimes they became sweethearts, too. This went on for hundreds of years.

Modernization

As more and more people throughout the Western Roman Empire converted to an increasingly popular "Christianity," they brought many of their favorite customs with them, including this "feast of Lupercus". In AD 496, Pope Gelasius outlawed the pagan festival. But he wanted to replace it with a similar celebration. He needed a "lovers" saint to replace the pagan deity Lupercus. The martyred bishop Valentine was chosen as the patron saint of the new festival.
Thus, "the church endeavored to amalgamate (mix), as it were, the old and new religions, and sought, by transferring the heathen ceremonies to the solemnities (observances) of the Christian festivals, to make them subservient (subordinate) to the cause of religion and piety… The result has been the strange medley (mingling) of Christian and pagan rites…" (Chambers’ Book of Days, Vol. 2).And that’s how the feast of Lupercalia was replaced with the feast of St. Valentine.
Still others claim that sending greetings to loved ones on Feb. 14 dates to the middle ages when it was believed that this day marked the beginning of the mating season for birds.
1. What was the motivation to rename Lupercalia? How successful (on a scale of 1 to 10) do you think the strategy was?
2. But, despite it’s obvious pagan roots, is it still all right to keep it?

What does God say?

DEUTERONOMY 12:29-32 " When the LORD your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.' You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it."
1. Why does God not want us to look at other nations and other ways of worship and adopt those for our worship of Him?
2. Why do you think we should be careful in our worship of God?
3. What did Christ say about it?
Mark:7:6-7 [6] He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
[7] Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' "
4. How do these words of Jesus apply to the celebration of Valentine's Day?
5. Did Christ uphold God’s commandments? Read John:15:10If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. and 14:15 and then answer.
COMMENT: Jesus is our example so we should follow His conduct (I Cor. 11:1).

Summary

1. With what is Valentine's Day associated today? Do any religious ideas come to mind? If so, which ones?
2. What are the origins of Valentines’ Day? Why is it important to know the origin of Valentine's Day?
3. What does God say about how we worship Him?
4. Why is it important to keep God’s commandments?
5. What other days are celebrated in today’s culture that don’t come from the Bible?

‹ Teen Bible Study Volume 5: Non-Biblical Holidaysup Easter ›

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Ideas for Family Bible Studies for Teens

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In this Teen Bible Study Guide, we’ll discuss the origins of popular holidays and examine what God says about them.

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What's wrong with Ash Wednesday?

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Ashes, sacrificing for Lent, what could be wrong with that?

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[Darris McNeely] If you happen to see anyone today with an ashen cross on their forehead, don't think that it's just a smudge of dirt. It's Ash Wednesday. And for people who keep this day, that's part of the custom, the ritual of putting a cross on their head in commemoration of Christ, His life, His birth, and the beginning of Lent and the 40 days of fasting.
[Steve Myers] Is that something we need to be a part of? Is that something you should be doing, putting an outward symbol on your forehead? Or for the next 40 days giving up some things like a pack of gum? Or I read on a Catholic website, give up a half an hour of TV because somehow that connects with the sacrifice of Christ? Is that what we should really be doing or is there a whole lot more to it?
[Darris McNeely] These practice that take place during this 40 day period are very interesting. They tend toward a works based approach toward religion, and it's the very opposite of what the Bible says regarding our relationship with God and what we should learn from the very important events of Christ life, and His death, and His resurrection. And it gets down to a more spiritual application than something external and physical.
[Steve Myers] Right. Rather than just being sorry about something or being penitent, you have to repent, you have to change, and that's an inward thing not an outward thing. And there's a connection here in Matthew:6:16Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.. Christ was talking about fasting, but the same applies to putting ashes on your head or giving up a pack of gum for 40 days. Here's what He says, He says, "When you fast, don't make it obvious." That's the New Living translation. He says, "As the hypocrites do for they try to look miserable or disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting." That's not the approach. Christ points to the inside. He says, "When you fast, comb your hair, wash your face, then no one will notice what you're doing," what you're fasting about. He says, "Except your Father who knows what you do in private, and your Father who sees everything will reward you" (Matthew:6:16-18 [16] Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
[17] But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
[18] That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.). So what's God most concerned about? The inside, what's happening inside. Not some outward show. But He wants a relationship with you.  He wants true repentance, not just something to feel sorry about. So it's more important about what's going on inside.
[Darris McNeely] It's the inward man, that change that takes place that really defines our relationship with God. That's what God is most interested in, not in placing ashes on our forehead in some type of symbol.
[Steve Myers] So let's make it our goal to draw closer to God, not on the outside, but on the inside where it really counts.
[Darris McNeely] That's BT Daily . Join us next time.