Posted on 04/08/2006 7:12:48 AM PDT by DouglasKC
Easter is one of the most popular religious celebrations in the world. But is it biblical? The word Easter appears only once in the King James Version of the Bible (and not at all in most others). In the one place it does appear, the King James translators mistranslated the Greek word for Passover as "Easter."
Notice it in Acts 12:4: "And when he [King Herod Agrippa I] had apprehended him [the apostle Peter], he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people."
The Greek word translated Easter here is pascha, properly translated everywhere else in the Bible as "Passover." Referring to this mistranslation, Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible says that "perhaps there never was a more unhappy, not to say absurd, translation than that in our text."
Think about theses facts for a minute. Easter is such a major religious holiday. Yet nowhere in the Bible—not in the book of Acts, which covers several decades of the history of the early Church, nor in any of the epistles of the New Testament, written over a span of 30 to 40 years after Jesus Christ's death and resurrection—do we find the apostles or early Christians celebrating anything like Easter.
The Gospels themselves appear to have been written from about a decade after Christ's death and resurrection to perhaps as much as 60 years later (in the case of John's Gospel). Yet nowhere do we find a hint of anything remotely resembling an Easter celebration.
If Easter doesn't come from the Bible, and wasn't practiced by the apostles and early Church, where did it come from?
Easter's surprising origins
Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, in its entry "Easter," states:
"The term ‘Easter' is not of Christian origin. It is another form of Astarte, one of the titles of the Chaldean goddess, the queen of heaven. The festival of Pasch [Passover] held by Christians in post-apostolic times was a continuation of the Jewish feast . . . From this Pasch the pagan festival of ‘Easter' was quite distinct and was introduced into the apostate Western religion, as part of the attempt to adapt pagan festivals to Christianity" (W.E. Vine, 1985, emphasis added throughout).
That's a lot of information packed into one paragraph. Notice what the author, W.E. Vine—a trained classical scholar, theologian, expert in ancient languages and author of several classic Bible helps—tells us:
Easter isn't a Christian or directly biblical term, but comes from a form of the name Astarte, a Chaldean (Babylonian) goddess known as "the queen of heaven." (She is mentioned by that title in the Bible in Jeremiah 7:18 and 44:17-19, 25 and referred to in 1 Kings 11:5, 33 and 2 Kings 23:13 by the Hebrew form of her name, Ashtoreth. So "Easter" is found in the Bible—as part of the pagan religion God condemns!)
Further, early Christians, even after the times of the apostles, continued to observe a variation of the biblical Passover feast (it differed because Jesus introduced new symbolism, as the Bible notes in Matthew 26:26-28 and 1 Corinthians 11:23-28).
Moreover, Easter was very different from the Old Testament Passover or the Passover of the New Testament as understood and practiced by the early Church based on the teachings of Jesus Christ and the apostles.
And again, Easter was a pagan festival, originating in the worship of other gods, and was introduced much later into an apostate Christianity in a deliberate attempt to make such festivals acceptable.
Easter symbols predate Christ
How does The Catholic Encyclopedia define Easter? "Easter: The English term, according to the [eighth-century monk] Bede, relates to Eostre, a Teutonic goddess of the rising light of day and spring, which deity, however, is otherwise unknown . . ." (1909, Vol. 5, p. 224). Eostre is the ancient European name for the same goddess worshipped by the Babylonians as Astarte or Ishtar, goddess of fertility, whose major
celebration was in the spring of the year.
The subtopic "Easter Eggs" tells us that "the custom [of Easter eggs] may have its origin in paganism, for a great many pagan customs, celebrating the return of spring, gravitated to Easter" (ibid., p. 227).
The subtopic "Easter Rabbit" states that "the rabbit is a pagan symbol and has always been an emblem of fertility" (ibid.).
Author Greg Dues, in his book Catholic Customs and Traditions, elaborates on the symbolism of eggs in ancient pre-Christian cultures: "The egg has become a popular Easter symbol. Creation myths of many ancient peoples center in a cosmogenic egg from which the universe is born.
"In ancient Egypt and Persia friends exchanged decorated eggs at the spring equinox, the beginning of their New Year. These eggs were a symbol of fertility for them because the coming forth of a live creature from an egg was so surprising to people of ancient times. Christians of the Near East adopted this tradition, and the Easter egg became a religious symbol. It represented the tomb from which Jesus came forth to new life" (1992, p. 101).
The same author also explains that, like eggs, rabbits became associated with Easter because they were powerful symbols of fertility: "Little children are usually told that the Easter eggs are brought by the Easter Bunny. Rabbits are part of pre-Christian fertility symbolism because of their reputation to reproduce rapidly" (p. 102).
What these sources tell us is that human beings replaced the symbolism of the biblical Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread with Easter eggs and Easter rabbits, pagan symbols of fertility. These symbols demean the truth of Christ's death and resurrection.
Easter substituted for Passover season
But that's not the entire story. In fact, many credible sources substantiate the fact that Easter became a substitute festival for the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread. (To learn more about what this Feast represents, see "What Does the Feast of Unleavened Bread Mean for Christians?".)
Notice what The Encyclopaedia Britannica says about this transition: "There is no indication of the observance of the Easter festival in the New Testament, or in the writings of the apostolic Fathers . . . The first Christians continued to observe the Jewish festivals, though in a new spirit, as commemorations of events which those festivals foreshadowed . . .
"The Gentile Christians, on the other hand, unfettered by Jewish traditions, identified the first day of the week [Sunday] with the Resurrection, and kept the preceding Friday as the commemoration of the crucifixion, irrespective of the day of the month" (11th edition, p. 828, "Easter").
Easter, a pagan festival with its pagan fertility symbols, replaced the God-ordained festivals that Jesus Christ, the apostles and the early Church observed. But this didn't happen immediately. Not until A.D. 325—almost three centuries after Jesus Christ was crucified and resurrected—was the matter settled. Regrettably, it wasn't settled on the basis of biblical truth, but on the basis of anti-Semitism and raw ecclesiastical and imperial power.
As The Encyclopaedia Britannica further explains: "A final settlement of the dispute [over whether and when to keep Easter or Passover] was one among the other reasons which led [the Roman emperor] Constantine to summon the council of Nicaea in 325 . . . The decision of the council was unanimous that Easter was to be kept on Sunday, and on the same Sunday throughout the world, and ‘that none should hereafter follow the blindness of the Jews'" (ibid., pp. 828-829).
Those who did choose to "follow the blindness of the Jews"—that is, who continued to keep the biblical festivals kept by Jesus Christ and the apostles rather than the newly "Christianized" pagan Easter festival—were systematically persecuted by the powerful church-state alliance of Constantine 's Roman Empire .
With the power of the empire behind it, Easter soon became entrenched as one of traditional Christianity's most popular sacred celebrations. (You can read more of the details in our free booklet Holidays or Holy Days: Does It Matter Which Days We Keep? )
Christianity compromised by paganism
British historian Sir James Frazer notes how Easter symbolism and rites, along with other pagan customs and celebrations, entered into the established Roman church:
"Taken altogether, the coincidences of the Christian with the heathen festivals are too close and too numerous to be accidental. They mark the compromise which the Church in the hour of its triumph was compelled to make with its vanquished yet still dangerous rivals [the empire's competing pagan religions].
"The inflexible Protestantism of the primitive missionaries, with their fiery denunciation of heathendom, had been exchanged for the supple policy, the easy tolerance, the comprehensive charity of shrewd ecclesiastics, who clearly perceived that if Christianity was to conquer the world it could do so only by relaxing the too rigid principles of its Founder, by widening a little the narrow gate which leads to salvation" ( The Golden Bough, 1993, p. 361).
In short, to broaden the appeal of the new religion of Christianity in those early centuries, the powerful Roman religious authorities, with the backing of the Roman Empire, simply co-opted the rites and practices of pagan religions, relabeled them as "Christian" and created a new brand of Christianity with customs and teachings far removed from the Church Jesus founded.
The authentic Christianity of the Bible largely disappeared, forced underground by persecution because its followers refused to compromise.
Easter does not accurately represent Jesus Christ's suffering, death and resurrection, though it appears to do so to those who blindly accept religious tradition. In fact, it distorts the truth of the matter. Easter correctly belongs to the Babylonian goddess it is named after—Astarte, also known as Ashtoreth or Ishtar, whose worship is directly and explicitly condemned in the Bible.
The ancient religious practices and fertility symbols associated with her cult existed long before Christ, and regrettably they have largely replaced and obscured the truth of His death and resurrection.
When confronted with these facts about Easter, many professing Christians might raise this question to justify its continuance: With hundreds of millions of well-meaning Christians observing Easter, doesn't this please Jesus Christ? Yet He has already answered this question in Matthew 15:9: "In vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men." How will you choose to worship Him—in spirit and in truth, or in fraud and in fable? GN
"I am most curious to see how they take to the idea that while the Greeks initially meant "Pascha" to mean "Passover", now they mean "Pascha" to mean "Pagan Easter Bunny Festival", and the Greek Church has lost all memory of "Passover", despite still calling the feast you insist on naming "Easter" for "Pagan Easter Bunny Egg Worship Day" as "Pascha" meaning "Passover"."
Nope, we still mean Pascha as Pascha and we don't celebrate "Easter", especially with bunnies. But we do have red eggs which we crack with each other. The red symbolizes the blood of Christ, the egg shell the tomb and the breaking of the shell, the Resurrection.
I am not condemning or judging you for NOT observing God's holy days. I am telling you that your biblical understanding of the Lord's holy days are flawed. You are in error and I am attempting to correct you.
And I see very clearly that your understanding of the nature of God's kingdom is ... quite shallow and unspiritual.
Doug ... I have been studying the scriptures for nearly 30 years now. And God has been continuously gracious to me ... in providing for me ... the enlightenment that I might understand them.
You, Doug, ... seem to be too focused upon the physical (i.e. ... when shall we worship ... what shall we eat (or not) ... etc).
You'll recall that Jesus said ... to the Samaritan woman (by the well) ... that the time was coming ... when these (physical) circumstances (shadows really) ... wouldn't matter anymore ...
Jesus stressed that, because God is a Spirit, ... that true worship of Him is 'spiritual' ... and that, as such ... where, when, etc. one worships Him ... doesn't really matter.John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.Doug ... you may continue to be all 'hung up' on the when, where, how, etc. if you choose to.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
But, now that Christ has come, ... I believe that it is God's desire that our focus is turned to ... the Who.
It is like the difference between Mary and Martha as they spent time with Jesus.
Martha was so concerned about so many things ... that she thought would be pleasing to Jesus, ... while Mary simply sat at His feet and communed with Him.
Recall ... that it was Mary that was commended.
Not that Martha's way was condemned, ... but Jesus said that Mary's choice ... was better.
May it even be so with you ... my brother.
Polycrates....were talking late 2nd century here!
1) Could you quote the decree of Nicea fixing the date of Easter? I'm not familiar with any Canon or Decree from that Council doing so. Perhaps you have some special knowledge. Or is this maybe just hearsay repeated endlessly?
2) Polycrates was writing to Pope St. Victor of Rome, who already in the second century was excommunicating all the Asians (meaning inhabitants of what is now western Turkey/Anatolia) who insisted on keeping Pascha on a different day than the rest of the Church - namely, their following the Jews in their religious observances rather than keeping Pascha always on Sunday following the first full moon after the equinox.
Eusebius notes:
A question of no small importance arose at [the time of Pope St. Victor, about A.D. 190]. The dioceses of all Asia, as from an older tradition, held that the fourteenth day of the moon, on which day the Jews were commanded to sacrifice the lamb, should always be observed as the feast of the life-giving pasch [epi tes tou soteriou Pascha heortes], contending that the fast ought to end on that day, whatever day of the week it might happen to be. However it was not the custom of the churches in the rest of the world to end it at this point, as they observed the practice, which from Apostolic tradition has prevailed to the present time, of terminating the fast on no other day than on that of the Resurrection of our Saviour. Synods and assemblies of bishops were held on this account, and all with one consent through mutual correspondence drew up an ecclesiastical decree that the mystery of the Resurrection of the Lord should be celebrated on no other day but the Sunday and that we should observe the close of the paschal fast on that day only." (Hist. Eccl., V, xxiii)
So you are claiming that one small little part of the world - Ephesus and its environs - had the truth, while Rome, Spain, France, Africa, Syria, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, India, Britain, Ethiopia, Armenia, Ireland, and every other ancient place where the name of Jesus was already extolled was somehow fallen into grotesque pagan error?
You expect people to take these sort of assertions seriously?
Yup, you are correct....it was the Council assembled at Antioch. This was in 341 a.d. a few years later. The Council of Nicea, famous of course for establishing the "Pagan Venerable Day of the Sun" (Sunday) for worship among other things. I would like to thank you for pointing out my error.
Polycrates was writing to Pope St. Victor of Rome, who already in the second century was excommunicating all the Asians (meaning inhabitants of what is now western Turkey/Anatolia) who insisted on keeping Pascha on a different day than the rest of the Church
I find it telling that the church at Rome would want to discontinue (change) the celebration that John, the last living Apostle, brought to these churches in Asia Minor.
You expect people to take these sort of assertions seriously?
Yeah, I would expect the average, unbrainwashed person to use their heads, looking at history and scripture, to be able to see right through the phony traditions of the mainstrean church. You.....? No!
Could you please quote the canon on this? I think you will find the practice already well established.
I find it telling that the church at Rome would want to discontinue (change) the celebration that John, the last living Apostle, brought to these churches in Asia Minor.
The Church at Rome followed the practice of Sts. Peter Paul (as did that of Antioch). The Church at Alexandria followed the same practice thanks to St. Mark. The practice allegedly being tied back to St. John was held by one small sector of Judaizers. It is not at all certain that this wasn't a more recent innovation in any case, which seems more likely since it was only this small area that adhered to this practice.
From the Letter of the Emperor to all those not present at the Council.
(Found in Eusebius, Vita Const., Lib. iii., 18-20.)
When the question relative to the sacred festival of Easter arose, it was
universally thought that it would be convenient that all should keep the
feast on one day; for what could be more beautiful and more desirable,
than to see this festival, through which we receive the hope of
immortality, celebrated by all with one accord, and in the same
manner? It was declared to be particularly unworthy for this, the
holiest of all festivals, to follow the custom [the calculation] of the
Jews, who had soiled their hands with the most fearful of crimes, and
whose minds were blinded. In rejecting their custom,(1) we may
transmit to our descendants the legitimate mode of celebrating Easter,
which we have observed from the time of the Saviour's Passion to the
present day[according to the day of the week]. We ought not,
therefore, to have anything in common with the Jews, for the Saviour
has shown us another way; our worship follows a more legitimate and
more convenient course(the order of the days of the week); and
consequently, in unanimously adopting this mode, we desire, dearest
brethren, to separate ourselves from the detestable company of the
Jews, for it is truly shameful for us to hear them boast that without
their direction we could not keep this feast. How can they be in the
right, they who, after the death of the Saviour, have no longer been led
by reason but by wild violence, as their delusion may urge them? They
do not possess the truth in this Easter question; for, in their blindness
and repugnance to all improvements, they frequently celebrate two
passovers in the same year. We could not imitate those who are openly
in error. How, then, could we follow these Jews, who are most
certainly blinded by error? for to celebrate the passover twice in one
year is totally inadmissible. But even if this were not so, it would still
be your duty not to tarnish your soul by communications with such
wicked people[the Jews]. Besides, consider well, that in such an
important matter, and on a subject of such great solemnity, there ought
not to be any division. Our Saviour has left us only one festal day of
our redemption, that is to say, of his holy passion, and he desired[to
establish] only one Catholic Church. Think, then, how unseemly it is,
that on the same day some should be fasting whilst others are seated
at a banquet; and that after Easter, some should be rejoicing at feasts,
whilst others are still observing a strict fast. For this reason, a Divine
Providence wills that this custom should be rectified and regulated in a
uniform way; and everyone, I hope, will agree upon this point. As, on
the one hand, it is our duty not to have anything in common with the
murderers of our Lord; and as, on the other, the custom now followed
by the Churches of the West, of the South, and of
the North, and by some of those of the East, is the most acceptable, it
has appeared good to all; and I have been guarantee for your consent,
that you would accept it with joy, as it is followed at Rome, in Africa,
in all Italy, Egypt, Spain, Gaul, Britain, Libya, in all Achaia, and in the
dioceses of Asia, of Pontus, and Cilicia. You should consider not only
that the number of churches in these provinces make a majority, but
also that it is right to demand what our reason approves, and that we
should have nothing in common with the Jews. To sum up in few
words: By the unanimous judgment of all, it has been decided that the
most holy festival of Easter should be everywhere celebrated on one
and the same day, and it is not seemly that in so holy a thing there
should be any division. As this is the state of the case, accept joyfully
the divine favour, and this truly divine command; for all which takes
place in assemblies of the bishops ought to be regarded as proceeding
from the will of God. Make known to your brethren what has been
decreed, keep this most holy day according to the prescribed mode; we
can thus celebrate this holy Easter day at the same time, if it is granted
me, as I desire, to unite myself with you; we can rejoice together,
seeing that the divine power has made use of our instrumentality for
destroying the evil designs of the devil, and thus causing faith, peace,
and unity to flourish amongst us. May God graciously protect you, my
beloved brethren.
from DOCUMENTS FROM THE FIRST COUNCIL OF NICEA [THE FIRST ECUMENICAL COUNCIL] A.D. 325
This is the Decree from the first Pontiff of the Roman church to all.
b'shem Y'shua
I most certainly do. God created holy days and asked his followers to observe them. I take that very seriously.
So I open up my Roman Catholic Latin Prayerbook and look for "Easter" and all I find is "Paschae" - "Passover" - in case you don't understand Latin.
I'm not sure why this is so difficult for some to understand. Here we go again:
Lev 23:5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD's passover.
Okay, so the LORD's passover IS on Nisan 14. Now what date is "paschae, "pasche", Easter or whatever? Why this year it's on either the 16th or the 23rd of April (depending on your flavor). That would be the Nisan 18 and Nisan 25. Hmmm...that IS not the date of the LORD's (the LORD Jesus Christ) passover.
I don't recall the Pope dressing up as an Easter Bunny or wearing bunny ears, do you?
That big hat does somewhat resemble bunny ears if you stare at it long enough.
And they won't...when Christ returns and his followers are converted to spirit. Until then, we ARE a combination of the physical AND the spiritual. Which is why God made holy days that stress the physical AND the spiritual. Spiritual lessons are taught and learned by performing physical actions. Just thinking about helping someone is pretty worthless isn't it? But actually, physically helping someone helps us to learn HOW to serve.
Jesus stressed that, because God is a Spirit, ... that true worship of Him is 'spiritual' ... and that, as such ... where, when, etc. one worships Him ... doesn't really matter.
Your argument that God requires only "spiritual" compliance and not physical compliance is crazy. Think about it. Go have sex with the neighbor. It's okay as long as your intent is pure. Go rob a bank, it's okay because all that matters is that you're in the right "spirit". Bow down to idols. It's okay, we're really worshipping God when we do that.
God says specifically to HONOR him by celebrating HIS holy days on the days that he said. Nah, that don't matter. We'll make up our own days and call it good enough. God will understand that we don't want to do what he says to do.
Isn't that really what it boils down to?
Your argument that God requires only "spiritual" compliance and not physical compliance is crazy. Think about it. Go have sex with the neighbor. It's okay as long as your intent is pure. Go rob a bank, it's okay because all that matters is that you're in the right "spirit". Bow down to idols. It's okay, we're really worshipping God when we do that.
If we live in the Spirit, ... we will live lives which are pleasing to God ... in every other way.
Our primary emphasis ... is to be led by the Spirit.Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
...
13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
You'll recall that Jesus said ... to the Samaritan woman (by the well) ... that the time was coming ... when these (physical) circumstances (shadows really) ... wouldn't matter anymore ...
And they won't...when Christ returns and his followers are converted to spirit.
Are you sure ... that this time which Jesus spoke of ... is still yet to come ?
Consider that ...... we don't worship in Jerusalem anymore.
... we don't sacrifice to atone for sin anymore.
... the distinction between clean and unclean meats ... has been undone.
... the distinction between Jews and Gentiles, ... men and women, etc. ... has been torn down.
... there is no requirement for physical circumcision anymore.
... etc., etc., etc.
Because Christians assemble for worship on the Lord's Day, as witnessed in the New Testament, and not on the Sabbath, therefore, the Feast of the Resurrection, Holy Pascha, is celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox, the first full moon after the vernal equinox being 14 Nisan.
That big hat does somewhat resemble bunny ears if you stare at it long enough.
No, its meant to look like the open mouth of a fish. ;-)
131 posted on 04/11/2006 9:12:06 AM MDT by Calabash
I know it was changed to Sunday by the Pagan Pontiff of the Roman church, Constantine at Nicea Please provide the scriptural citation for that assertion being changed to the Pagan day of Sunday.
b'shem Y'shua
"And on the first day of the week, when we were assembled to break bread, Paul discoursed with them, being to depart on the morrow: and he continued his speech until midnight." (Acts 20.7)
"On the first day of the week let every one of you put apart with himself, laying up what it shall well please him; that when I come, the collections be not then to be made." (1 Corinthians 16.2)
I know it was changed to Sunday by the Pagan Pontiff of the Roman church, Constantine at Nicea
Now isn't that special?
"And on the Lord's own day gather yourselves together and break bread and give thanks, first confessing your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure." (Didache, 14.1, circa AD 60)
"Further, He says to them, "Your new moons and your Sabbath I cannot endure." Ye perceive how He speaks: Your present Sabbaths are not acceptable to Me, but that is which I have made, [namely this,] when, giving rest to all things, I shall make a beginning of the eighth day, that is, a beginning of another world. Wherefore, also, we keep the eighth day with joyfulness, the day also on which Jesus rose again from the dead." (Epistle of St. Barnabas, 15, circa AD 80)
"If, therefore, those who were brought up in the ancient order of things have come to the possession of a new hope, no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord's Day, on which also our life has sprung up again by Him and by His death ... how shall we be able to live apart from Him, whose disciples the prophets themselves in the Spirit did wait for Him as their Teacher?" (St. Ignatius of Antioch, circa AD 110)
"And we afterwards continually remind each other of these things. And the wealthy among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker of all through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Ghost. And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need. But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Saviour on the same day rose from the dead. For He was crucified on the day before that of Saturn (Saturday); and on the day after that of Saturn, which is the day of the Sun, having appeared to His apostles and disciples, He taught them these things, which we have submitted to you also for your consideration." (St. Justin the Martyr, First Apology, 67, AD 165)
"We, however (just as we have received), only on the day of the Lord's Resurrection ought to guard not only against kneeling, but every posture and office of solicitude; deferring even our businesses lest we give any place to the devil." (Tertullian, On Prayer, 23, AD 202)
"If anyone in the city neglects to come to church for three Sundays, let him be excommunicated for a short time so that he may be corrected" (Council of Elivra, Canon 21, circa AD 300).
So, how did "Pagan Pontiff" Constantine change the day of worship to Sunday in AD 325 when the Apostles themselves practiced Sunday worship (as seen in the Bible and the Didache), the sub-apostolic Father's such as Barnabas and Ignatius also taught Sunday worship, the Early Church Fathers such as St. Justin Martyr and Tertullian also taught Sunday worship, and the first code of Canon Law, dating from the time of Emperor Domitian and thus before Emperor Constantine, enforces penalties on those dissenters who do not come to Church on Sunday?
This is certainly quite incredible to think that Emperor Constantine went back in time using a time machine apparently at the Council of Nicea to tell the Apostles and their followers to start worshipping on Sunday instead of Saturday. I wonder how he found time to do this when he was also so busy inventing the doctrine of the Trinity and supressing the worship of Mary Magdalene and the Holy Merovingian descendants of Christ at this Council.
Could you kindly explain just how Emperor Constantine was able to do all of this when it had already been done for nearly 300 years?
XS> Please provide the scriptural citation for that assertion being changed to the Pagan day of Sunday.
"And on the first day of the week, when we were assembled to break bread, Paul discoursed with them, being to depart on the morrow: and he continued his speech until midnight." (Acts 20.7)
"On the first day of the week let every one of you put apart with himself, laying up what it shall well please him; that when I come, the collections be not then to be made." (1 Corinthians 16.2)
The L-rd G-d in Genesis chapter one commanded a day to begin at evening and continue until the following evening. The first day of the week begins at nightfall after the L-rd's Day, Shabbat, is complete. Traditionally there is a gathering for an evening meal called an Oneg. Collecting money would not be a proper thing to do on the L-rd's Day, the Shabbat. I hope this clarifies all misunderstandings.
Nowhere in the cited verses do we find a command from G-d
b'shem Y'shua
to change the L-rd's Day from the commanded Shabbat to the first day "Sunday"
So it would be left to the following day, after dark and thus on the first day.
I don't think there is any misunderstanding at all about your Pagan Pontiff Constantine changing the Church to worship on Sunday theory. Its complete and 100% pure grade A-1 baloney.
Read #126 above
b'shem Y'shua
Here is the scriptural proof that the resurrection occurred on a Sabbath. Verse 6 says, "He is Risen! Come and see the place where the Lord lay."
Havdalah meal, not a communion! This passage (Acts 20:7) is taking place after the Sabbath, and before midnight on a Saturday night.....which in Hebrew terms, would be the first day of the week.....the evening part.
"On the first day of the week let every one of you put apart with himself, laying up what it shall well please him; that when I come, the collections be not then to be made." (1 Corinthians 16.2)
This is a collection for the Saints in Jerusalem where a major famine was in progress. You can also read about this in Romans 15:22-33. This is not a tithe during a church service....it is a collection (something set aside) on a normal work day.....the first day of the week.....and for the Saints in Jerusalem....nobody else!
Your position regarding Sunday as the "Day of the Lord" is unsupported by scripture.....you know it, I know it and everyone on this board knows it.
No, most definitely the Eucharist. In the Aramaic Bible we read: "And on Sunday, while we were gathered to break the Eucharist, Paul spoke with them, because on the following day he was destined to leave. And his speaking dragged until the middle of the night." (Acts 20.7)
This passage (Acts 20:7) is taking place after the Sabbath, and before midnight on a Saturday night.....which in Hebrew terms, would be the first day of the week.....the evening part.
In the Catholic Church, if you knew anything of liturgical history, you would know that services traditionally began on Saturday night with the Vigil of Vespers and Matins and carried over to Sunday morning with the Eucharist.
This is a collection for the Saints in Jerusalem where a major famine was in progress. You can also read about this in Romans 15:22-33. This is not a tithe during a church service....it is a collection (something set aside) on a normal work day.....the first day of the week.....and for the Saints in Jerusalem....nobody else!
The Christians met once per week at this time. if they were meeting to collect money, it was part of their weekly worship meeting. Pliny the Younger writing in AD 117 to Emperor Trajan concerning the Christians notes: "They asserted, however, that the sum and substance of their fault or error had been that they were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god, and to bind themselves by oath, not to some crime, but not to commit fraud, theft, or adultery, not falsify their trust, nor to refuse to return a trust when called upon to do so."
Your position regarding Sunday as the "Day of the Lord" is unsupported by scripture.....you know it, I know it and everyone on this board knows it.
So what day then is "the Day of the Lord"? Wednesday?
Your position regarding Sunday as NOT being the "Day of the Lord" is unsupported by even the faintest scrap of historical knowledge ... you know it, I know it and everyone on this board knows it.
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