Posted on 03/22/2013 10:51:40 AM PDT by DouglasKC
Easter customs mix pagan myths, rituals, symbols and practices with just a little truth. What's wrong with this picture?
Link to YouTube video:
All paganism is abomination. Not just easter.
You listed a day known as "Holy Thurday" and one called "Good Friday". I stated, correctly, that there are no such days in scripture. The holy days of the Lord are listed in Leviticus chapter 23. These days are not there and are in fact later inventions of the traditional church.
How is Easter paganisim?
>> “Actually, one of the earliest controversy in the church was whether to commemorate it on Passover or on the Sunday following” <<
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NO! - There were two and a half millenia of scriptural worship exactly setting out how and when. The “controversy” was not Christian, it was pure satanic defiance. Polycarp got it all correct because he was John’s right hand man.
So close... but missed the whole point. Christ celebrated the traditional Passover with His Apostles on Holy Thursday. He sanctified it by changing the elements from commemorative food to his own flesh and blood as the sacrifice of the New Covenant. He then went out and lived the sacrificial offering of the Lamb in His Own Flesh on the Cross on Good Friday.
What was once symbolic of an historical event (Passover) became the once-for-all sacrifice for the redemption of all men.
If I recall, Luther and his dogma of "the Bible alone" isn't in Scripture either.
So nyah!
I don't think it's wise to base Christian beliefs on Jewish tradition...
What day of the week is the Sabbath?
As I said, I have mixed feelings on organized religion.
I am not anti-organized religion by any means. Organized religions accomplish a great deal of good which would not get done otherwise. Catholic Charities, the Mormon Church's network of family history centers, our local Protestant Mega-church which puts on an awesome Easter program, are just three examples which come to mind.
OTOH, too many of them also allow themselves to be transformed into feel good clubs of political correctness or engage in petty mudslinging against other denominations for minor doctrinal differences. I don't need to name specific examples.
Most people need the reinforcement offered by fellow believers and, face it, there are a lot of good things which an organized group can accomplish which an individual cannot.
The art and act of the sighting of the new moon and the testing of the barley are deeply scriptural, and absolutely necessary for the maintenance of a scripturally accurate calendar.
Good friday is the worship of Fish god Dagon, and easter the worship of ishtar. Paul would in no way allow respect for such abominations.
[>> “Actually, one of the earliest controversy in the church was whether to commemorate it on Passover or on the Sunday following” <<
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NO! -]
Yes. It’s called Quartodecimanism, and what you are claiming is provably false, I don’t CARE what your church told you.
Easter has been commemorated since AT LEAST the early 2nd Century, and probably earlier.
Almost! He observed Passover on Passover!
He sanctified it by changing the elements from commemorative food to his own flesh and blood as the sacrifice of the New Covenant.
Passover was already sanctified by the Lord before this night (it still is).
He then went out and lived the sacrificial offering of the Lamb in His Own Flesh on the Cross on Good Friday.
Again, this was on Passover...an annual holy day commanded by Christ...
What was once symbolic of an historical event (Passover) became the once-for-all sacrifice for the redemption of all men.
Well Passover is an historical and the of Christ was redemptive and he commanded us to remember that redemptive death on Passover.
Well Passover is an historical event and the death of Christ was redemptive and he commanded us to remember that redemptive death on Passover.
“Lent is not a Christian celebration; it is the remembrance of the 40 years of Tammuz’ life before he was executed by Shem. Christians do not practice Lent.”
Yes, it has NOTHING to do with Jesus fasting forty days in the wilderness. Or Moses fasting forty days on the mountain. Or the people of Nineveh fasting forty days for the purpose of repentance. Just a remarkable coincidence.
Excellent point. Martin Luther added some excellent perspective to Christianity. So did C.S. Lewis. Neither claimed to be the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Well, that's not my ONLY problem... :-)
Number 1 I do think it's important that we observe the Lord's holy days WHEN he said to observe them.
But number 2 the focus of Passover is and should be on the DEATH of Christ on the cross and his redemptive sacrifice. Modern Christianity has altered that message and them by making Easter ABOUT his resurrection. Two different things that lead believers astray...which is why we have easter eggs and easter bunnies.
>> “This night was Passover” <<
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Actually, no, that is a common misunderstanding. The Lord’s Supper was on a night of preparation for the days of unlevened bread, and was the beginning of the fourth day, one day before the passover. The bread was normal levened bread, which can be clearly seen in the fact that he dipped a piece and passed it to Judas as a “sop” which just doesn’t work with the matzo breads.
The machinations before the trial were later that night, and he was crucified in the late afternoon on the forth day, shortly before passover began with the fifth day.
I see.
It shouldn’t be about the resurrection.
Bye.
The phrase "three days and three nights" is a Jewish idiom for denoting a period of time. There are other examples of its use in the Bible. In Esther 4:16 to 5:1 we find her telling that she would fast for three days and three nights before going before the king and yet she shows up in the king's presence on the third day. Here's another that shows that Jesus was understood idiomatically by His listeners: "Sir, we remember that while living that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise.' Therefore, order the grave to be secured until the third day, lest his disciples come and steal him away and say to the people, 'He was raised from the dead,' and the last deceit will be worse than the first." (Matthew 27:63-34). Note that they didn't ask for the grave to be secured until after the third day had passed. Even His enemies understood Jesus's meaning better than we do in our language today.
Here are some quick quotes for my point of view:
Matthew 16:21 [ Jesus Foretells His Death ] From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.
Matthew 17:23 and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” And they were deeply grieved.
Matthew 20:19 and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.”
Luke 9:22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”
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