How many Wise Men, How many Gifts?

“After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” 

(Matthew 2:11, NASB).

According to Christian tradition, there were three wise men who came from the East with three gifts. The question is, is this true? The passage in question is found in Matthew 2:1-12. First, the passage in question talks about the “Magi” a caste of wise men specializing in astronomy, astrology, and natural science. The term Magi is in the plural. So we know it is talking about more than one wise man. However, this does not imply there were three wise men as often heard during Christmas time. For all we know there could have been as many as a dozen wise men. No doubt, the popular notion that assumes there were three wise men comes from the three types of gifts that were given. The gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (see Matt. 2:11). The truth is, the Scriptures never tells us that three wise men, or Magi came searching for the birth place of Christ the child, nor does the Bible tell us how many wise men came. Second, the question about how many gifts were given is usually believed to be only three gifts. Again today’s text does not say only three gifts were given. The passage only tells us that three specific types of gifts were given, gold, frankincense, and myrrh. It does not tell us how many gifts were actually given. The gold speaks of Christ’s deity as the Son of God, the frankincense tells us of His holy and righteous life as the Son of Man, and myrrh reveals to us the sufferings of Christ as the Lamb of God. Not only were such gifts given to the Christ child as an act of worship by the wise men. They also prophetically speak of His life and purpose. To conclude, since the passage of Scripture does not tell us how many wise men there were, we also don’t know how many gifts were given. To teach there were three wise men who gave three gifts is reading into the text what is not there. It is being dishonest with the word of God to teach a congregation or an individual that there were only three wise men who presented only three gifts to the Christ child. Dear reader, let’s stay true to the text of God’s Word and teach what it actually says, not what tradition or poor Biblical hermeneutics wrongly asserts.

Heavenly Father, there is so much misinformation and misinterpretation being passed off as the truth of God’s Word during Christmas time. Today’s text about the Magi and the gifts presented to Christ is only one example among a number. Lord, help us to be true to Your Word and present only the truth of Scripture to those we share it with, in Christ name. Amen.