E185 Glory and Truth: Why Christmas is Biblical
We are shaking things up in 2026--Make sure to JOIN US for ALL the content coming - https://join.unrefinedpodcast.comSome conversations feel like stepping into a warm room full of light, and this one definitely did. In this episode, we drift into that holiday crossroads where Scripture, history, memes, and misguided internet theology all collide. We talk about why Christmas is far more ancient, sacred, and deeply biblical than most people ever imagine, and why the “pagan origins” claims collapse under even a little sunlight. The conversation moves from the fall, to Abraham, to the prophets, to the early church, and then out into global Christian traditions that celebrate the incarnation in wildly different cultural ways. We explore unity vs. uniformity, Christian liberty, spiritual warfare, evangelism, and the beauty of Advent. And best of all — we unpack how the theology of Christmas leads us straight into worship, mission, and joy. Welcome back Dr. Rob Solberg.Grab the book-->https://amzn.to/44sQJrbRob's website- https://thebiblicalroots.org/Rob's spotify for Adventhttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/6v6t220W4qka9krXy2OZ93?si=rXj1Si8GQWa0G0oN1UWD6Q&pi=oIQEmAzkREO5_https://join.unrefinedpodcast.comTimestamps:00:56:00 Entering the “holiday zone”01:05:00 Theology of Christmas book discussion01:20:00 Why write a defense of Christmas01:45:00 Offense and defense in ministry03:18:00 Dealing with fringe teachings05:43:00 The deeper story behind Christmas08:09:00 Old Testament promises and patterns10:32:00 Incarnation as the second most important event12:52:00 Joy, celebration, and biblical precedent15:00:00 Birth narratives in ancient biography17:16:00 The liminal era of the early church19:30:00 How Christmas emerged historically21:52:00 Arbitrary dates and Christian liberty24:11:00 Celtic incarnational influence26:29:00 Evangelism opportunities at Christmas28:51:00 Cultures, unity, and contextualization31:03:00 Spiritual warfare and distraction33:24:00 Why the book is so convincing35:46:00 Hanukkah, Purim, and man-made festivals38:10:00 Christian liberty and non-essentials40:34:00 Kindness, humility, and internet debate42:59:00 Uniformity vs. unity in church history45:23:00 What Christians should bring back to Christmas47:45:00 Rich theology in old Christmas hymns50:08:00 How the Advent study guide works52:29:00 Rob’s dissertation on Jews and Gentiles54:47:00 Roots of Gentile-majority church57:11:00 False teachers and humility
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