The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1910-12-23
BY E. LUTHER CUNNINGHAM, b. D.

Paul tells us through his letter to
the Galatians that when the full
ness of time was come, God sent
forth his Son, made of q woman
The time had come; the word was
made flesh and dwelt on earth. But
do VIC really know when He did
come? Do We know the right year,
month of date of the month, when
the angelic messengers on that first
Christmas morn broke to those hum
bic shepherds on Bethlehem's plain
tho worlds best news, Unto you is
born this day in the city of David a
Saviour which is Christ the Lord?'
What season of the year was it when
this gracious announcement was
made? Was it spring, summer, au-
tumn or winter? Today we eele-
brate December 20th as the birth
day Is this the right month, and
is the date the correct one? Who
is able to tell us definitely or con-
vincingly that the worlds Redeemer
was born in this season of the year?
There are a number of very clever
opini MS on the subject; yet, how
ever satisfactory these may seem to
be, we are prompted to believe that
the same may be said about the
right time Of ythe birth of Christ, as
is said about the Day of Judgment.
No living man knoweth but the
Father in heaven Though the year
may be approximately correct, the
month and date of the month are not
very convincing
The data of the many calculations
to solve the mystery or this event
are in the gospels. Some of these
passages have been stretched to
yield what calculators desire, but
their findings break Gown complete.
ly when the searchlight of candid in
yestigation is turned on them There
are Others that seem to sltisfy the
sincere search after truth as to their
approximate correctness. Among
these are Matt. 2:1-13, 16 and 19;
Luke 9!2S and John 2:20 With the
assistance rendered by Josephus. to
interpret these passages in relation
to the event, we are enable to deter
mine approximately the year of our
Lords advent.
Before briefly investigating these
data, we must remind ourselves af
the fact that our present system of
numbering years is a product of the
sixth century. Dionyslus Erigums,
an influential Scythian monk, was
entrusted with the task of preparing
a new table for the observance Of
Easter, which should take the place
of the method then in use, based on
the Diocletian persecution of the
Christians. He made his era to be-
gin not with the advent but with the
miraculous conception He made
the conception to be March 25, and
the birth December 25, A. D. 1, or
754 A. V. G. In making our calcu-
lations We must also bear in nina
the loose method of Jewish reckon
ing With them part Of year
whether month or any other frac-
tion is regarded as a year. With
these observations We will now vent
ure to locate the year of our Saw
iour's birth.
In Matt. 2:1-19, 16 and 19 we are
told that Christ was born when
Herod was king. Herod tried to
kill him; he failed, and died early af-
ter his failure In what year did
these events occur? If we can To-
cate Herod's reign and fix the time of
his death, then we will be able ap-
proximately to determine the year or
the birth of Christ. Josephus is in
valuable to us in this connection. He
tells us that in the year TIA A. IT,
G, l, O., on the 1874 olymiad, the Sen
ate OF Rome unexpectedly, through
the influence of Antony, appointed
Herod king of Judea. When the ap-
pointment was made Caius Domitius
Calvimus was Consul the second