If you have followed all the studies this year, you have completed an intensive study of the entire New Testament. Well done! For the next few days seasonal information and wisdom will be offered. Starting in January we will begin to study the Old Testament together.
Today we turn our attention to the "X" in Xmas.
Many Bible believers erroneously claim that the word Xmas is an attempt by unbelievers "to remove Christ from Christmas." This is simply not a legitimate claim!
In the Greek language, which is the original language of the New Testament, the word Christ begins with the Greek X. X in Greek is Ch in English -- hence the first letter of the word Christ. (The entire word is XPICTOC.) X is the Greek letter for ch, more guttural than the English k. It is the same sound as in the Scottish loch and the German achtung. In Greek, Christ is spelled XPICTOC. (X = ch, P = r, and c = s.) It sounds like hreeSTOS. The X in Xmas is simply shorthand for Christ.
So when folks say that the X is antichristian, they have misunderstood its etymology. Which is why I will continue to write "Xmas," without intending or even offering any disrespect to my Lord.
There is nothing irreverent about using this popular shorthand for Christmas. Tell your friends it's okay!
