{"id":947,"date":"2009-12-03T03:01:27","date_gmt":"2009-12-03T03:01:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2009\/12\/is-advent-biblical-2.html"},"modified":"2009-12-03T03:01:27","modified_gmt":"2009-12-03T03:01:27","slug":"is-advent-biblical-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/12\/is-advent-biblical-2.html","title":{"rendered":"Is Advent Biblical?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Part 6 of series: Introduction to Advent
\n<\/em>Permalink for this post<\/a> \/ Permalink for this series<\/a>
\nEarlier in this series I mentioned the fact that many Protestant Christians reject Advent because they consider it to be a Roman Catholic practice. For most of these, it isn\u2019t so much the Roman Catholic aspect of Advent that is truly problematic, but the fact that Advent is not taught in Scripture. You can\u2019t turn to a place in the Bible and find teaching on Advent or a command to set aside four weeks prior to Christmas as a season of waiting, hoping, and yearning.
\nDoes this mean we that biblically-oriented Christians shouldn\u2019t observe Advent? For some, the answer is \u201cYes.\u201d If it\u2019s not explicitly taught in Scripture, then Christians shouldn\u2019t do it. You\u2019ll find that kind of argument among non-instrumental Church of Christ believes, for example. Since instruments are not explicitly mentioned in the New Testament teachings about worship, then we shouldn\u2019t use instruments today.
\nSo what about Advent? Does its absence from Scripture mean we shouldn\u2019t observe it?
\nIf you buy that argument, then you must also abstain from Christian celebrations of Christmas and Easter, which also aren\u2019t found in Scripture. You might as well throw out Mother\u2019s Day, Father\u2019s Day, Independence Day, and Thankgiving too, since none of these are mentioned in Scripture. (I suppose you could find a way to derive Thanksgiving from the Jewish festival of Sukkoth<\/em> (Tabernacles), though it wouldn\u2019t fall on the fourth Thursday in November and it wouldn\u2019t involve eating Turkey or watching football.) Moreover, if you really believe that Christians can only do that which is explicitly taught in Scripture, then you shouldn\u2019t go a to a church building for worship, or sit in pews or chairs, or use microphones, or wear pants, or use hymnals, or use digital projectors, or . . . .\u00a0 Honestly, I don\u2019t know any Christian who actually lives consistently by the \u201cI don\u2019t do it if it\u2019s not in Scripture rule,\u201d though I admire the intent of those who try.
\nI believe that we are free in Christ to do many things that are not specifically taught in Scripture. To a certain extent, I agree with those who argue that if something is not prohibited in the Bible, then it\u2019s okay for Christians. (Of course this argument has limits. I had a Christian friend in high school who used this argument to defend her use of marijuana, since it wasn\u2019t mentioned in the Bible. The rest of my Christian friends and I were persuaded that the analogy of drunkenness applied to getting high on pot. Thus we believed marijuana use to be sinful.) Surely there is nothing in Scripture that prohibits one from observing Advent. No matter what you think of it, Advent surely doesn’t fall into the “illegal drugs” category of no-nos.
\nBut I\u2019m not concerned merely with whether Advent is not disallowed in Scripture. I want to know if observing Advent is consistent with biblical themes and priorities. Is Advent biblical in this grander sense? Could the observance of Advent help one to grow in faith in a way that aligns with biblical faith?
\nYes, I think so. For a moment, forget about Advent itself, and answer the following questions:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Is it a good thing for us Christians to set aside a special time in the year to focus more on God and grow in our relationship with him?
\n\u2022 Is it good for us to get in touch with just how much we need a Savior?
\n\u2022 Is it helpful for us to wait on the Lord and to learn to wait upon him more faithfully?
\n\u2022 Is it helpful to remember our hope in God and to be refreshed in that hope?
\n\u2022 Would it be a valuable thing in your life to be prepared to celebrate the true meaning of the Incarnation?
\n\u2022 Would you like to experience more of God\u2019s peace and presence during the often hectic weeks prior to Christmas?
\n\u2022 Would your faith be enriched if you were to read, study, and meditate on biblical texts that speak of the first and second “advents” of Christ?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I think most biblically-oriented Christians would answer these questions in the affirmative. Does that mean we all should observe Advent? Of course not. We are free to do so or not to do so, according to our consciences and sense of God\u2019s leading. But it\u2019s not hard to see how Adven (or something like it) t could be beneficial for most Christians. (Photo above: I\u2019m not actually expecting many people to imitate my Advent tree, with its purple lights and purple and pink ornaments. This tree was in my office at Irvine Presbyterian Church, and could be seen by thousands of people driving by each day. I don’t put an Advent tree in my office any more, partly because I don’t have the space, and partly because the only beings who would appreciate it are of the four-legged variety. Photo to the right: The view out of my office window.)
\nIf you\u2019re looking for biblical passages that express Advent themes, you might think of such texts as:<\/p>\n

Wait for the LORD;
\nbe strong, and let your heart take courage;
\nwait for the LORD! (Psalm 27:14)
\nFor God alone my soul waits in silence,
\nfor my hope is from him.
\nHe alone is my rock and my salvation,
\nmy fortress; I shall not be shaken.
\nOn God rests my deliverance and my honor;
\nmy mighty rock, my refuge is in God. (Psalm 62:5-7)
\nI wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
\nand in his word I hope;
\nmy soul waits for the Lord
\nmore than those who watch for the morning,
\nmore than those who watch for the morning. (Psalm 130:5-6)
\nO Israel, hope in the LORD!
\nFor with the LORD there is steadfast love,
\nand with him is great power to redeem.
\nIt is he who will redeem Israel
\nfrom all its iniquities. (Psalm 130:7-8)
\n[T]hose who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength,
\nthey shall mount up with wings like eagles,
\nthey shall run and not be weary,
\nthey shall walk and not faint. (Isa 40:31)
\nI consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.\u00a0 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God;\u00a0 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.\u00a0 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now;\u00a0 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.\u00a0 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen?\u00a0 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Rom 8:18-25)
\nTherefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. (1 Peter 1:13)
\nThe one who testifies to these things says, \u201cSurely I am coming soon.\u201d Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (Rev 22:20)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Of course then there are lots of biblical passages that focus even more specifically on Advent themes and hopes associated with the coming of the Messiah. You can find these in my Advent Devotional Guide<\/a>.
\nSo, though it\u2019s correct to say that Advent itself is not taught in Scripture, and therefore Christians are free to observe it or not, it is equally correct to say that the emphases of Advent are thoroughly biblical. If the traditions of Advent help us to focus more on the Lord, to get in touch with our need for him, to replenish our hope, and to celebrate Christmas with greater meaning and depth, then I\u2019m all fer it<\/em>, as we say in Texas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part 6 of series: Introduction to Advent Permalink for this post \/ Permalink for this series Earlier in this series I mentioned the fact that many Protestant Christians reject Advent because they consider it to be a Roman Catholic practice. For most of these, it isn\u2019t so much the Roman Catholic aspect of Advent that…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-947","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-holy-week-easter"],"yoast_head":"\nIs Advent Biblical? - Mark D. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/947","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=947"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/947\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=947"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=947"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}