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| Easter is NOT Pagan |
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 There is a blog on here that deletes any objections to it. It purports that Easter is pagan and claims so beyond all reason, logic or historic proof. I invite comments that were deleted on that blog to be entered here. This is why I keep Easter and believe that it is the most important celebration of the Christian calendar.
The Name Easter
Many claim that the name Easter is pagan. That was the claim by the "venerable Bede" a past historian, and many dictionaries with only simple entries carry only his definition, that the word comes from a pagan goddess of spring Oestre or Astarte. First of all, that definition is in dispute, because more thorough dictionaries give an alternative, that the word comes from the germanic word "east" the direction of sunrise, remembering the time of Christ's resurrection.
Even if, it could be proven beyond all doubt that the word Easter was pagan, that is not even the point. Easter is not the original name of the celebration. It's original name is Passover, definitely not a pagan name. In fact, that is the name of the celebration in most of the world's languages still. Only German and English carry the name Easter (Ostern in German). In Swedish it is Paask, Dutch Paasfest, Portugese Pascoa, Spanish Pascua, French Pâques, etc. Some languages use an expression calling it the Great Night, Great Day or the Resurrection Festival.
Why the Date Change?
Why then do Christians not celbrate THIS Passover at the same time as the Jews. Believe the Friday Crucifixion and Sunday Resurrection timing or not, most researchers and historians today find that configuration still has the most evidence attached to it. The Greek expression three days uses inclusive counting, as opposed to our western exclusive counting. So, they counted beginning with the day that was already there. So, three days began with Friday and ended with Sunday, even though they are only part days. Our modern use of the term would start with day 1 being tomorrow, which is why there is so much dispute over this by those who don't understand Greek.
This being the case, ancient Christians wanted to celebrate the same days of the week each year, rather than having Passover (read Easter today) celebrated on a different weekday each year, as the Hebrew calendar's observance would impose. This is known as the Quartodeciman Controversy. It was not a dispute over whether to celebrate a pagan Easter versus a biblical Passover, as some historically ignorant people claim, but rather over the date to celebrate Passover. In the end, the modern tradition prevailed, following Paul's teaching that Christians are no longer bound by specific times and days.
Sunday
Sunday was not a originally a substitute Sabbath at all as some claim. It was originally a time when the saints gathered together around sunrise, to remember the resurrection of Jesus. Those who had to work in the fields then went about their work after the gathering was over. Sunday has since become a mini-Easter each week. Some Christians in later history made it a rest day, and there is nothing wrong with doing so, but it is not a rule to be found anywhere in the Bible, nor is it a substitute for the original Jewish Sabbath. It is simply a choice which the overwhelming majority of theologians believe is allowed by Romans 14.
Why I LOVE Easter
Easter then, celebrates something wonderful that Old Testament festivals did not and could not -- the resurrection. Use the name Christian Passover, if the name Easter offends you, but don't ditch the whole celebration, just because of a possible linguistic peccadillo. There is a slight hint of the resurrection in the wave sheaf offering during the Passover season, the Days of Unleavened Bread, but only Easter celebrates this most important historical event in full. The schoolmaster of the law taught us HOW to remember important historical events on an annual basis. Now that as Christians, we have graduated from school, we are free to use the principles that we learned from the schoolmaster, to celebrate, not Old Testament events, but New Testament events.
What more important New Testament event could we celebrate than the resurrection of our Lord and Savior!
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After a request, I have added a few references that may be of further help:
A small book Three Days and Three Nights by Ralph Woodrow may be purchased at
http://www.amazon.com/Three-Days-Night-Reconsidered/dp/0916938115
An article Three Days and Three Nights for viewing at
http://www.ecclesia.org/truth/3days-3nights.html
An article Celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus can be seen at
http://www.wcg.org/lit/church/holidays/celebrat.htm
Catholic Encyclopedia articles on Easter
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05224d.htm
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05228a.htm |
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| Amen Grant. Very well researched. Do you research before you write the blog, or do you just know most of this? (If the latter, that's just crazy, man!) |
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DEW |
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May 15, 2008 at 11:04pm |
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| I have never been against Easter, I just celebrate Christ Crucified 24/7. I do not pick one day to celebrate. I don't condemn anyone who does. God knows our heart and whats in it. Dale |
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Rob |
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May 15, 2008 at 11:40pm |
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Grant,
I've said it before and I'll say it again. I think you're the smartest guy on MyChurch.org.
The cool thing about MyChurch is that if you can't take the heat, delete it!
Although I don't think celebrating any festivals, new moons, holy days, or sabbath days is helpful, I wouldn't stand in the way of anyone practicing them.
Regarding the 3-days counting issue: Jesus said, "As Jonah was in the belly of the whale 3-days and 3-nights, so will the Son of man be in the heart of the earth." 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
That kind of spells out 72-hours, if you ask me. Jesus died the day before "an high day". 19:31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and [that] they might be taken away.
The New International Version says it this way, "Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down." (Jn. 19:31 NIV)
During Passover there were days of sabbath rest, which were not the seventh day of the week (Saturday). If this "special Sabbath" occurred on Wednesday, that would give Jesus enough time to be in the heart of the earth for three complete days and nights.
Rob |
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| I don't really care what the holy day is called, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus! He is alive! Yeah, we have some crazy mixed up traditions with Easter as we do Christmas, but the purpose for the day never changes. Besides I always like the Reeses Penut Butter Eggs, if that is a sin, please forgive me! |
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Dan |
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May 16, 2008 at 1:17am |
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| If we look at Christianity through our narrow doctrines we miss the beauty of Christianity which is celebrating the wonderful majestic powerful resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ! Faith gives me the freedom to live, move, breath and love His children through and because of grace. Nothing more powerful than a bunch of Christians gettin together to celebrate Christ's resurrection. For the right reason lets call it Easter! |
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Grant |
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May 16, 2008 at 1:20am |
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Mike, I researched this particular one years ago, because I too once believed the lie the Easter was pagan.
Dew, in the spirit of Romans 14, you are right.
Rob, it spells 72 hours in our modern thinking, but that is not what it meant to the Greek speaking audience when it was written. Also Rob, top theologians are also well aware of the Wed-Sat and Thur-Sat arguments, but the overwhelming majority reject them and still opt for the most ancient Fri-Sun argument, because to fit a Holy Day in the sequence you mentioned you would have to retrofit the year Christ was crucified around to fit the theory. Also, the context in Greek actually does not necessarily indicate an annual Sabbath but the weekly Sabbath, according to most experts that I have read. When the experts reject the idea that this is refering to an annual high day during the days of unleavened bread, then I go with them, not the few.
Dan, you are right. We are called to freedom in Christ, not more Pharisaism. |
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GREAT READ!! I was all over the internet researching this. Ya know theres a lot of lies going around and it can make you wonder what is right.......
I know why I celebrate Easter today and I also love them  LOL
The Resurrection of the Lord Jesus
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Rob |
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May 16, 2008 at 8:20am |
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Grant,
I'll have to bow to your extensive research on this one. Holy days and such have never meant a whole lot to me (although, I do have to give a great big AMEN to the Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs!)
Jesus gave us the Lord's Supper to remember and proclaim His death ("until He come") but nothing is mentioned about the resurrection. I find that a little odd.
Have you ever eaten those sugar coated marshmallow Peeps? I like them best when they've gotten a little stale. Mmmm... Peeeeps... gurgle, gurgle, gurgle...
Rob |
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| Well done Grant. While I find it interesting that people in the church actually argue about this topic, I like the idea of a weekly celebration of his resurrection, and the idea that the church wanted to meet on Sunday morning to remember that resurrection day. |
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I have a problem with being told I can't celebrate this and that because of paganism. Ok, I'm stubborn......but if I'm taking something pagan, and turning it into God worship......is it still pagan, not to me. If something of God is used in pagan worship.....do we quit using it to worship God?
We did a cantata and used a yule log.....someone cried out that it is pagan.......I looked at them and said.....not now, it's being used as scenery in a story to tell the birth of Jesus......so it's now a God Log!
Just my opinion, LOLOL
Take what is bad, and use it for the good! |
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Grant |
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May 16, 2008 at 8:30am |
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A God log! I like that one. LOL. And who made the log in the first place, before the pagans stole it by dedicating it to their idols? Hmmm! |
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| Amen........we need to steal back and give the glory to God with the things He's created :) |
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| What? Not celebrate Christ's ressurection ! You must be kidding !!! |
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Another  for the references you listed, Grant. Thanks! |
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STUSHI |
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May 16, 2008 at 12:51pm |
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| I am with Brother Todd, and the rest.....He Is Alive!!!!!!! |
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Tom |
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May 17, 2008 at 8:11am |
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| Thank you Grant for building up the body of Christ with excellent info.! |
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Grant |
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May 17, 2008 at 2:18pm |
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Donna, thank you for the encouragement.
Rob, you're welcome!
Voice, neat isn't it. When we study Christian history, we find so many wonderful examples of faith.
Princess, Amen on that!
Paul, I agree!
Mike, thank you!
Stuart, yes I like Easter candy too, but too much is not good either. LOL.
Tom, thank you too! |
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