Author's Note: All previous volumes of this series are here. The first 56 volumes are compiled into the book "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible." "Part Two," featuring volumes 57-113, was published in December 2022.
Thanks for joining today’s study, inspired by your comments from last week’s Vol. 296 about “gifts” when I wrote:
“‘Jesus is the reason for the season!’ On that note, I dislike the frequent use of the word ‘holiday’ instead of Christmas. Its genericness is meant not to offend, but it offends me! Moreover, 'holiday' reminds me of two abbreviations I despise even more: BCE and CE. Now, both are more commonly used than the traditional BC and AD, which divided world history into two parts because of what happened on that 'holiday.'
“My blood pressure is rising, so I need to step back, because BCE ('Before Common Era') and CE (‘Common Era’) were introduced by my people in the mid-1800s.”
I continue ranting about "how BCE and CE diminish the significance of Jesus’s never-ending impact on humankind by reducing His presence from BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini, which is Latin for 'in the year of the Lord’).”
We start today’s discussion with a story about myself at age 8. For readers who don’t know, I was born and raised Jewish. My parents were not religious but loosely observed the major Jewish holidays. (See Vol. 107.)
In keeping with our heritage, I attended Hebrew School once a week until I became a 10-year-old Hebrew School dropout. However, while attending, I first heard the terms “BCE and CE,” with no explanation of what the initials stood for or meant. Honestly, I thought the teacher was mispronouncing “BC,” which I associated with cavemen and dinosaurs, but I didn’t know what those initials stood for, either.
Looking back, the teacher should have provided a clear explanation about what the Common Era was, why it was called “common,” and, if it was so “common,” why Hebrew School was the only place where it was used instead of BC. As an inquisitive child, I would have asked those questions. But now, I will ask a pop culture question: What makes the “common era” so important and decisive that it led to dividing all human history into two eras, “before” and “after”?
Since this is a Bible study, let’s establish that when God created the universe, He also created planetary order. That order resulted in orbits by which humankind could mark time—days into nights, sunrises to sunsets, and four distinct seasons that repeated every 365 days. The first verses of Genesis tell the story of timekeeping:
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,‘ and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening, and there was morning, the first day” (Genesis 1:1-5).
Now fast forward to John’s gospel, where we read:
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life’” (John 8:12).
God’s light is what gave life to the world. The light of Jesus gives us eternal life.
The birth of Jesus is celebrated around the globe on December 25, during the holiday known as Christmas, “the mass of Christ.” The word “mass” is rooted in the Latin word “missa,” which means “to send.” And where was Christ “sent"? He was born in Bethlehem, the hometown of King David (whose many Psalms prophesied about Him), and Christ’s birthplace was marked by brilliant light from a star that shone above.
The impact Jesus had on the world is incalculable and never-ending. I suggest you read “If Jesus Had Never Been Born,” discussed in Vol. 245, with Jerry Newcombe, the co-writer.
The practice of dating time before and after Jesus's birth began in the 6th century and was established by the monk Dionysius Exiguus. His “Anno Domini,” Latin for “in the year of our Lord,” connected the calendar to Christian belief. However, it was not until the 800s that the before-and-after Jesus's birth time stamp was adopted across Europe. Later, through colonization and global trade, it spread worldwide.
However, my people — who do not believe that Jesus was the Messiah and are still waiting for one — took umbrage with the concept of marking time by the birth of a man who was a trouble-making rabbi, crucified by the Romans in the 1st century. They also conveniently ignore or rationalize all the Messianic prophecies in their Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. (See Vols. 93, 94, and 195.)
Thus, starting in the 17th century, a Jewish scholar named Johannes Kepler began using terms equivalent to “common era" that offered a religiously neutral way to mark time without changing the long-established time frames. But the abbreviations CE and BCE did not appear until a prominent rabbi and historian, Morris Jacob Raphall, used them in his book “Post-Biblical History of the Jews,” published in 1855.
Now, 170 years later, BCE and CE have become so widely adopted that I can’t watch an ancient history show without hearing these abbreviations. The apparent reason for the cultural shift from BC to BCE is the global effort to reduce Christianity’s domination of the marking of time, which irritates non-believers. Therefore, in the 21st century, “religiously neutral” abbreviations have rapidly taken hold so as not to offend. But we know that no matter how frequently BCE and CE are used, the power of Jesus Christ will never cease because Jesus is Lord.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning” (John 1:1-2).
The “common era” is Jesus.
“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1-14).
Humankind cannot diminish His power and glory through neutral, meaningless, and nondescript abbreviations, no matter how hard the dominant culture attempts to do so.
He will reign forever and ever! Amen!
Myra Kahn Adams is a conservative political and religious writer. Her book "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible" reprints the first 56 volumes of this popular study. "Part 2," reprints Vols. 57 –113. Order it here.
She is also the Executive Director of the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit. You can join our new effort in Orlando, Florida. Contact: Myraadams01@gmail.com