Some 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.

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Rob's website- https://thebiblicalroots.org/

Rob's spotify for Advent
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6v6t220W4qka9krXy2OZ93?si=rXj1Si8GQWa0G0oN1UWD6Q&pi=oIQEmAzkREO5_

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Timestamps:
00:56:00 Entering the “holiday zone”
01:05:00 Theology of Christmas book discussion
01:20:00 Why write a defense of Christmas
01:45:00 Offense and defense in ministry
03:18:00 Dealing with fringe teachings
05:43:00 The deeper story behind Christmas
08:09:00 Old Testament promises and patterns
10:32:00 Incarnation as the second most important event
12:52:00 Joy, celebration, and biblical precedent
15:00:00 Birth narratives in ancient biography
17:16:00 The liminal era of the early church
19:30:00 How Christmas emerged historically
21:52:00 Arbitrary dates and Christian liberty
24:11:00 Celtic incarnational influence
26:29:00 Evangelism opportunities at Christmas
28:51:00 Cultures, unity, and contextualization
31:03:00 Spiritual warfare and distraction
33:24:00 Why the book is so convincing
35:46:00 Hanukkah, Purim, and man-made festivals
38:10:00 Christian liberty and non-essentials
40:34:00 Kindness, humility, and internet debate
42:59:00 Uniformity vs. unity in church history
45:23:00 What Christians should bring back to Christmas
47:45:00 Rich theology in old Christmas hymns
50:08:00 How the Advent study guide works
52:29:00 Rob’s dissertation on Jews and Gentiles
54:47:00 Roots of Gentile-majority church
57:11:00 False teachers and humility