Posted on 04/10/2009 10:32:45 AM PDT by DouglasKC
Consider these important facts. First, Easter Sunday is traditionally revered as the day of Jesus' resurrection—although the Bible clearly states that He had already risen before Sunday dawned in the city of Jerusalem.
Second, even though Good Friday is generally observed as the traditional day of His crucifixion, Christ Himself told the disciples that He would be in the grave for all of three days and three nights. How can three days and three nights possibly fit between a Friday-afternoon crucifixion and a Sunday-morning resurrection?
Third, the word Easter is not found in the Greek New Testament. Nor is there biblical mention of or instruction to observe Lent.
Finally, unlike the specific instruction to commemorate Christ's death, there is absolutely no commandment in the New Testament to observe the date of Jesus' resurrection. Yet today's religious customs are so ingrained in the church calendar that many would consider it heretical to question them.
Most of the world is scarcely aware that the original apostles did not institute or keep these customs, nor were they observed by the early Christian Church. Try as you might to find them, Lent, Good Friday and Easter are not so much as mentioned in the original Greek wording of the New Testament. (The word Easter appears only once in the King James Version of the Bible—in Acts 12:4—where it is flagrantly mistranslated from the Greek word pascha, which should be translated "Passover," as most versions render it.)
The justification for the Lenten 40-day preparation for Easter is traditionally based on Jesus' 40-day wilderness fast before His temptation by Satan (Harper's Bible Dictionary, "Lent"; Matthew 4:1-2; Mark 1:13). The problem with this explanation is that this incident is not connected in any way with Jesus' supposed observance of Easter. The 40-day pre-Easter practice of fasting and penance did not originate in the Bible.
Many people still follow such practices, assuming that such activities honor God and are approved by Him. But, we should ask, how does God regard such extrabiblical customs? Consider God's instructions to those who would worship Him:
"Take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.' You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it" (Deuteronomy 12:30-32, emphasis added throughout).
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia notes: "The term Easter was derived from the Anglo-Saxon 'Eostre,' the name of the goddess of spring. In her honor sacrifices were offered at the time of the vernal [spring] equinox" (1982, Vol. 2, "Easter").
Many battles were fought over its observance date, but the Council of Nicea finally fixed the date of Easter in A.D. 325 to fall on the first Sunday after the full moon on or after the vernal equinox (March 21).
Not generally known is that "the preparation for Easter season, beginning on Ash Wednesday and continuing for a week after Easter Day, was filled with pagan customs that had been revised in the light
of Christianity. Germanic nations, for example, set bonfires in spring. This custom was frowned on by the Church, which tried to suppress it . . . In the sixth and seventh centuries [monks] came to Germany, [bringing] their earlier pagan rites[,] and would bless bonfires outside the church building on Holy Saturday. The custom spread to France, and eventually it was incorporated into the Easter liturgy of Rome in the ninth century. Even today the blessing of the new fire is part of the Vigil of Easter.
"Medieval celebrations of Easter began at dawn. According to one old legend, the sun dances on Easter morning, or makes three jumps at the moment of its rising, in honor of Christ's resurrection. The rays of light penetrating the clouds were believed to be angels dancing for joy.
"Some Easter folk traditions that have survived today are the Easter egg, rabbit and lamb. During medieval times it was a tradition to give eggs at Easter to servants. King Edward I of England had 450 eggs boiled before Easter and dyed or covered with gold leaf. He then gave them to members of the royal household on Easter day. The egg was an earlier pagan symbol of rebirth and was presented at the spring equinox, the beginning of the pagan new year.
"The Easter rabbit is mentioned in a German book of 1572 and also was a pagan fertility symbol. The Easter lamb goes back to the Middle Ages; the lamb, holding a flag with a red cross on a white field, represented the resurrected Christ [rather than the sacrifice of His life, as a fulfillment of the Passover lamb, that paid for the sins of the world (John 1:29)]" (Anthony Mercatante, Facts on File Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend, 1988, "Easter").
Easter traditions are embraced by many who profess Christianity. Yet none of these practices are found in the Bible or the customs of the early Church. Jesus and His apostles did not establish or perpetuate such practices, which obscure the true biblical meanings and observances of this time of year. In fact, a fourth-century church historian, Socrates Scholasticus, wrote in his Ecclesiastical History that neither the apostles nor the Gospels taught the observance of Easter, nor did they or Jesus give a law requiring the keeping of this feast. Instead, "the observance originated not by legislation, but as a custom" (chapter 22, emphasis added).
Even as early as the close of the second century, the theologian Irenaeus bore witness in his letter to Victor, bishop of Rome, that some early Roman bishops forbade the observance of Passover on the 14th of Nisan. This was the date of the biblical observance practiced each spring by Jesus and the apostles. At the time that the Nisan 14 Passover observance was banned, ecclesiastical authorities introduced Lent and Easter into Christian practice.
A century later the Syriac Didascalia recorded the attempts of teachers in Rome to reconcile Jesus' words that He would be entombed "three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Matthew 12:40) with a Friday-afternoon crucifixion and a Sunday-morning resurrection. According to their reasoning, Jesus' sufferings were part of the three days and three nights of Scripture. Friday morning from 9 to noon was counted as the first day, and noon to 3 p.m. (which was darkened) was considered the first night. Three in the afternoon to sunset was reckoned as the second day, whereas Friday night to Saturday morning constituted the second night. The daylight part of Saturday was the third day, and the night portion to Sunday morning was the third night.
In other words, the three days and three nights in the grave that Jesus said would be the sign that He was indeed sent from God were transformed into a period of two days and two nights, or a total of no more than 48 hours. This has subsequently been reduced even further in modern times by figuring from late afternoon Friday to early Sunday morning, which takes away another 12 hours or more. Such reasoning has to discount or somehow explain away Jesus' clear promise that He would be entombed three days and three nights.
Easter and Lent are nonbiblical and were not observed by the apostles or the first-century Church. The biblical record shows, however, that the early Church diligently kept other observances, the New Testament Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread, just as Jesus and the apostles had done (Matthew 26:17-19; Acts 20:6; 1 Corinthians 5:8; 11:23-26). These were supplanted in later years by the customs and practices of Easter and Lent.
Passover is an annual reminder of Jesus' sacrificial death to pay the penalty for our sins (Matthew 26:26-28). The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a celebration that focuses on a Christian's need to live in sincerity, truth and purity (1 Corinthians 5:8). The nonbiblical festivals of Lent and Easter, added decades after the time of Jesus Christ and the apostles, only cloud the true significance of Christ's life, death and resurrection and the purpose of His coming.
The Passover, instituted in Exodus 12, continues by Jesus Christ's example and command—but with a change of symbols. Jesus' death fulfilled the symbolism of the sacrificial Passover lamb (Matthew 26:17-28; John 1:29). However, the New Testament Passover has been improperly replaced as an annual memorial of the death of Christ by Easter. We are commanded to commemorate Christ's death, not His resurrection (1 Corinthians 11:23-28).
Jesus Christ's promise was fulfilled exactly as He said, a fact that is made clear when we study and compare the Gospel accounts. These records give a clear, logical explanation that is perfectly consistent with Christ's words. Let's focus on Jesus' last days on earth to gain the proper perspective and understanding of how and when these events occurred.
Jesus said that, like the prophet Jonah, He would be entombed three days and three nights and that He would be raised up the third day after His crucifixion and death (Matthew 12:39-40; 17:23; 20:19). Putting these scriptures together, we see that He was resurrected at the end of the third day after His death. Luke 23:44 shows that He died around the ninth hour (Jewish reckoning), or 3 p.m. He would have been buried within the next few hours so that His body could be entombed before the approaching Sabbath (John 19:31).
Jesus' resurrection could not have been
on a Sunday morning because John 20:1-2 shows that He had already risen before Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning, arriving "while it was still dark." Therefore, neither could His death have occurred Friday afternoon, since that would not allow for His body to be in the grave three days and three nights. Clearly, the Good Friday-Easter Sunday explanation and tradition is without scriptural foundation.
Notice also that John 19:31 mentions that the Sabbath immediately after Jesus' death was "a high day"—not the weekly seventh-day Sabbath (from Friday evening to Saturday evening), but one of the annual Sabbaths, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (see Leviticus 23:6-7), which can fall on any day of the week.
In fact, two Sabbaths—first an annual Holy Day and then the regular weekly Sabbath—are mentioned in the Gospel accounts, a detail overlooked by most people. This can be proven by comparing Mark 16:1 with Luke 23:56.
Mark's account tells us, "Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him" (Mark 16:1). However, Luke's account describes how the women who followed Jesus saw how His body was laid in the tomb. "Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils" for the final preparation of the body. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment" (Luke 23:56).
Mark tells us that the women bought the spices after the Sabbath, "when the Sabbath was past." Luke, however, tells us that they prepared the spices and oils, "and they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment." How could the women have bought spices after the Sabbath, yet then prepared them and rested on the same Sabbath?
That is obviously impossible—unless two Sabbaths are involved, with a day between them. Once we realize this, the two accounts become clear (see "The Chronology of Christ's Crucifixion and Resurrection," p. 18). Christ died near 3 p.m. and was placed in the tomb near sunset that day—a Wednesday in the year 31. That evening began the "high day" Sabbath, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which fell on Thursday that year. The women rested on that day, then on Friday purchased and prepared the spices and oils for Jesus' body, which could not be done on either the Holy Day or the weekly Sabbath. They then rested again on the weekly Sabbath before going to the tomb before daybreak on Sunday morning, at which time they discovered that Christ had already been resurrected.
The fact that two Sabbaths are involved is confirmed by Matthew 28:1, where the women went to the tomb "after the Sabbath." The Sabbath mentioned here is actually plural in the original Greek and should be translated "Sabbaths." Some Bible versions, including Alfred Marshall's Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, Ferrar Fenton's translation, Green's Literal Translation and Young's Literal Translation, make this clear.
Once we realize that two Sabbaths were involved—first an annual Holy Day, which was observed from Wednesday evening until Thursday evening, and the normal weekly Sabbath from Friday evening to Saturday evening, the fulfillment of Christ's words becomes clear.
The Savior of all humanity died near 3 p.m. on Wednesday and was buried shortly before sunset that day. From Wednesday sunset to Thursday sunset is one day and one night; from then until Friday sunset is two days and two nights; and from then until Saturday sunset is three days and three nights. Jesus Christ was resurrected at the end of this three-day and three-night period, near sunset on Saturday. Thus He was already risen long before the women came to the tomb before daylight on Sunday morning.
Jesus Christ's words were thus perfectly fulfilled, as verified by the Gospel accounts. He was not crucified on Friday afternoon, nor was He resurrected on a Sunday morning. The biblical evidence shows the Good Friday-Easter Sunday tradition to be a fabrication.
A correct harmonization of all the facts demonstrates that Jesus died near 3 p.m. that Wednesday afternoon, was entombed near sunset and was resurrected near sunset on Saturday, exactly three days and three nights later—just as He had stated. These are the facts, the correct biblical chronology that verifies the identity of Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
The chart on page 18 gives a day-by-day chronology of these events as described in the Gospel accounts.
Actually, the principal festivals and holidays observed by mainstream Christendom are a poor and pale reflection of true biblical teachings. Easter and Lent are a poor substitute for the wondrous truths revealed by keeping God's feasts.
The New Testament Church continued to observe the annual Passover to commemorate the death of Jesus Christ, but used the new symbols of bread and wine that He instituted (1 Corinthians 11:23-28). Today the members of the United Church of God commemorate this eminently important event in the same manner, in accordance with Christ's instructions. Again, the Bible contains no record of the Church observing Easter or Lent during the time of the apostles, nor any biblical command to observe Good Friday or Easter Sunday, especially since Christ did not die on Good Friday and was not resurrected on Easter Sunday. Instead, the apostles faithfully followed Christ's instructions to observe the biblical Passover "in remembrance" of Him (Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24-25). GN
It doesn't say that. Now it should be clear why your misinterpretations of Scripture are of no use to me.
I merely corrected your spelling.
...the Roman Catholic Church (I'm assuming that's the Catholic church you're referring to)...
Bzzzt. Wrong.
I am referring to the Catholic Church.
Or not. And that's the point -- there is no justification for your confident assertion that Christ was the One who spoke to Moses and Aaron. More likely, it was not. The nature of the Trinity is that it is three distinct persons, Who manifest God in very different ways. The Scriptures generally don't speak of the God with Whom Moses spoke, in the sense of Him being Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
But supposing for a moment that Moses did meet with the father and with Christ, do you believe that Christ and the Father would have different wills? Isn't the will of the father the will of the son?
No, their wills would be the same; but it does not follow that you properly understand what their will is.
For example, Jesus was quite clear about what defiles a person -- and it wasn't food of whatever description. For you to go back and say that "Christ" said differently in Leviticus, is to put these two passages at odds with one another. Jesus' point about the Old Testament is that the spirit of the Old Testament is what matters: the law and the prophets are summed up by "Love God and Love your neighbors as yourself." To reduce those two commandments to ritual food laws and such is precisely where Jesus found fault with the Pharisees.
A theological distinction has long been made between the moral laws of the Old Testament, and ceremonial or practical laws such as those related to foods or fabrics.
I strongly suspect that you have yourself made such distinctions between moral and ceremonial laws ... or do you actually follow the rituals described in Leviticus 1 -- the bull and the lamb, and the sprinkling of blood on the altar and the burnt offering and all that?
It's fine with me if keeping certain laws helps you to remain faithful -- I certainly won't try to talk you out of them. When you try to convince me of your position, though, I reserve the right to take exception.
Nope. The Eucharist was instituted on Passover, that much is true. But the Passover and the Eucharist are not the same thing -- and they're certainly not ceremonially the same.
There is a difference between Judaic law and scripture. Judaic law is composed of traditions and teachings that are sometimes far removed from scripture. This isn't new. Jesus himself decried the leader of Judaism for their non-scriptural tradition:
Mat 15:6 And honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
Mat 15:7 Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,
Mat 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
Mat 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
You should take your arrogance and modern-day Phariseeism elsewhere. We are under grace, not law. I find your attitude disgusting.
I apologize if I've done anything personally to offend you. I strive to be educational and not condemning because I believe that the vast majority of people are destined to be children of God. It's not my place to condemn.
We are under grace, but grace does not give us the freedom to break God's law. And God's laws still exist. Grace gives us forgiveness for breaking God's law. Grace gives us pardon from death for being sinners.
There's no denying that tradition has altered the clear teaching of Christ in scripture. But that doesn't make it right.
Does this include LDS, Protestants, Churches of God and other Christian groups? Are these groups part of the Catholic church?
I am referring to the Catholic Church. Is that another spelling error, or are you confused?
OOOoooookayyyyy ... now you're officially off the deep end. It is not a matter of "tradition" altering the "clear teaching of Christ."
Jesus' Institution of the Eucharist is clearly described in each of the Synoptic Gospels, and echoed by St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.
Jesus Christ himself drew the distinction between the old and new Covenants at that precise moment. The Passover is of the old covenant; the Eucharist is part of the new.
There seems to be no point in continuing, if you're going to try to finesse something as obvious as that.
I would offer dittos to your other observations ... the only hint we have that Peter strayed from strict observance is the scene where he sees Paul approaching and gets up from eating with gentiles and moves to be with observant Jews. That episode, btw, probably happened within fifteen years of the resurrection. Again, Gary Habermas has done superlative work as an Historian int his area.
Additionally, Peter is associating with the very observant brother James, so it is likely that Peter remained faithful to Jewish traditional observances throughout his life.
Although I wouldn't call it the eucharist, I don't disagree with you. You're not understanding my point.
I guess I must be confused. It's difficult to have a conversation if I'm unsure of your affiliation. Are you a member of the church headed by the pope with it's headquarters at the Vatican?
That's the earliest I've seen it dated. Most references I've seen put it at anywhere from 10 to 20 years. I'll be sure to study this guys work. Thanks for the reference.
Yes, the Catholic Church.
I think we're looking at it from two different perspectives. I see a great consistency between the God of the old testament and the God of the new testament. I'm not sure where you got it, but I never mis-interpreted what Christ said about what defiles a person. I did offer an alternative explanation that harmonizes the old testament with the new testament. From what I perceive, you offer an explanation that harmonizes current traditional belief and culture with the new testament.
A theological distinction has long been made between the moral laws of the Old Testament, and ceremonial or practical laws such as those related to foods or fabrics. I strongly suspect that you have yourself made such distinctions between moral and ceremonial laws ... or do you actually follow the rituals described in Leviticus 1 -- the bull and the lamb, and the sprinkling of blood on the altar and the burnt offering and all that?
You seem to be answering many arguments which I've never made and that's probably my fault for not explaining my position better.
My primary position is this: The heart of the old covenant IS the ten commandments. God always intended these to be spiritual and physical laws. However, the Israelites were a non-spiritual people. The indwelling of Gods' spirit was not generally given. This didn't occur until the formation of the new testament church on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2).
The other laws and commandments can be rightly divided by understanding that some are applicable only on a national scale. These include such things as civil and criminal penalties for prohibited behavior (think of the death penalty for certain offenses). All functions of the Levitical priesthood are not applicable to Christians because Christ is our high priest.
Heb 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law
This is clearly explained in Hebrews.
Ditto with sacrifices. Christ the sacrifice for Christians.
The problem IS that most Christians throw out the entire bible before the book of Matthew instead of understanding that the new covenant changed specific things and didn't wipe out every utterance of God for Christians before Christ.
Great. Thanks for the clarification.
Our of curiosity would you say that everyone that is a member of the organization known as the Catholic Church has God's spirit and is a member of the body of Christ?
It's not about being on a membership roll, it's about faith and action.
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