Soldier of Christ Good to see you posting. We met in the chat rooms a couple of years ago and had a conversation about to pascha, herod, Passover and easter. I learned alot that day. Do you have a easter post in the forum? I would enjoy going over it again. Good to see you friend Hope to see you more often Nice post BTW
What's being referred to here is the one instance of the word “Easter” in the Bible.
“Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) And when he had apprehended him, 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.”
Acts 12:1-4
A small number of people will use this passage to say that the Bible shows that Christians were already celebrating Easter. This position is rare as most will point out that the Greek word “Pascha” appears 29 times in scripture, and only once is it translated “Easter.” The other 28 times is it translated as “Passover.” As such they simply chalk it up to a translator error.
This study became most interesting when I learned that the English word “Passover” did not exist until the 1500’s when William Tyndale coined it in his English translation of the New Testament.
An article which appeared in The Trinitarian Bible Society Quarterly Record states:
"When Tyndale applied his talents to the translation of the New Testament from Greek into English, he was not satisfied with the use of a completely foreign word, and decided to take into account the fact that the season of the passover was known generally to English people as `Easter' ... Tyndale has ester or easter fourteen times, ester-lambe eleven times, esterfest once, and paschall lambe three times." "When he began his translation of the Pentateuch, he was again faced with the problem in Exodus 12:11 and twenty- one other places, and no doubt recognizing that easter in this context would be an anachronism he coined a new word, passover and used it consistently in all twenty-two places. It is, therefore, to Tyndale that our language is indebted for this meaningful and appropriate word" (date of article not known).
Subsequent translations adopted this new word and continually replaced the word Easter with Passover, right up until the KJV when the last remaining instance of the word is that of Acts 12:4. It should be noted that Tyndale would be the last person to be suspected of actually favoring the pagan Easter holiday. Foxe’s Book of Martyrs records that he was arrested, imprison and executed in 1536 for his rejection of the pagan Roman Catholic religion, and making an English translation of the Bible against the will of the Pope. He was strangled and burned at the town of Vilvorde and his last recorded words were, “Lord! open the king of England's eyes.” This man lived in constant risk of death for a great while before finally giving his life in his effort to educate the common folk about true unadulterated Christianity. This quote from Foxe’s Book of Martyr’s bears this out well:
Not long after, Master Tyndale happened to be in the company of a certain divine, recounted for a learned man, and, in communing and disputing with him, he drove him to that issue, that the said great doctor burst out into these blasphemous words, "We were better to be without God's laws than the pope's." Master Tyndale, hearing this, full of godly zeal, and not bearing that blasphemous saying, replied, "I defy the pope, and all his laws;" and added, "If God spared him life, ere many years he would cause a boy that driveth the plough to know more of the Scripture than he did."
Why in light of such godly zeal and desire to rid the world of the pagan Roman Catholic religion, would he retain such a word as Easter after having coined such a more appropriate word as Passover? Part of this is answered above in that it was the entire season of Passover that was known as Easter in those days. Much the same as we would use the days of the week and months that have been named after false gods, he was simply referring to the time of year, but I believe there was even more to it than that.
The Greek Pascha is not the same word as the Hebrew Pesach (Passover), even though modern usage has largely made them interchangeable. Similarity in words across language does not denote relation. A good example of this was given to me when I visited Portugal. Before leaving someone told me that Muito Obrigado meant, “thank you very much.” I didn’t know Portuguese but I did have a basic understanding of Spanish. In Spanish Muerte means death. The pronunciation of Muito and Muerte is nearly identical except the ‘r’ sound. It was my understanding that the two languages were similar (and in many ways they are) so I was afraid to use that phrase for fear that someone was playing a trick on me. As it turns out, that is the proper way to say it. Even the Portuguese word for death, Morte, is not far off from either of those words. The similarity in structure and sound did not mean anything with regards to similarity in meaning.
The question becomes; is it proper to translate Pascha as Easter in Acts 12:4 when every other instance of the word is rendered Passover. Take a closer look at Acts 12:1-4
“Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also.
(Then were the days of unleavened bread.) And when he had apprehended him, 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.”
Acts 12:1-4
The question that must be asked is; when were the days of unleavened bread and when was Passover? Looking back at the Law of Moses we find a very clear answer.
In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.
Leviticus 23:5-6
And this is repeated in various other Old Testament passages and even also in at least one other New Testament passage.
And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?
Mark 14:12
Acts 12:3 states very clearly, “…Then were the days of unleavened bread.” Passover was the first day of the feast of unleavened bread and only the first day. I am not aware of any other passage that refers to the rest of the days of unleavened bread as Passover. Clearly Passover would be an improper rendering of the Greek Pascha if they were already in the days unleavened bread when Peter was captured. Any translation that renders Pascha as Passover in this passage is incorrect and exposes the translator’s shallow knowledge of scripture with regards to Passover.
Herod could not be waiting until after the Passover, and why would he. Herod was a pagan. Why would he care about a Hebrew holy day, much less feel the need to wait until after Passover to kill Peter? Acts 12:3 says it pleased the Jews when he killed James, and that was his whole reason for proceeding to arrest Peter as well. I doubt he would be afraid of them having a problem with killing Peter during the feast of unleavened bread since Jesus himself was crucified during this same feast.
The only thing left is that Herod, a pagan, was celebrating the pagan Easter and didn’t want to interrupt his festivities for an execution. Herod’s family was known for their aberrant sexual appetite and Easter was the goddess of fertility. Her festival therefore included a lot of unmentionable activity that fit really well into what we know about the Herods.
In conclusion, the Bible still never sanctions the celebration of Easter. The one instance of Easter in the Bible is God revealing that a God hating, Christian killing pagan felt the need to wait until he was done with his pagan festival of Easter before killing the Apostle Peter. Praise God for rescuing Peter during that time by his miraculous power.
More recently in American history, Washington was able to win his first major victory against a regular army at the Battle of Trenton in 1776. This Battle was won because the colonists did not celebrate christmas and the British Colonel was too busy celebrating christmas to read or take seriously a note warning him of Washington’s approach.
Scripture is very clear on both christmas and Easter whether explicitly in this case with Easter or in principle and practice with the many examples in both Old and New Testaments about how God responded when his people polluted his holy name with pagan practices. Paul went so far as to say that when he heard that his converts in Galatia were still observing days months and times, that he was afraid that his labor there had been a waste of time.
Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
Galatians 4:8-11
The context of Galatians is law versus grace but in this passage Paul makes a point of referring to the pagan gods these gentiles used to worship. Paul, speaking by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, makes it very clear that holy days, especially those tainted with paganism, are not sanctioned by scripture. On the contrary, it was substantial evidence to him that they quite possibly didn’t get saved at all and his work with them had been in vain.
I stop and wonder sometimes, what would men like Paul, Jeremiah, Isaiah, etc say if they could visit our modern time and see what has become of God’s people. The last few times I read Jeremiah nearly if not every chapter made me feel like he wrote it today directly to our present situations.
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18
Scripture is very clear, God does not accept any mixture of paganism with his holy worship. He said if you come out from among such unholy mixture then God will receive you. The reverse, therefore, must be just as true. If we who have been made aware of the truth about this unholy mixture and refuse to come out and be separate, what promise do we have that God will receive us? I conclude with the word of God in the very next verse.
Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
2 Corinthians 7:1
many don´t like he dark that comet with fall and winter... I kinda like it, 