A friend recently told me that her family does not "do Halloween." I'm sure that's true of many of you, and I salute you. According to History.com: "The Celtic holiday of Samhain, the Catholic Hallowmas period of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day and the Roman festival of Feralia all influenced the modern holiday of Halloween."
Without going into great detail, all of the holidays mentioned above are intended to commemorate the dead in an unbiblical way. It's one thing to remember and honor what the Apostle Paul called "those who have fallen asleep" (1 Corinthians 15; 1 Thessalonians 4). But there is only one person who, after rising from the dead, "lives to make intercession for [us]" (Hebrews 7:25). "There is one God and one mediator between God and man -- the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5). Praying to, and asking intercession from, anyone other than Jesus and the Holy Spirit -- including the Virgin Mary and the saints, though I know some of my Catholic friends would argue this point -- is as fruitless as praying to a block of wood. And here's what Paul had to say about that: "Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons" (1 Corinthians 10:19-21).
The History.com article goes on to say: "In the 19th century, Halloween began to lose its religious connotation, becoming a more secular community-based children's holiday." I'm not saying that it's wrong to hold a "fall festival" or dress up in fun costumes. But I would encourage those of you who claim the name of Christ to remember the following:
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31)
Without going into great detail, all of the holidays mentioned above are intended to commemorate the dead in an unbiblical way. It's one thing to remember and honor what the Apostle Paul called "those who have fallen asleep" (1 Corinthians 15; 1 Thessalonians 4). But there is only one person who, after rising from the dead, "lives to make intercession for [us]" (Hebrews 7:25). "There is one God and one mediator between God and man -- the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5). Praying to, and asking intercession from, anyone other than Jesus and the Holy Spirit -- including the Virgin Mary and the saints, though I know some of my Catholic friends would argue this point -- is as fruitless as praying to a block of wood. And here's what Paul had to say about that: "Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons" (1 Corinthians 10:19-21).
The History.com article goes on to say: "In the 19th century, Halloween began to lose its religious connotation, becoming a more secular community-based children's holiday." I'm not saying that it's wrong to hold a "fall festival" or dress up in fun costumes. But I would encourage those of you who claim the name of Christ to remember the following:
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31)
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