"The Christian & Chinese New Year Traditions" - message by Pastor Dr Ng Kok Moi on 22 Jan 2017 at Life Methodist Church, Puchong

1. The Christian &
Chinese New Year
Traditions
Message by Pastor Dr Ng Kok Moi,
22 Jan 2017 @ Methodist Church, Puchong

3. Origin of Chinese Civilization
Creation
Gen 1 Fall of Man
Gen 3
Biblical Record:

4. Origin of Chinese Civilization
Great Flood & Noah’s Ark (Gen 6)
• 2348 B.C.
• Men’s wickedness
• Rain: 40 days
• Flood: 150 days
• 370 days in ark
• Mt Ararat (Gen 8:4)
• Rainbow
• Only 8 were saved

5. Origin of Chinese Civilization
Gen 8:20… “Then Noah built an altar to
the Lord… he sacrificed…”
Noah’s Sacrifice / Religion

6. Origin of Chinese Civilization
The Tower Of Babel (Gen 11)
• 101 yrs later (2247 B.C.)
• One common language
• Moved east and settled
in Shinar (Babylon)
• “Let us build….”
• “… make a name for
ourselves…”

7. Origin of Chinese Civilization
• Dispersion of people
• Beginning of nations
• “Let us go down…”
• Confusion of
language

8. Origin of Chinese Civilization
Chinese records:
• China’s first dynasty, the Xia dynasty,
started in c 2205 B.C. (2100 & 2000BC)
• Tower of Babel incident: 2247BC.
• Time for the proto-Chinese to migrate to
China from present-day Iraq (the site of
the Tower of Babel): 42-205 years
Tower of Babel Xia Dynasty
Start of Chinese Civilization
2247BC 2025BC (2100BC / 2000BC)

9. Origin of Chinese Civilization
1. Record of Flood in Chinese history
2 historical facts:

10. Origin of Chinese Civilization
2. Chinese Border Sacrifice
• Shu Jing, ( ) oldest Chinese
History book
• In 2230BC, Emperor Shun
“sacrificed to Shang-Di”
• “Supreme Ruler” or “Emperor
Above”

11. The “Assimilation” of
Chinese Traditional Religions
• Taoism
• Confucianism
• Buddhism
• Shen-ism / folk religion

12. Origin of
Chinese New Year

14. Practices of
Chinese New Year

15. Reunion Dinner (tuan nián fan)

16. (nián nián yoŏ yú)

17. Hao Shi Fa Cai Lo Hon Zhai

18. Mandarin Oranges

19. Nian Gao

20. Yee Sang

21. Chinese New Year Visit
(bàinián)

22. Ang Pow
“Ya Sui Qian”

23. Red Lanterns

24. Fire crackers

25. Spring Cleaning

26. Couplets – Dui Lian

28. Dragon Dance

29. Lion Dance

30. Our Christian
Response

31. Bros, we are living
in the twentieth
century, man, not
in the stone age,
wake up, be
strong.
I would not do it. If you
are a true Christian you
will not participate in a
worldly celebration… it is
devoted to worship of
OTHER gods
Why not? Christians join
in other pagan ones like
Halloween, & some
people say Easter &
Christmas has pagan
origins…
depends on how extreme
you are. I am Christian and I
still participate in such
events as Halloween and
mardi gras. It’s really up to
you.

32. Bros, we are living
in the twentieth
century, man, not
in the stone age,
wake up, be
strong.
I would not do it. If you
are a true Christian you
will not participate in a
worldly celebration… it is
devoted to worship of
OTHER gods
Why not? Christians join
in other pagan ones like
Halloween, & some
people say Easter &
Christmas has pagan
origins…
depends on how extreme
you are. I am Christian and I
still participate in such
events as Halloween and
mardi gras. It’s really up to
you.
Yes, but be very
careful… lots of
spirits and
firework…

34. etain
eject
edeem
- Religious & Demonic
- Cultural & beneficial
- Neutral

35. • Reunion Dinner
• New Year visitation
• Ang Pow
 Promote & strengthen family
relationship
 Respect & honour elders
1. Retain – cultural & beneficial

36. • All forms of idol-worship
• Praying to Chinese deities
• Ancestral worship
• Practices with religious
undertone / significance
• Dragon / Lion Dance
2. Reject – Religious & demonic
1. Retain – cultural & beneficial

37. • Superstitious beliefs &
practices
• Sweeping floor
• Inverted 福
• Pineapple “lantern”
• Opening business
2. Reject – Religious & demonic
1. Retain – cultural & beneficial

38. • Superstitious beliefs &
practices
• Lucky dragon bamboo
• Greetings
2. Reject – Religious & demonic
1. Retain – cultural & beneficial

39. • Couplets (Dui Lian)
Rev Wong Fong Yang
3. Redeem - Neutral
2. Reject – Religious & demonic
1. Retain – cultural & beneficial

40. • Couplets
(Dui Lian)
• Yee Sang
3. Redeem - Neutral
2. Reject – Religious & demonic
1. Retain – cultural & beneficial

41. • Couplets
(Dui Lian)
• Yee Sang
• Lion Dance
Rev Wong Fong Yang
3. Redeem - Neutral
2. Reject – Religious & demonic
1. Retain – cultural & beneficial
Rev Wong Fong Yang

42. • Couplets (Dui Lian)
• Yee Sang
• Lion Dance
• “Shou Shui”
• Family tradition
3. Redeem - Neutral
2. Reject – Religious & demonic
1. Retain – cultural & beneficial

44. less the Lord
less the family
less the next generation
- faithfulness
- salvation
- steadfastness
Application

45. less the Lord
Conclusion
etain
less the family
less the next
generation
eject
edeem

46. 1 Corinthians 10:31
So whether you eat or drink
or whatever you do,
do it all for the glory of God.