Are there things the Bible does not tell us about the Christmas story?
On this episode of "The Catholic Gentleman," podcast hosts Sam Guzman and John Heinen discuss The Christmas Story with scripture scholar and parish priest Father Dwight Longenecker.
“We discuss the truth of the Magi, the shepherds, and other stories that have come down through centuries that are not directly found in Scripture,” the episode’s description explains.
In the episode, Father Longenecker invites us to take a deeper “look at the original story."
"It'll help you to understand the reality of Jesus being born in Bethlehem 2000 years ago,” he says.
He adds that “when we read the Christmas story, there are lots of fairytale elements...Angels, magical dreams, Wizards from a faraway land... and a magical child.”
However, he says it actually “undermined the historical reliability of the Bible for many scholars and especially the Christmas story was perceived as being mythological or Supernatural or just a made-up fairy tale."
Father Longenecker’s approach to scholarship, which sometimes brands him a "Grinch and a party pooper," is actually the quest for truth!
He challenges the modern view of seeing these Christmas stories as myth, and affirms there is a “real solid historical foundation for the story” of the Magi, shepherds, and the Nativity!
"When you go to the Church of the Holy Nativity in Bethlehem, you are almost certainly standing and venerating the very spot where our Lord was born," the priest explains.
Father Longenecker also answers these questions in the episode:
- How many Magi were there?
- How did Luke write the shepherds’ stories 50-60 years later?
This Christmas season, he suggests remembering this:
"The Incarnation of Our Lord is not a myth, it's not a fairy tale, these events took place... when you're there the rocks and stones do shout out."
Wow —What a beautiful Christmas message to embrace!
Watch the episode below: