History of Easter.......

[SWalt]

Pagan? Hardly. Interesting though that the whole "Easter is a pagan holiday" comes from 1 mention in all the historical record by some dude name Bede in the 700's. No celebrations of a pagan goddess Eostre found in pagan records, archeology, and nothing written but only 1 mention from that Catholic writer in the 700's. Easter was actually stolen by the pagans!! Interesting video, 30 minutes long but shorter at 1.25x.

[colossians323]

I thought it was the rabbit and the egg thing that made it pagan

[IronsightsRifleman]

Lost me at, "Easter, in other words, is Jewish."

The last super was two days before Passover (Matt 26:1). Jesus was crucified and buried the next day. Passover was on Saturday. Jesus arose the following day. The sequence of these events is well known to all Christians, being thoroughly documented throughout the Gospels. Easter Sunday celebrates Christ's resurrection. It is, and always has been, a Christian holiday -- the defining and quintessential Christian holiday -- celebrated only by Christians, the earliest of whom had been Jews prior to the new covenant, but who were no longer Jews upon the resurrection. The first Christians recognized all this, as they recorded for us in Acts and the Epistles. Easter, in other words, is not Jewish.

Ramblings about calendars and bunnys are pretty pointless if he can't grapple with the first principle first.

[SWalt]

It seems the Easter bunny is no different than santa claus, just a way for adults to be amused or play tricks on kids. Just a way to mark the equinox and the time of year. I don't think pagans were dumb enough to believe rabbits laid eggs. I did find it funny that Mary Magdalene supposedly carried a basket of eggs to Jesus tomb and they turned red. Where did that come from?? "You're going to visit the tomb? In your grief of Jesus being executed, be sure and bring some eggs in a basket!"

[SWalt]

Lost me at, "Easter, in other words, is Jewish."

The last super was two days before Passover (Mat 26:1). Jesus was crucified and buried the next day. Passover was (as always) on Saturday. Jesus arose the following day. The sequence of these events is well known to all Christians, being thoroughly documented throughout the Gospels. Easter Sunday celebrates Christ's resurrection. It is, and always has been, a Christian holiday -- the defining and quintessential Christian holiday -- celebrated only by Christians, the earliest of whom had been Jews prior to the new covenant, but who were no longer Jews upon the resurrection. The first Christians recognized all this, as they recorded for us in Acts and the Epistles. Easter, in other words, is not Jewish.

Ramblings about calendars and bunny's are pretty pointless is he can't grapple with the first principle first.

The problem you don't see is you're applying 2000 years of tradition in your comment. The crucifixion happened during Passover, to the first Christians they would remember the crucifixion was during Passover since many were Jews and understood Passover and its new significance. If there were any explanation of Christ it would be from the Torah and TaNak and how and why Jesus came. No one walked around with bibles in their hands quoting Mathew, Mark, Paul or anyone or reading the latest commentary on what it all means, no such thing as a bible verse to argue over which came later. They were Jews or pagan gentiles who heard enough of Jesus' word orally, explanation of the OT prophecy, saw miracles performed by the Apostles and others and believed. What is Easter would have been celebrated according to the day of the Jewish calendar of Passover and the culmination of Gods plan of redemption according to Moses, Jewish law and prophecy and a New Covenant. About calendars, please tell me what day would a Chinese convert in China in the 3rd century celebrate Easter on? Our tradition matters not to them, it could fall in the middle of a week or what ever day their calendar it falls on according to the Jewish calendar and Passover.

[IronsightsRifleman]

The problem you don't see is you're applying 2000 years of tradition in your comment. The crucifixion happened during Passover, to the first Christians they would remember the crucifixion was during Passover since many were Jews and understood Passover and its new significance. If there were any explanation of Christ it would be from the Torah and TaNak and how and why Jesus came. No one walked around with bibles in their hands quoting Mathew, Mark, Paul or anyone or reading the latest commentary on what it all means, no such thing as a bible verse to argue over which came later. They were Jews or pagan gentiles who heard enough of Jesus' word orally, explanation of the OT prophecy, saw miracles performed by the Apostles and others and believed. What is Easter would have been celebrated according to the day of the Jewish calendar of Passover and the culmination of Gods plan of redemption according to Moses, Jewish law and prophecy and a New Covenant. About calendars, please tell me what day would a Chinese convert in China in the 3rd century celebrate Easter on? Our tradition matters not to them, it could fall in the middle of a week or what ever day their calendar it falls on according to the Jewish calendar and Passover.

The problem you don't see is that my comments, if they rely on tradition at all, do so for no more than some 70 years after the resurrection, not 2000. The fact that Christ's Apostles had all previously been Jews, understood Jesus' coming in term of Old Testament scripture (as Jesus himself had professed), and recalled the date of his resurrection in relation to the Jewish calendar, is taken for granted. And though the New Testament was not yet compiled into our modern day bible with chapters and verses, the New Testament writings were individually in circulation concurrent with the growth of the early church.

So, i return to my main retort: Nothing about Easter is Jewish. Easter is wholy Christian, and has been since the first one. Galatians leaves us with no doubt that the split between former Jewish mindsets and modern Christian understanding took place from the outset of the new church. Christian doctrine solidified within a few short decades of the resurrection. By 325AD, the only issue outstanding for the Council of Nicea to set into doctrine was whether the Son was created by the Father at the begining of time, or whether the Son existed with the Father prior to creation. Some may call me a heretic, but I could probably have gone either way on that one.

Well, maybe I'm missing the point. I must be, because I don't understand what point the video is on about, or how your reply to my original comment changes anything. My apologies for rambling on.

[TomMcC]

Who instituted "holy" days in the OT? Who instituted the holy day "Easter" in the NT? Who's in charge of "holy days" anyway?

[SWalt]

Who instituted "holy" days in the OT? Who instituted the holy day "Easter" in the NT? Who's in charge of "holy days" anyway?

Show me in the NT where God instituted Easter? You won't find it, the Last Supper or communion "In remembrance of Me" yes, nothing about Easter. Its not wrong at all to celebrate the greatest day in human history as Easter but Easter was established by men. Men remembering the death and resurrection is a very good thing.

[MrTokarev]

Lost me at, "Easter, in other words, is Jewish."

The last super was two days before Passover (Matt 26:1). Jesus was crucified and buried the next day. Passover was on Saturday. Jesus arose the following day. The sequence of these events is well known to all Christians, being thoroughly documented throughout the Gospels. Easter Sunday celebrates Christ's resurrection. It is, and always has been, a Christian holiday -- the defining and quintessential Christian holiday -- celebrated only by Christians, the earliest of whom had been Jews prior to the new covenant, but who were no longer Jews upon the resurrection. The first Christians recognized all this, as they recorded for us in Acts and the Epistles. Easter, in other words, is not Jewish.

Ramblings about calendars and bunnys are pretty pointless if he can't grapple with the first principle first.

I think the ultimate point was that it’s not a repurposed pagan holiday as smug atheists like to post on Facebook.

[TomMcC]

Can someone please reference a scripture(s) where God/Christ authorized a NT "holy" day called Easter, to specifically celebrate the Lord's resurrection, or show me where the Apostles celebrated this NT "holy" day? It seems to me that God is the only authority concerning these things.

[2761377]

^^^we are asked to remember the sacrifice of Jesus in the Holy Gospels (Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:19-20) and in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.

This we do every Lord's Day. or at least in churches with Apostolic Succession.

Easter, or Pascha is a special commemoration calculated to fall on the exact day in the year of His Resurrection.

[TomMcC]

^^^we are asked to remember the sacrifice of Jesus in the Holy Gospels (Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:19-20) and in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.

This we do every Lord's Day. or at least in churches with Apostolic Succession.

Easter, or Pascha is a special commemoration calculated to fall on the exact day in the year of His Resurrection.

The Lord's day is approved and authorized by God, where is Pascha or Easter as a once every year "holy" day approved of and authorized by God?

[SWalt]

The Lord's day is approved and authorized by God, where is Pascha or Easter as a once every year "holy" day approved of and authorized by God?

You can ask the same question concerning Christmas too, which uses the winter solstice to mark the day of Jesus birth. As far as I'm concerned, using the solstice isn't pagan, the solstice itself isn't a pagan event. This is not an attack on celebrating either one, both need to be celebrated. Its more man showing God we do remember and not just remember but keep our half of the covenant alive with great enthusiasm.

But, we would have had to just pick a day to celebrate the death and resurrection like we do for Christmas if we didn't have Passover.

[2761377]

The Lord's day is approved and authorized by God, where is Pascha or Easter as a once every year "holy" day approved of and authorized by God?

Jesus Himself traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, by that time an already ancient Jewish holiday. the theological connection between Passover and the celebration of His resurrection is clear. by His sacrifice, we are redeemed from slavery to death.

the onus is on you to present evidence that such a celebration is against His will.

[TomMcC]

Delete