Bad Santa: The Poor Role Model that is Old Saint Nick - By Adam Paul

  Many stories have been told about Santa Claus over the years. From the children’s bedtime classic “The Night Before Christmas” and its wholesome presentation of Jolly Ol’ Saint Nick, to the Christmas all-timer twist on the mythology with Tim Allen’s The Santa Clause, to some of the even more twisted modern tales like Fat Man and Violent Night.

   Not everyone remembers that Santa Clause is based on a real life figure from the history of the church, Saint Nicholas of Myra. He was an early Greek-descended Bishop, and he was most certainly not the jolly man in red from the Coca-Cola commercials.

   Nicholas was alive during the one of the early church’s most significant controversies, the Arian heresy. Arius called into question the deity of Christ, making him out to be a lesser being, a god (lower case “g”), the first being created by God the Father, but not co-equal and co-eternal with the Father. A dangerous, Gospel-undermining view that actually persists through to today (most prominently in the form of Jehovah’s Witnesses). Arius’s teachings caused quite a stir among the early Christians, and prompted a council of church leaders forming to come together and discuss the validity of his teachings, addressing the issue head-on in a public forum, the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD.

 
   Now, there is some question around whether this story is true, and if true, there’s some discrepancies over the specifics. But the most commonly retold version of the story goes that at some point during the council, Saint Nicholas got so angry about Arius’ obstinance and stubborn adherence to his false teachings, that he got up and punched the heretic in the face!

 
   Admittedly, there’s something kinda fun about thinking of Santa Claus as a heretic-punching hero. I’ve heard he’s particularly awesome in DC’s “Silent Knight” books from the last couple years (pictured above). And it’s very true that many scriptures call us to be wary of false teachers (2 Peter 2:, Titus 1:6-16, Matthew 7:15-20). But an important thing to note is how we are meant to actually deal with these false teachers and heretics. Spoiler alert: it’s not violence. 1 Peter 3:15 - “Always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that is in you, but do so with gentleness and respect.”

 
   Scripture calls us to be bold, steadfast, and ready to defend the truth without compromise. But Scripture also call us to show love even to those who could be considered our enemies. And unfortunately I feel a lot of Christians get this very, very wrong. They fall into a ditch on either side, being too loose and willing to just glaze over or let slide dangerous heresies, or becoming so militant and overzealous for truth that we do harm, in some cases physically, in many (a great many) cases emotionally or spiritually, unjustly to sinners in need of a Saviour just like us. Paul himself says in 1 Corinthians 13 that to have all manner of things, but be lacking in love, our ministry and testimony won’t be of much worth.

   So this season, consider ways that you can find balance between the jolly old pushover we all know and love as Santa Claus, and the heretic-punching contender of the faith that was Saint Nicholas. What can you do to make sure you are always ready to defend truth, and how can you temper that with love so that rather than violence your witness is one of gentleness and respect?